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

Buddhist ideas about animals were reinterpreted and modified to adapt to the Chinese context during the medieval period. Medieval sources describe monks taming wild tigers, rituals for killing snakes, and the question of whether a parrot could achieve enlightenment. Huaiyu Chen's book explores the entangled relations between animals, religions, the state, and local communities, illustrating how Buddhism influenced Chinese knowledge and experience of animals and how Chinese state ideology, Daoism, and local cultic practices reshaped Buddhism.

Format: Paperback / softback
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 interplay between Buddhist ideas about animals and the medieval Chinese culture that shaped them. He explores the complex relations 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 illustrates 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 manage power relations between animals and humans.

Drawing on a diverse range 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 emerged 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. It sheds light on the dynamic and multifaceted ways in which Buddhism and Chinese culture interacted, contributing to the development of a rich and complex tapestry of beliefs and practices.

Weight: 454g
Dimension: 156 x 235 x 20 (mm)
ISBN-13: 9780231202619