Synopsis "Chinese Philosophy: A Reader"
"Chinese Philosophy: A Reader sets itself apart...in several key ways, making it a useful resource for undergraduate students.... Ryan's general attitude through the text, including the translations, is able to capture a sense of curiosity and wonder that all good philosophy instructors aim to inspire." -Paul J. D'Ambrosio, Teaching Philosophy. A basic textbook in Chinese philosophy, including Buddhism. The first seven chapters include translations of the classic texts of Confucius, Mencius, Laozi, Zhuangzi, Mozi, Xunzi, Gongsun Longzi, and Han Feizi. (The Laozi translation is based on the standard version and the Mawangdui and Guodian versions, and it includes some of Wang Bi's notes.) Following a very short introduction to Buddhism, the final chapters are devoted to Chinese Buddhist texts, including two essays by the 5th-Century C.E. monk Sengzhao, Tang Dynasty Buddhist texts of Fazang (including his analogies of the ten coins, the rafter, and the golden lion), the Tang Dynasty Buddhist text "The Awakening of Faith" (with many of Fazang's notes), the Tang-Song Buddhist text "Huangbo Xiyun's Essential Teachings of the Transmission of the Mental State," and a passage from the "Record of Linji." Introductory and critical essays by the translator begin each chapter, and lists of suggested additional readings end each chapter. The book is suitable for any interested reader and for undergraduate courses in Chinese philosophy, Chinese intellectual history, and Chinese religions.
