Reviews: Bulletin of the School of Oriental and African Studies 78, no. 3 (October 2015), 659-660... more Reviews: Bulletin of the School of Oriental and African Studies 78, no. 3 (October 2015), 659-660 [T. H. Barrett] [electronic]; Hanxue yanjiu tongxun (Newsletter for Research in Chinese Studies) 34, no. 2, May 2015, 20–21 [Liao Zhen 廖箴]; New Zealand Journal of Asian Studies 17, no. 2 (December 2015), 126–27 [Maria Galikowski]; Religious Studies Review 42, no. 3 (September 2016), 225 [Barbara Hendrischke]; Journal of Asian Affairs 47, no. 2 (2016), 341–43 [Susan Pares]; Journal of Chinese Studies, no. 63 (July 2016), 308–316 [Victor Mair]; CHINOPERL 35, no. 1 (July 2016), 58–61 [Peter Micic].
Paperback edition released November 2016.
Notices:Chronicle of Higher Education 53, no. 28, p. A... more Paperback edition released November 2016.
Notices:Chronicle of Higher Education 53, no. 28, p. A21; Choice 45, no. 1 (September 2007), p. 115.
Reviews: Hanxue yanjiu tongxun (Newsletter for Research in Chinese Studies) 26, no. 3, August 2007, 55–56 [Stefania Travagnin] [electronic]; Middle Way 82, no. 2, August 2007, 119 [Simon Hui-Chiao]; Tang yanjiu 13, December 2007 [Chen Huaiyu]; Journal of the American Academy of Religion 76, March 2008, 198–202 [Natasha Heller] ; The Journal of Religion 88, no. 2, April 2008, 269–270 [Marcus Bingenheimer] ; Journal of Asian Studies 67, no. 2, May 2008, 678–681 [Wendi Adamek]; Harvard Journal of Asiatic Studies 69, no. 1, June 2009, 221–225 [Vincent Goossaert] ; Journal of Chinese Religions 36, 2008, 124–127 [Linda Penkower]; H-Buddhism, H-Net Reviews, November 2009 [Ryan Overbey]; Religious Studies Review 36, no. 3, September 2010, 193–198 [Liz Wilson].
A major collection of important essays by many of the leading scholars in the field of Buddhism, ... more A major collection of important essays by many of the leading scholars in the field of Buddhism, including Phyllis Granoff from Yale University, T. H. Barrett from the University of London, Raoul Birnbaum from University of California, Toru Funayama from Kyoto University, Eugene Wang from Harvard University, and others. The spread of Buddhism in Asia may be viewed from one perspective as a protracted and complex process in which numerous sacred sites were continually created and re-created in different parts of Asia. This study of Buddhist sacred sites in South and East Asia yields some revealing new perspectives on the cross-cultural issues created by the Buddhist conquest of Asia. The volume sheds new light on issues such as pilgrimage, the development of Buddhist monasticism, the remembrance of Buddhist saints and patriarchs, Buddhist sacred sites, and more, and deepens our understanding of the Buddhist tradition. The volume contains thirteen original articles plus a preface and full bibliography.
modern interpretation of Confucianism in China owes its origins to the (mis-)interpretations of t... more modern interpretation of Confucianism in China owes its origins to the (mis-)interpretations of the Jesuit visitors during the early Qing period. Shocking as it may read to the uninitiated, the "Confucian myth" forms part of the complex interaction between western and Chinese intellectuals during the Republican period. In its manifold expressions, the phenomenon has already been scrutinised from different angles: the role of the missionaries, the influence of western ideology, the role of the colonial powers. Jensen's contribution thus lies in the explicit analysis of the sources and of the subject matter. The book's biggest asset is at the same time also one of its major shortcomings: Lionel Jensen certainly invested a great deal of personal ambition into the topic. At times, his personal involvement creates the impression of using the monograph as a tool in a missionary struggle for the enlightenment of the scholarly community and the world beyond. Creating awareness among a public which has fallen prey to a centuries-old construct. A second corrective remark refers to the second, "modern" half of Jensen's contribution: the limited number of Chinese sources used inevitably leads to questions about the representative qualities of the two chosen authors. A broader presentation of the topic in the mirror of the early republican scholarly scene would have produced even more convincing evidence. Jensen's style is clear throughout, though the chapters are at times longer than necessary. A more concise presentation of the topic could have been achieved without sacrificing any of the impressive sources. Praise for the excellent and explicit appendix, with an encyclopaedic glossary of the terms used in the monograph. Alongside the bibliography, the glossary will help academics to orientate themselves through a philosophical corridor of more than four hundred years. Jensen's reflection on the interpretation of Confucianism in the modern world is on the whole a welcome contribution to the study of Chinese philosophy and to the pursuit of East-West crossfertilisation. By portraying modern perceptions of Confucianism in the West and in China as the outcome of western imagination and Chinese aspiration, Manufacturing Confucianism can indeed be referred to as a true "dispeller of myths".
