Books in the Studies in East Asian Buddhism series

This study moves beyond the treatment of the original enlightenment doctrine as abstract philosophy to explore its historical dimension. Drawing on a wealth of medieval primary sources and modern Japanese scholarship, it places this discourse in its ritual, institutional and social contexts.

This study of Tsung-mi is part of the Studies in East Asian Buddhism series. Author Peter Gregory makes extensive use of Japanese secondary sources, which complements his work on the complex Chinese materials that form the basis of the study.

Offers the first book-length study of the theory and practice of "abandoning the body"(self-immolation) in Chinese Buddhism. This book examines the hagiographical accounts of all those who made offerings of their own bodies and places them in historical, social, cultural, and doctrinal context.

An exploration of Buddhism during the Sung Dynasty (960-1279). It asserts, that, far from signalling a decline, the Sung was a period of great efflorescence in Buddhism. The studies presented focus largely on elite figures, elite traditions, and interactions among Buddhists and literati.

An examination of medieval Chinese Buddhist thanatonic practices. Bridging area studies and the history of religions, Teiser explores the concerns, practices and beliefs of 9th- and 10th-century Chinese Buddhists.