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Cited by 50Indian and Buddhist StudiesChinese history and philosophyStudy and Philosophy of Religion

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Seeing through Zen

Mcrae, John R.·2004·University of California Press eBooks
DOI 10.1525/9780520937079
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Abstract

The tradition of Chan Buddhism—more popularly known as Zen—has been romanticized throughout its history. In this book, John R. McRae shows how modern critical techniques, supported by recent manuscript discoveries, make possible a more skeptical, accurate, and—ultimately—productive assessment of Chan lineages, teaching, fundraising practices, and social organization. Synthesizing twenty years of scholarship, Seeing through Zen offers new, accessible analytic models for the interpretation of Chan spiritual practices and religious history. Writing in a lucid and engaging style, McRae traces the emergence of this Chinese spiritual tradition and its early figureheads, Bodhidharma and the "sixth patriarch" Huineng, through the development of Zen dialogue and koans. In addition to constructing a central narrative for the doctrinal and social evolution of the school, Seeing through Zen examines the religious dynamics behind Chan’s use of iconoclastic stories and myths of patriarchal succession. McRae argues that Chinese Chan is fundamentally genealogical, both in its self-understanding as a school of Buddhism and in the very design of its practices of spiritual cultivation. Furthermore, by forgoing the standard idealization of Zen spontaneity, we can gain new insight into the religious vitality of the school as it came to dominate the Chinese religious scene, providing a model for all of East Asia—and the modern world. Ultimately, this book aims to change how we think about Chinese Chan by providing new ways of looking at the tradition.

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Metadata

Authors
Mcrae, J. R.
Corresponding author
Mcrae, John R.
Venue
University of California Press eBooks
Publisher
University of California Press
Published
2004-01-19
DOI
10.1525/9780520937079
OpenAlex
W4234840312
Cited by
42
References
0
Citations by year
2026: 7 · 2025: 6 · 2024: 2 · 2023: 6 · 2022: 5 · 2021: 4 · 2020: 3 · 2019: 1 · 2018: 2 · 2017: 1 · 2016: 2 · 2014: 1 · 2012: 2
FWCI
0.00
Type
book
Language
en
Open access
closed
Locations
University of California Press eBooks (publishedVersion)
Topics
  • Social Sciences › Arts and Humanities › Religious studies › Indian and Buddhist Studies
  • Social Sciences › Arts and Humanities › History › Chinese history and philosophy
  • Social Sciences › Arts and Humanities › Philosophy › Study and Philosophy of Religion
Keywords
Zen Buddhism, Bodhidharma, Huineng, koan, Patriarchal succession, genealogy, iconoclasm, fundraising practice, social organization, Chinese religious history, spiritual cultivation, East Asian Buddhism

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