Includes bibliographical references and index
505 8 Machine generated contents note: -- 1. Ritual topography -
- 2. Buddhist obeisance -- 3. The 662 debate -- 4. The
editor's conclusion -- 5. Christian objections -- 6.
Theories of obeisance -- 7. Disobeisance today -- Appendix
-- Bibliography -- Index
520 "The most common Buddhist practice in Asia is bowing, yet
Buddhist and Christian Responses to the Kowtow Problem is
the first study of Buddhist obeisance in China. In
Confucian ritual, everyone is supposed to kowtow, or bow,
to the Chinese emperor. But Buddhists claimed exemption
from bowing to any layperson, even to their own parents or
the emperor. This tension erupted in an imperial debate in
662. This study first asks how and why Buddhists should
bow (to the Buddha, and to monks), and then explores the
arguments over their refusing to bow to the emperor. These
arguments take us into the core ideas of Buddhism and
imperial power: How can one achieve nirvana by bowing?
What is a Buddha image? Who is it that bows? Is there any
ritual that can exempt a subject of the emperor? What are
the limits of the state's power over human bodies?
Centuries later, Christians had a new set of problems with
bowing in China, to the emperor and to "idols." Buddhist
and Christian Responses to the Kowtow problem compares
these cases of refusing to bow, discusses modern theories
of obeisance, and finally moves to examine some
contemporary analogies such as refusing to salute the
American flag. Contributing greatly to the study of the
body and power, ritual, religion and material culture,
this volume is of interest to scholars and students of
religious studies, Buddhism, Chinese history and material
culture"--|cProvided by publisher