Stairway to Heaven

James M.Hargett

Description

Located in a remote area of modern Sichuan province, Mount Emei is one of China's most famous mountains and has long been important to Buddhists. Stairway to Heaven looks at Emei's significance in Chinese history and literature while also addressing the issue of "sense of place" in Chinese culture.

Mount Emei's exquisite scenery and unique geographical features have inspired countless poets, writers, and artists. Since the early years of the Song dynasty (960–1279), Emei has been best known as a site of Buddhist pilgrimage and worship. Today, several Buddhist temples still function on Emei, but the mountain also has become a scenic tourist destination, attracting more than a million visitors annually.

Author James M. Hargett takes readers on a journey to the mountain through the travel writings of the twelfth-century writer and official Fan Chengda (1126–1193). Fan's diary and verse accounts of his climb to the summit of Mount Emei in 1177 are still among the most informative accounts of the mountain ever written. Through Fan's eyes, words, and footsteps—and with background information and commentary from Hargett—the reader will experience some of the ways Emei has been "constructed" by diverse human experience over the centuries.

Illustrations
Acknowledgments
Conventions

1. Introduction

Text and Context
On Studying Mountains
Crashing Continents and Salty Seas
Source of Life, Abode of Gods
An Extraordinary Place
Flora and Fauna
A Great Globe of Light

2. Land of Shu

The Road to Shu Is Hard
Tang and Song Visions

3. A Journey of Ten Thousand Miles

Brocade City
The Journey Begins

4. Within Sight of Mount Emei

Administration and Immigration
Way of the Celestial Master
Adepts and Abbeys
Sakyamuni’s Teachings Come to Sichuan
A Colossal Buddha

5. The Ascent

On to Emei Town
Patrons in the Capital, Supporters in the Provinces
The Ascent

6. The Summit

The Immortal Sage Appears

7. How and Why Did Mount Emei Become a "Famous Buddhist Mountain"?

Background and Beginnings
Founding Myth
Scriptural Authentication
Pilgrims, Diaries, and Gazetteers
Four Great Famous Mountains
The Big Picture

8. The Ming, Qing, Republican, and Modern Eras

A Bloody Interlude
Florescence in the Ming
The Qing (1644–1911) and Republican (1912– ) Era to 1949
Recent Developments
The Tourist Era Emerges

Closing Thoughts
Abbreviations
Notes
Selected Bibliography
Glossary-Index

Sujets

• Buddhism
• History of Asia
• Asia
• China

Informations

• Publié par: State University of New York Press
• Date de parution: 16 février 2012
• Nombre de lectures: 0
• EAN13: 9780791482186
• Langue: English
• Poids de l'ouvrage: 2 Mo

Extrait

stairway to heaven                           

     .       

Stairway to Heaven

A Journey to the Summit of Mount Emei

SUNY series in Chinese Philosophy and Culture Roger T. Ames, editor

Stairway to Heaven

A Journey to the Summit of Mount Emei

JamesM. Hargett

State University of New York Press

Cover image: “Buddha’s Glory” on Mount Emei. Photograph by Liu Yong ‶Ⴇ .

Published by State University of New York Press, Albany

© 2006 State University of New York

All rights reserved

Printed in the United States of America

No part of this book may be used or reproduced in any manner whatsoever without written permission. No part of this book may be stored in a retrieval system or transmitted in any form or by any means including electronic, electrostatic, magnetic tape, mechanical, photocopying, recording, or otherwise without the prior permission in writing of the publisher.

For information, address State University of New York Press, 194 Washington Avenue, Suite 700, Albany, NY 12210-2384

Production by Judith Block Marketing by Susan Petrie

Library of Congress Control Number Hargett, James M. ( James Morris),  Stairway to heaven: a journey to the summit of Mount Emei / James M. Hargett.  p. cm.  Includes bibliographical references and index.  ISBN 0-7914-6681-7 (hardcover : alk. paper) 1. Buddhism—China—Emei Mountain. 2. Emei Mountain (China)—Religion. I. Title: Journey to the summit of Mount Emei. II. Title. BQ649.O45H37 2006 294.3b435b095138—dc22

2005012106

ISBN-13 978-0-7914-6681-0 (hardcover : alk. paper)

10 9 8 7 6 5 4 3 2 1

To Professor Irving Yucheng Lo (1922–2005), My Teacher

℩ضₒອ , ߲≤⊔ള

This page intentionally left blank.

Illustrations Acknowledgments Conventions

1.

2.

3.

4.

5.

Contents

Introduction Text and Context On Studying Mountains Crashing Continents and Salty Seas Source of Life, Abode of Gods An Extraordinary Place Flora and Fauna A Great Globe of Light

Land of Shu The Road to Shu Is Hard Tang and Song Visions

A Journey of Ten Thousand Miles Brocade City The Journey Begins

Within Sight of Mount Emei Administration and Immigration Way of the Celestial Master Adepts and Abbeys ´ SomegsCichutoSna¯kas’inumaynihcaeT A Colossal Buddha

The Ascent On to Emei Town

vii

ix xi xv

1 1 3 7 9 12 14 17

21 21 27

45 45 48

61 61 68 70 78 85

89 89

viii

6.

7.

8.

Contents

Patrons in the Capital, Supporters in the Provinces The Ascent The Summit The Immortal Sage Appears How and Why Did Mount Emei Become a “Famous Buddhist Mountain”? Background and Beginnings Founding Myth Scriptural Authentication Pilgrims, Diaries, and Gazetteers Four Great Famous Mountains The Big Picture

The Ming, Qing, Republican, and Modern Eras A Bloody Interlude Florescence in the Ming The Qing (1644–1911) and Republican (1912– )  Era to 1949 Recent Developments The Tourist Era Emerges

Closing Thoughts Abbreviations Notes Selected Bibliography Glossary-Index

92 103 119 119

137 137 141 147 151 157 160 165 165 167

178 185 188

193 199 201 249 263

Maps

Map 3.1 Map 5.1

Figures

Illustrations

Fan Chengda’s Travels in Sichuan

Fan Chengda’s Mount Emei Itinerary

Figure 4.1 Detail of the hand scrollPanoramic Landscape— The Yang-tze Kiang

Figure 4.2 The “Colossal Buddha” Figure 5.1 Statue of Samantabhadra in the White Stream (or Myriad Years) Monastery Figure 8.1Flying Snow at Mt. O-mei(Emei): Winter landscape with travelers

i

x

51 110

62 87

109

174