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Heart of Buddha, Heart of China: The Life of Tanxu, a Twentieth Century Monk
The Buddhist monk Tanxu surmounted extraordinary obstacles--poverty, wars, famine, and foreign occupation--to become one of the most prominent monks in China, founding numerous temples and schools and attracting crowds of students and disciples wherever he went. Heart of Buddha, Heart of China traces Tanxu's journey from his birth in 1875 to his death in 1963. Through Tanxu's life we come to know one of the most turbulent periods in Chinese history as it moved from empire to republic. James Carter draws on archives and interviews to provide a book that is part travelogue, part history, and part biography.
232 pages, Hardcover
First published January 1, 2010
44 people want to read
About the author
James Carter
3 books27 followersI first visited China in 1992. Studying in the Manchurian city of Harbin, I saw a grim, post-industrial present but a remarkably vibrant past that opened windows onto the ways that Chinese and western cultures had influenced one another to create something unique.
Since then, in my training at Yale and my work as a professor of History at Saint Joseph’s University in Philadelphia, I have explored the interaction between China and the West, focusing my writing, teaching, and research not on big stories and great leaders but on smaller moments. The travels of a Buddhist monk from Manchuria to Hong Kong. Basketball games turned violent at the Harbin YMCA in the 1920s. Most recently, the Shanghai Champions’ Stakes of 1941
Since then, in my training at Yale and my work as a professor of History at Saint Joseph’s University in Philadelphia, I have explored the interaction between China and the West, focusing my writing, teaching, and research not on big stories and great leaders but on smaller moments. The travels of a Buddhist monk from Manchuria to Hong Kong. Basketball games turned violent at the Harbin YMCA in the 1920s. Most recently, the Shanghai Champions’ Stakes of 1941
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Displaying 1 - 2 of 2 reviews
April 5, 2016
An interesting and quick read but not the book I thought it would be. The author reviews the history of China from about 1880 to 1960 through the lens of the Buddhist monk Tanxu.
The book does a nice job chronicling Tanxu's travels and the corresponding history of China in a succinct and interesting manner. I learned a lot about the history of China.
Unfortunately, I felt like I learned little about the monk Tanxu. There is surprisingly little detail about his own religious beliefs and personal practices. Occasionally there is an except from a sermon, but generally there is little insight into the Buddhism of this important monk. Perhaps that is because the author himself is not a Buddhist.
I wanted to learn more about Tanxu.
The book does a nice job chronicling Tanxu's travels and the corresponding history of China in a succinct and interesting manner. I learned a lot about the history of China.
Unfortunately, I felt like I learned little about the monk Tanxu. There is surprisingly little detail about his own religious beliefs and personal practices. Occasionally there is an except from a sermon, but generally there is little insight into the Buddhism of this important monk. Perhaps that is because the author himself is not a Buddhist.
I wanted to learn more about Tanxu.
June 10, 2015
A fascinating read, capturing as much about China's history as the life of Tanxu.
Displaying 1 - 2 of 2 reviews