A major collection of important essays by many of the leading scholars in the field of Buddhism, ... more A major collection of important essays by many of the leading scholars in the field of Buddhism, including Phyllis Granoff from Yale University, T. H. Barrett from the University of London, Raoul Birnbaum from University of California, Toru Funayama from Kyoto University, Eugene Wang from Harvard University, and others. The spread of Buddhism in Asia may be viewed from one perspective as a protracted and complex process in which numerous sacred sites were continually created and re-created in different parts of Asia. This study of Buddhist sacred sites in South and East Asia yields some revealing new perspectives on the cross-cultural issues created by the Buddhist conquest of Asia. The volume sheds new light on issues such as pilgrimage, the development of Buddhist monasticism, the remembrance of Buddhist saints and patriarchs, Buddhist sacred sites, and more, and deepens our understanding of the Buddhist tradition. The volume contains thirteen original articles plus a preface and ...
offer this contribution to the study of the recent wave of selfimmolations in Tibet not because I... more offer this contribution to the study of the recent wave of selfimmolations in Tibet not because I believe that the historical perspective on Buddhist self-immolation is the only useful one, but in the hope that the issues raised below may still be helpful to interpret current events. As a historian of medieval Chinese religions, my own immediate frame of reference is to things that happened well over a thousand years ago. Here, I am only able to condense a few essential points from my recent publications on selfimmolation and related issues in Chinese Buddhism.1 I will begin with an account of what is probably the earliest recorded case of self-immolation by a Buddhist monk in China. This happened in the year 396:
Accounts of Buddhist monks and laymen who made offerings of their bodies by fire or other means o... more Accounts of Buddhist monks and laymen who made offerings of their bodies by fire or other means often hint at larger themes of resistance to state authority and millenarian or Utopian hopes on the part of religious communities. I will put some of these sources, drawn from hagiographical collections and commemorative inscriptions, into dialogue with each other and with other historical materials in order to reveal some of the larger forces at work behind (apparently) individual acts of self-immolation.
This article discusses the religious career and self-immolation (which involved public acts of bu... more This article discusses the religious career and self-immolation (which involved public acts of burning the fingers and body) of the sixth-century monk, Sengyai. The author discusses the sources for a study of his life, and translates the extant biographical materials. He demonstrates that self-immolation was a practice open to multiple interpretations, and that Sengyai?s act was understood as one of cosmic significance in a religious milieu in which recent political events such as the fall of the Liang dynasty were interpreted as signs of the decline of the dharma. Cet article s'intéresse à la carrière religieuse d'un moine du vie siècle, Sengyai, et à ses actes publics d'auto-immolation, tels que la crémation, d'abord, de ses doigts, et ensuite de son corps tout entier. L'auteur examine les sources permettant d'étudier sa vie et propose une traduction des matériaux existants. Il montre que la pratique de l'auto-immolation s'offrait à de multiples int...
Images, Relics and Legends: the Formation and Transformation of Buddhist Sacred Sites. Essays in Honour of Professor Koichi Shinohara. Edited by James Benn, Jinhua Chen, and James Robson, 69–90., 2012
Reviews: Bulletin of the School of Oriental and African Studies 78, no. 3 (October 2015), 659-660... more Reviews: Bulletin of the School of Oriental and African Studies 78, no. 3 (October 2015), 659-660 [T. H. Barrett] [electronic]; Hanxue yanjiu tongxun (Newsletter for Research in Chinese Studies) 34, no. 2, May 2015, 20–21 [Liao Zhen 廖箴]; New Zealand Journal of Asian Studies 17, no. 2 (December 2015), 126–27 [Maria Galikowski]; Religious Studies Review 42, no. 3 (September 2016), 225 [Barbara Hendrischke]; Journal of Asian Affairs 47, no. 2 (2016), 341–43 [Susan Pares]; Journal of Chinese Studies, no. 63 (July 2016), 308–316 [Victor Mair]; CHINOPERL 35, no. 1 (July 2016), 58–61 [Peter Micic].
