The Confluence of Karma and Hygiene: Vegetarianism with Renewed Meanings for Modern Chinese Buddhism
This article provides a comprehensive account of the transformation of Buddhist vegetarian discourse in the Republican era (1912-1949) through the lens of a set of Buddhist periodicals influenced by prominent figures, including Taixu 太虛 (1890-1947), Yinguang 印光 (1862-1940), and Dixian 諦閒 (1858-1932)...
| Published in: | Journal of Chinese religions |
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| Main Author: | |
| Format: | Electronic Article |
| Language: | English |
| Check availability: | HBZ Gateway |
| Journals Online & Print: | Drawer...
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| Fernleihe: | Fernleihe für die Fachinformationsdienste |
| Published: |
Johns Hopkins University Press
2021
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| In: |
Journal of Chinese religions
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| Standardized Subjects / Keyword chains: | B
China
/ Buddhism
/ Vegetarianism
/ Scientification
/ History 1912-1949
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| RelBib Classification: | AG Religious life; material religion BL Buddhism KBM Asia |
| Further subjects: | B
佛教現代化
B 佛教期刊 B Buddhist modernization B 衛生 B 素食主義 B Republican-era Buddhism B 民國佛教 B Buddhist periodicals B Hygiene B Vegetarianism |
| Online Access: |
Volltext (lizenzpflichtig) |
| Summary: | This article provides a comprehensive account of the transformation of Buddhist vegetarian discourse in the Republican era (1912-1949) through the lens of a set of Buddhist periodicals influenced by prominent figures, including Taixu 太虛 (1890-1947), Yinguang 印光 (1862-1940), and Dixian 諦閒 (1858-1932). Having combed through relevant articles printed in these journals, I argue that Buddhist vegetarianism is infused with modern scientific language, particularly the Western biomedical concept of “hygiene,” while it also retains the underlying reasoning of karmic retribution and Buddhist ethical arguments. Within a modern context, these authors proffered different yet not antagonistic reasoning to renew and legitimate the practice of vegetarianism. I further examine the case of Lü Bicheng 呂碧城 (1883-1943) to demonstrate the potential fusion of diverse rationales regarding the vegetarian discourse under the broader international social and cultural order. Thus, the Republican Buddhists’ endeavors resulted in a repertoire of rhetoric and arguments about vegetarianism, imbuing the practice with multilayered meanings ready for appropriation by later generations. |
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| ISSN: | 2050-8999 |
| Contains: | Enthalten in: Journal of Chinese religions
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