FORMATION, EFFICACY AND WORDLESS SCRIPTURES: THE TALES OF THE ‘GREAT CANON’ IN THE NOVELS OF LATE IMPERIAL CHINA
The cult of the âGreat Canonâ penetrates many aspects of Chinese culture. However, compared to its great importance, we actually know very little about this cult, especially how ordinary people perceived the âGreat Canonâ in ancient times. To address this topic, the study focuses on the tales (plots...
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| Format: | Article |
| Language: | English |
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Estonian Academy Publishers
2022-05-01
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| Series: | Trames |
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| Online Access: | https://kirj.ee/wp-content/plugins/kirj/pub/TRAMES-2-2022-157-168_20220523132737.pdf |
| Summary: | The cult of the âGreat Canonâ penetrates many aspects of Chinese culture. However, compared to its great importance, we actually know very little about this cult, especially how ordinary people perceived the âGreat Canonâ in ancient times. To address this topic, the study focuses on the tales (plots) of the âGreat Canonâ in the novels produced in late imperial China. First, I examine the literary discourse on the formation of the âGreat Canonâ in the Ming-Qing (1368â1911) novels. Second, by studying the tales (plots) related to the efficacy of the âGreat Canonâ, I uncover the shared imagination on its function during the Ming-Qing periods. Third, I narrow down the scope of the investigation to Chapter 98 of The Journey to the West and reinterpret the plot of the âwordless scripturesâ. |
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| ISSN: | 1406-0922 1736-7514 |