Paperback edition released November 2016.
Notices:Chronicle of Higher Education 53, no. 28, p. A... more Paperback edition released November 2016.
Notices:Chronicle of Higher Education 53, no. 28, p. A21; Choice 45, no. 1 (September 2007), p. 115.
Reviews: Hanxue yanjiu tongxun (Newsletter for Research in Chinese Studies) 26, no. 3, August 2007, 55–56 [Stefania Travagnin] [electronic]; Middle Way 82, no. 2, August 2007, 119 [Simon Hui-Chiao]; Tang yanjiu 13, December 2007 [Chen Huaiyu]; Journal of the American Academy of Religion 76, March 2008, 198–202 [Natasha Heller] ; The Journal of Religion 88, no. 2, April 2008, 269–270 [Marcus Bingenheimer] ; Journal of Asian Studies 67, no. 2, May 2008, 678–681 [Wendi Adamek]; Harvard Journal of Asiatic Studies 69, no. 1, June 2009, 221–225 [Vincent Goossaert] ; Journal of Chinese Religions 36, 2008, 124–127 [Linda Penkower]; H-Buddhism, H-Net Reviews, November 2009 [Ryan Overbey]; Religious Studies Review 36, no. 3, September 2010, 193–198 [Liz Wilson].
A major collection of important essays by many of the leading scholars in the field of Buddhism, ... more A major collection of important essays by many of the leading scholars in the field of Buddhism, including Phyllis Granoff from Yale University, T. H. Barrett from the University of London, Raoul Birnbaum from University of California, Toru Funayama from Kyoto University, Eugene Wang from Harvard University, and others. The spread of Buddhism in Asia may be viewed from one perspective as a protracted and complex process in which numerous sacred sites were continually created and re-created in different parts of Asia. This study of Buddhist sacred sites in South and East Asia yields some revealing new perspectives on the cross-cultural issues created by the Buddhist conquest of Asia. The volume sheds new light on issues such as pilgrimage, the development of Buddhist monasticism, the remembrance of Buddhist saints and patriarchs, Buddhist sacred sites, and more, and deepens our understanding of the Buddhist tradition. The volume contains thirteen original articles plus a preface and full bibliography.
modern interpretation of Confucianism in China owes its origins to the (mis-)interpretations of t... more modern interpretation of Confucianism in China owes its origins to the (mis-)interpretations of the Jesuit visitors during the early Qing period. Shocking as it may read to the uninitiated, the "Confucian myth" forms part of the complex interaction between western and Chinese intellectuals during the Republican period. In its manifold expressions, the phenomenon has already been scrutinised from different angles: the role of the missionaries, the influence of western ideology, the role of the colonial powers. Jensen's contribution thus lies in the explicit analysis of the sources and of the subject matter. The book's biggest asset is at the same time also one of its major shortcomings: Lionel Jensen certainly invested a great deal of personal ambition into the topic. At times, his personal involvement creates the impression of using the monograph as a tool in a missionary struggle for the enlightenment of the scholarly community and the world beyond. Creating awareness among a public which has fallen prey to a centuries-old construct. A second corrective remark refers to the second, "modern" half of Jensen's contribution: the limited number of Chinese sources used inevitably leads to questions about the representative qualities of the two chosen authors. A broader presentation of the topic in the mirror of the early republican scholarly scene would have produced even more convincing evidence. Jensen's style is clear throughout, though the chapters are at times longer than necessary. A more concise presentation of the topic could have been achieved without sacrificing any of the impressive sources. Praise for the excellent and explicit appendix, with an encyclopaedic glossary of the terms used in the monograph. Alongside the bibliography, the glossary will help academics to orientate themselves through a philosophical corridor of more than four hundred years. Jensen's reflection on the interpretation of Confucianism in the modern world is on the whole a welcome contribution to the study of Chinese philosophy and to the pursuit of East-West crossfertilisation. By portraying modern perceptions of Confucianism in the West and in China as the outcome of western imagination and Chinese aspiration, Manufacturing Confucianism can indeed be referred to as a true "dispeller of myths".
