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Anxiety and Imagination in Pure Land Buddhist Practice in Tang China
October 22, 2021 @ 3:00 pm
A public lecture by Prof. Kendall Marchman University of Georgia
As the popularity of Pure Land Buddhist practice increased in Tang China, a handful of Buddhist monks were hard at work developing liturgical practices and writing apologetic treatises to support it. Anxiety—whether about Pure Land rebirth, the efficacy of practices, or outside skepticism—was a catalyst for their efforts. In an effort to calm their unease, these monks often turned to practices that prioritized imagination to connect to, and seek assurances about the Pure Land. This talk considers the efforts of three notable Tang dynasty Pure Land advocates: Shandao, Huaigan, and Fazhao.
Speaker Kendall Marchman is an assistant professor of religion at the University of Georgia. His research interests include Pure Land Buddhism in medieval China, and religious tourism in contemporary China. He is currently working on a manuscript entitled Anxiety and Imagination in Medieval Chinese Pure Land Buddhist Practice.