In the Land of Tigers and Snakes: Living with Animals in Medieval Chinese Religions

Buddhist thought and practice involve animals, but many significant animals found in India do not inhabit China. Medieval writers reinterpreted and modified the meanings of creatures to adapt Buddhist ideas to the Chinese context. Huaiyu Chen explores how Buddhist ideas about animals changed and were changed by medieval Chinese culture, examining the entangled relations between animals, religions, the state, and local communities. He illustrates how Buddhism influenced Chinese knowledge and experience of animals, and how Chinese state ideology, Daoism, and local cultic practices reshaped Buddhism.

Format: Hardback
Length: 288 pages
Publication date: 21 March 2023
Publisher: Columbia University Press

Animals hold a significant place in Buddhist thought and practice, but many of the symbolically or culturally significant creatures found in India, the birthplace of Buddhism, do not inhabit China, where Buddhism spread during the medieval period. To adapt Buddhist ideas and imagery to the Chinese context, writers reinterpreted and modified the meanings attributed to different creatures. Medieval sources provide accounts of monks taming wild tigers, detailing rituals for killing snakes, and even addressing the question of whether a parrot could achieve enlightenment.

Huaiyu Chen delves into the intricate dynamics of how Buddhist ideas about animals evolved and were shaped by medieval Chinese culture. He explores the interconnected relationships between animals, religions, the state, and local communities, considering the multifaceted meanings associated with animals and the daily realities of coexisting with the natural world. Chen showcases how Buddhism influenced Chinese knowledge and experiences of animals, as well as how Chinese state ideology, Daoism, and local cultic practices reshaped Buddhism. He demonstrates how Buddhism, Confucianism, and Daoism developed doctrines, rituals, discourses, and practices to govern power relations between animals and humans.

Drawing on a diverse array of sources, including traditional texts, stone inscriptions, manuscripts, and visual culture, In the Land of Tigers and Snakes offers a fresh perspective on how Buddhism established itself in Chinese society. By examining how Buddhist depictions of the natural world and Chinese taxonomies of animals mutually enriched each other, this interdisciplinary book bridges history, religious studies, animal studies, and environmental studies. Through its comprehensive analysis, it sheds light on the complex interplay between religion, culture, and the natural world, providing valuable insights into the historical and cultural contexts of Buddhism's spread in China.

Dimension: 235 x 156 (mm)
ISBN-13: 9780231202602