A major collection of important essays by many of the leading scholars in the field of Buddhism, ... more A major collection of important essays by many of the leading scholars in the field of Buddhism, including Phyllis Granoff from Yale University, T. H. Barrett from the University of London, Raoul Birnbaum from University of California, Toru Funayama from Kyoto University, Eugene Wang from Harvard University, and others. The spread of Buddhism in Asia may be viewed from one perspective as a protracted and complex process in which numerous sacred sites were continually created and re-created in different parts of Asia. This study of Buddhist sacred sites in South and East Asia yields some revealing new perspectives on the cross-cultural issues created by the Buddhist conquest of Asia. The volume sheds new light on issues such as pilgrimage, the development of Buddhist monasticism, the remembrance of Buddhist saints and patriarchs, Buddhist sacred sites, and more, and deepens our understanding of the Buddhist tradition. The volume contains thirteen original articles plus a preface and ...
offer this contribution to the study of the recent wave of selfimmolations in Tibet not because I... more offer this contribution to the study of the recent wave of selfimmolations in Tibet not because I believe that the historical perspective on Buddhist self-immolation is the only useful one, but in the hope that the issues raised below may still be helpful to interpret current events. As a historian of medieval Chinese religions, my own immediate frame of reference is to things that happened well over a thousand years ago. Here, I am only able to condense a few essential points from my recent publications on selfimmolation and related issues in Chinese Buddhism.1 I will begin with an account of what is probably the earliest recorded case of self-immolation by a Buddhist monk in China. This happened in the year 396:
Accounts of Buddhist monks and laymen who made offerings of their bodies by fire or other means o... more Accounts of Buddhist monks and laymen who made offerings of their bodies by fire or other means often hint at larger themes of resistance to state authority and millenarian or Utopian hopes on the part of religious communities. I will put some of these sources, drawn from hagiographical collections and commemorative inscriptions, into dialogue with each other and with other historical materials in order to reveal some of the larger forces at work behind (apparently) individual acts of self-immolation.
This article discusses the religious career and self-immolation (which involved public acts of bu... more This article discusses the religious career and self-immolation (which involved public acts of burning the fingers and body) of the sixth-century monk, Sengyai. The author discusses the sources for a study of his life, and translates the extant biographical materials. He demonstrates that self-immolation was a practice open to multiple interpretations, and that Sengyai?s act was understood as one of cosmic significance in a religious milieu in which recent political events such as the fall of the Liang dynasty were interpreted as signs of the decline of the dharma. Cet article s'intéresse à la carrière religieuse d'un moine du vie siècle, Sengyai, et à ses actes publics d'auto-immolation, tels que la crémation, d'abord, de ses doigts, et ensuite de son corps tout entier. L'auteur examine les sources permettant d'étudier sa vie et propose une traduction des matériaux existants. Il montre que la pratique de l'auto-immolation s'offrait à de multiples int...
Images, Relics and Legends: the Formation and Transformation of Buddhist Sacred Sites. Essays in Honour of Professor Koichi Shinohara. Edited by James Benn, Jinhua Chen, and James Robson, 69–90., 2012
This seminar will explore the variety of descriptions of the ideal figure of the bodhisattva foun... more This seminar will explore the variety of descriptions of the ideal figure of the bodhisattva found in Mahāyāna literature translated into Chinese. We will also look at attempts to lay out a path to bodhisattvahood in this literature and in Chinese commentaries. We will then go on to examine the representations (textual and visual) of some major Bodhisattvas in the East Asian tradition such as Guanyin/Kannon, Dizang/Jizō, etc. Students will be introduced to the use of specialised research tools for the study of East Asian religions such as dictionaries, concordances, indices and databases.
When I reviewed Robinet's Taoism Growth of a Religion in 1997, I noted there was no glossary. The... more When I reviewed Robinet's Taoism Growth of a Religion in 1997, I noted there was no glossary. Then I wrote to Robinet, who sent me her handwritten one, which I laboriously typed into Big5 encoding using Twinbridge (the cutting edge of CJK technology in the late 90s). Now here it is in glorious Unicode.
