"Thomas J. Mazanec explores the paradox of Buddhist monks in medieval China who embraced poetry, revealing how their art was seen as both spiritual expression and a potential distraction from monastic duties."
"In our discussion, we delve into how these poet-monks navigated their dual identities, creating works that challenged the boundaries of tradition and personal expression within Buddhist culture."
Thomas J. Mazanec discusses the intriguing phenomenon of Buddhist monk-poets in medieval China, highlighting their motivations for writing poetry and the resultant controversies. He describes how these poets attempted to balance their monastic practices with artistic expression, resulting in a complex relationship with tradition. This exploration challenges common perceptions of monastic life, illustrating how these monks utilized poetry as a medium for spiritual introspection while simultaneously facing scrutiny from their peers. Mazanec's insights are drawn from his book, "Poet-Monks: The Invention of Buddhist Poetry in Late Medieval China," shedding light on an often-overlooked aspect of cultural history.
Read at Medievalists.net
Unable to calculate read time
Collection
[
|
...
]