This is an assignment for a short essay (5-7 pages) on the Life of the Buddha. It has a styleshee... more This is an assignment for a short essay (5-7 pages) on the Life of the Buddha. It has a stylesheet and grading criteria attached.
4th year undergraduate seminar Fall 2015
This course examines the lives and careers of some figu... more 4th year undergraduate seminar Fall 2015
This course examines the lives and careers of some figures, both famous and obscure, mostly drawn from the East Asian Buddhist tradition. In particular we will focus on religious biography or hagiography (“the pious biography of saints”) and its social and cultural functions. We will also investigate some examples of autobiographical writing, such as travel diaries and dream diaries. Although the focus will be on East Asia, students with background or interest in materials from South or Southeast Asia (Hinduism or Jainism, for example) are encouraged to explore those traditions in this seminar.
The subject of our seminar this term will be the structure and contents of the Taoist canon (Daoz... more The subject of our seminar this term will be the structure and contents of the Taoist canon (Daozang 道藏). We shall begin with a basic orientation to the history of Taoism in China and the history of the study of Taoism in the West. We will survey the history of the canon’s formation and read selected texts from the canon in English translation. Students will also be introduced to the use of specialised research tools for the study of Taoism such as dictionaries, concordances, indices and databases. There is a vast body of scholarship on Taoism in European and Asian languages. We can read and discuss only a fraction of that work in this seminar; students are encouraged to put together their own working bibliographies that reflect their particular interests.
In this seminar we shall read and discuss major studies of topics in Chinese Religions produced i... more In this seminar we shall read and discuss major studies of topics in Chinese Religions produced in English over the last two or three years. In addition we shall survey trends in recent scholarship produced in other languages (Chinese, Japanese, French, German, etc.).
The subject of our seminar this term will be the structure and contents of the Taoist canon (Daoz... more The subject of our seminar this term will be the structure and contents of the Taoist canon (Daozang 道藏). We shall begin with a basic orientation to the history of Taoism in China and the history of the study of Taoism in the West. We will survey the history of the canon’s formation and read selected texts from the canon in English translation. Students will also be introduced to the use of specialised research tools for the study of Taoism such as dictionaries, concordances, indices and databases. There is a vast body of scholarship on Taoism in European and Asian languages. We can read and discuss only a fraction of that work in this seminar; students are encouraged to put together their own working bibliographies that reflect their particular interests.
The subject of our seminar this term will be the Lotus Sutra (Saddharmapuṇḍarīka, 妙法蓮華經). We shal... more The subject of our seminar this term will be the Lotus Sutra (Saddharmapuṇḍarīka, 妙法蓮華經). We shall begin by exploring the content and structure of the scripture with especial attention to the translation into Chinese by Kumārajīva (Jiumoluoshi 鳩摩羅什, 344-413 or 350-409). In addition to a close reading of the scripture we shall discuss the influence of its ideas on the practice and doctrine of East Asian religions from medieval times (e.g., Tiantai/Tendai 天台, devotional practices, self-immolation) to the present (e.g., Japanese New Religions). We shall also consider artistic representations of the Lotus Sutra, especially those from Dunhuang. Students will be introduced to the use of specialised research tools for the study of East Asian religions such as dictionaries, concordances, indices and databases.
This seminar will explore the variety of descriptions of the ideal figure of the bodhisattva foun... more This seminar will explore the variety of descriptions of the ideal figure of the bodhisattva found in Mahāyāna literature translated into Chinese. We will also look at attempts to lay out a path to bodhisattvahood in this literature and in Chinese commentaries. We will then go on to examine the representations (textual and visual) of some major Bodhisattvas in the East Asian tradition such as Guanyin/Kannon, Dizang/Jizō, etc. Students will be introduced to the use of specialised research tools for the study of East Asian religions such as dictionaries, concordances, indices and databases.
In this seminar we will examine representations of health and accounts of disease in a variety of... more In this seminar we will examine representations of health and accounts of disease in a variety of Chinese religions. We will explore the various vectors of disease, including the so-called “winds” and various types of demonic infestation. We will identify modes of healing that employ therapies such as mineral, animal, and vegetable drugs, exorcism, talismans and spells, acupuncture, moxibustion, massage, breath control, and gymnastics. The course will focus primarily, but not exclusively, on the medieval period. All readings for this seminar are in English.
In this seminar we shall read and discuss a selection of recent important works on Buddhism (in E... more In this seminar we shall read and discuss a selection of recent important works on Buddhism (in English). Topics covered will include Buddhism and science, material culture, death, relics, art and architecture of Buddhist sites. In addition we shall survey trends in recent Buddhist Studies scholarship produced in other languages (Chinese, Japanese, French, German, etc.). Students will be required to write regular, short (1–2 page), critical responses to the readings in addition to a longer essay that reflects on the state of the field of Buddhist Studies.
This departmental seminar is required of all incoming students and offers a forum for the discuss... more This departmental seminar is required of all incoming students and offers a forum for the discussion of issues central to the field of Religious Studies. This year, there will be two sections, one taught by myself and the other by Dr Anders Runesson. Since Religious Studies might best be considered a field rather than a discipline, its theories, methods and issues can be extremely diverse. In the seminar we will consider the following questions from a variety of perspectives: What do we think we are studying when we study religions? Why do we think this is a worthwhile endeavour? How do we study religions?
In this seminar we shall read and discuss major studies of topics in Chinese Buddhism
(and relate... more In this seminar we shall read and discuss major studies of topics in Chinese Buddhism (and related fields such as Taoism) produced in English over the last ten years or so. In addition we shall survey trends in recent scholarship produced in other languages (Chinese, Japanese, French, German, etc.). Students will be required to write regular, short 1-2 page), critical responses in addition to a longer essay on the state of the field.
The Buddhist Arts of Tea in Medieval China
2009 Sammy Yukuan Lee Lecture on Chinese Archaeology ... more The Buddhist Arts of Tea in Medieval China
2009 Sammy Yukuan Lee Lecture on Chinese Archaeology and Art delivered by James A. Benn,McMaster University.
Length: 7:08
Duration: 7:08
About the Sammy Yukuan Lee Lecture Series on Chinese Archaeology and Art
Since the founding of the series in 1982, the Sammy Yukuan Lee Lectures in Chinese Archaeology and Art have brought to UCLA some of the world's leading scholars of archaeology and premodern Chinese art.
Supported through the generosity of the Lee Family Foundation and named in honor of the connoisseur and philanthropist who is the family's patriarch, these lectures are designed to reveal the glories of China's artistic heritage for appreciative viewers in Southern California and far beyond.
Carla Nappi writes:
James A. Benn's new book is a history of tea as a religious and cultural com... more Carla Nappi writes:
James A. Benn's new book is a history of tea as a religious and cultural commodity in China before it became a global commodity in the nineteenth century. Focusing on the Tang and Song dynasties (with brief extensions earlier and later), Tea in China: A Religious and Cultural History (University of Hawaii Press, 2015) demonstrates that a "shift to drinking tea" in China "brought with it a total reorientation of Chinese culture." Benn pays careful attention to the challenges and opportunities offered by the sources of China's tea history, and each chapter offers a critical introduction to and analysis of some of those sources while also narrating a key moment and theme in the history of tea. (Because of this wonderful focus on the sources of tea historiography – including some great partial and whole translations of key documents of all sorts – the book makes not only a great read, but also a very useful pedagogical resource!) The coverage of Tea in China ranges from the earliest possible textual references to tea, to accounts of tea in medieval anomaly accounts and Buddhist texts, to Tang tea poetry by Li Bai and others, to Lu Yu's Classic of Tea, to a twelfth-century Japanese work on tea, to Ming practices of tea connoisseurship. Enjoy!
Uploads
Books by James A Benn
Notices:Chronicle of Higher Education 53, no. 28, p. A21; Choice 45, no. 1 (September 2007), p. 115.
Reviews: Hanxue yanjiu tongxun (Newsletter for Research in Chinese Studies) 26, no. 3, August 2007, 55–56 [Stefania Travagnin] [electronic]; Middle Way 82, no. 2, August 2007, 119 [Simon Hui-Chiao]; Tang yanjiu 13, December 2007 [Chen Huaiyu]; Journal of the American Academy of Religion 76, March 2008, 198–202 [Natasha Heller] ; The Journal of Religion 88, no. 2, April 2008, 269–270 [Marcus Bingenheimer] ; Journal of Asian Studies 67, no. 2, May 2008, 678–681 [Wendi Adamek]; Harvard Journal of Asiatic Studies 69, no. 1, June 2009, 221–225 [Vincent Goossaert] ; Journal of Chinese Religions 36, 2008, 124–127 [Linda Penkower]; H-Buddhism, H-Net Reviews, November 2009 [Ryan Overbey]; Religious Studies Review 36, no. 3, September 2010, 193–198 [Liz Wilson].
Papers by James A Benn
Notices:Chronicle of Higher Education 53, no. 28, p. A21; Choice 45, no. 1 (September 2007), p. 115.
Reviews: Hanxue yanjiu tongxun (Newsletter for Research in Chinese Studies) 26, no. 3, August 2007, 55–56 [Stefania Travagnin] [electronic]; Middle Way 82, no. 2, August 2007, 119 [Simon Hui-Chiao]; Tang yanjiu 13, December 2007 [Chen Huaiyu]; Journal of the American Academy of Religion 76, March 2008, 198–202 [Natasha Heller] ; The Journal of Religion 88, no. 2, April 2008, 269–270 [Marcus Bingenheimer] ; Journal of Asian Studies 67, no. 2, May 2008, 678–681 [Wendi Adamek]; Harvard Journal of Asiatic Studies 69, no. 1, June 2009, 221–225 [Vincent Goossaert] ; Journal of Chinese Religions 36, 2008, 124–127 [Linda Penkower]; H-Buddhism, H-Net Reviews, November 2009 [Ryan Overbey]; Religious Studies Review 36, no. 3, September 2010, 193–198 [Liz Wilson].
This course examines the lives and careers of some figures, both famous and obscure, mostly drawn from the East Asian Buddhist tradition. In particular we will focus on religious biography or hagiography (“the pious biography of saints”) and its social and cultural functions. We will also investigate some examples of autobiographical writing, such as travel diaries and dream diaries. Although the focus will be on East Asia, students with background or interest in materials from South or Southeast Asia (Hinduism or Jainism, for example) are encouraged to explore those traditions in this seminar.
healing that employ therapies such as mineral, animal, and vegetable drugs, exorcism, talismans and spells, acupuncture, moxibustion, massage, breath control, and gymnastics.
The course will focus primarily, but not exclusively, on the medieval period.
All readings for this seminar are in English.
(and related fields such as Taoism) produced in English over the last ten years or so. In addition
we shall survey trends in recent scholarship produced in other languages (Chinese, Japanese,
French, German, etc.). Students will be required to write regular, short 1-2 page), critical
responses in addition to a longer essay on the state of the
field.
2009 Sammy Yukuan Lee Lecture on Chinese Archaeology and Art delivered by James A. Benn,McMaster University.
Length: 7:08
Duration: 7:08
About the Sammy Yukuan Lee Lecture Series on Chinese Archaeology and Art
Since the founding of the series in 1982, the Sammy Yukuan Lee Lectures in Chinese Archaeology and Art have brought to UCLA some of the world's leading scholars of archaeology and premodern Chinese art.
Supported through the generosity of the Lee Family Foundation and named in honor of the connoisseur and philanthropist who is the family's patriarch, these lectures are designed to reveal the glories of China's artistic heritage for appreciative viewers in Southern California and far beyond.
James A. Benn's new book is a history of tea as a religious and cultural commodity in China before it became a global commodity in the nineteenth century. Focusing on the Tang and Song dynasties (with brief extensions earlier and later), Tea in China: A Religious and Cultural History (University of Hawaii Press, 2015) demonstrates that a "shift to drinking tea" in China "brought with it a total reorientation of Chinese culture." Benn pays careful attention to the challenges and opportunities offered by the sources of China's tea history, and each chapter offers a critical introduction to and analysis of some of those sources while also narrating a key moment and theme in the history of tea. (Because of this wonderful focus on the sources of tea historiography – including some great partial and whole translations of key documents of all sorts – the book makes not only a great read, but also a very useful pedagogical resource!) The coverage of Tea in China ranges from the earliest possible textual references to tea, to accounts of tea in medieval anomaly accounts and Buddhist texts, to Tang tea poetry by Li Bai and others, to Lu Yu's Classic of Tea, to a twelfth-century Japanese work on tea, to Ming practices of tea connoisseurship. Enjoy!