Here is a magnificently illustrated collection of the sculpture of Enku, a seventeenth-century monk, now emerging as one of the most important sculptors in the history of Japanese art. Although hundreds of years old, Enku's work has been justly compared to modern Western expressionist art. The composition is abstract and the form simple, unique and free from traditional iconography. Details were abbreviated with an economy of strokes and the style created such a rought and direct quality that Enku's work seems extremely "modern." The author traces Enku's life and the development of his art-- reproducing many of his fine sculptures. There is also a rich sampling of Enku's poetry and the varied folklore that surrounds him.
Here is a magnificently illustrated collection of the sculpture of Enku, a seventeenth-century monk, now emerging as one of the most important sculptors in the history of Japanese art. Although hundreds of years old, Enku's work has been justly compared to modern Western expressionist art. The composition is abstract and the form simple, unique and free from traditional iconography. Details were abbreviated with an economy of strokes and the style created such a rought and direct quality that Enku's work seems extremely "modern." The author traces Enku's life and the development of his art-- reproducing many of his fine sculptures. There is also a rich sampling of Enku's poetry and the varied folklore that surrounds him.
This book draws upon both ancient and contemporary sources to examine the significance of the earth from the perspective of six different cultures and how these spiritual traditions have valued, perceived, and understood the earth. At first glance the peoples of aboriginal Australia, Japan, Greece, Africa, South America, and Native North America couldn't be more different. But by taking a closer look, the author shows that there are many more similarities than differences- all revere mountains as a source of inspiration and holiness, all feel a spiritual connection to the soil itself, all create art and literature to celebrate their connection to the land, and all see themselves as inextricable from the land they call home. This unique volume explores how human beings across the planet and across time have felt about the earth and nature, and how they have understood it, related to it, and celebrated it in their literature, mythology, religion, and art. It demonstrates that no matter where on the planet we exist, and no matter what time period we live, we all have a profound connection to the earth. -- from Book Jacket.
With poems from spiritual teachers to jazz musicians, from the monastery to the street, What Book!? brings together a boad range of verse, expressions of living in an awakened way. " A poet once located poetry as somewhere before or after words take place. Mindfulness is the practice of finding that realm, dwelling there, and cultivating the ability to live completely in the present, deeply aware and appreciative of life." - from the author's Preface. "This enigmatically titled anthology offers numerous delights and valuable evidence that great poetic variety, from haiku and witty two liners to page-long discourses, has by now given distinct expression to Western Buddhism." - Publisher’s Weekly.
Eihei Dogen (1200-1253), among the first to transmit Zen Buddhism from China to Japan and founder of the important Soto School, was not only a profoundly influential and provocative Zen philosopher but also one of the most stimulating figures in Japanese letters. Kazuaki Tanahashi, collaborating with several other Zen authorities, has produced sensitive and accurate translations of Dogen's most important texts. Moon in a Dewdrop contains the key essays of the great master, as well as extensive background materials that will help Western readers to approach this significant work. There is also a selection of Dogen's poetry, most of which has not appeared in English translation before. Dogen's thought runs counter to conventional logic, employing paradoxical language and startling imagery. It illuminates such fundamental concerns as the nature of time, existence, life, death, the self, and what is beyond self.
Provides a general overview of literature relating to Japan and covers a broad range of subject matter, from art, feminism, and linguistics, to corporate culture, history, and medicine. Includes books published since 1980 that are related to the geographical area of Japan and to Japanese culture within that area.
A survey of contemporary Japanese sculpture, examining the vigour and originality of three-dimensional art in post-war Japan. The book investigates Gutai, a movement in the 1950s that broke traditions and Mono-ha, the Japanese version of Minimalism prevalent in the 1960s. The rest of the book explores the works of some 90 contemporary sculptors, dividing their work into five categories, such as material, time, image, relationship and place. This text is based on interviews, studio visits and observations of exhibitions.
For updates online, visit the Nanzan Guide site at Nanzan Library of Asian Religion and Culture. The Nanzan Guide to Japanese Religions combines, for the first time in any language, state-of-the-field theoretical and critical discussions with concrete resources students and scholars need to conduct research on Japanese religions. Even seasoned scholars typically approach their research in an unsystematic manner, becoming familiar with a particular area of inquiry while remaining largely unaware of what exists in the rest of the field. This inefficient method hinders particularly less-experienced researchers and circumscribes their lines of inquiry. The Nanzan Guide provides both beginners and specialists with a reference that will serve as a basic introduction to Japanese religions and allow them to conduct research more proficiently and in greater depth. Overlapping and thought-provoking chapters, written by leading specialists, offer a variety of perspectives on the complicated and multifaceted field of Japanese religions. The essays are divided into four sections: religious traditions (Japanese religions in general, Shinto, Buddhism, folk religion, new religions, Christianity); the history of Japanese religions (ancient, classical, medieval, early modern, modern, contemporary); major themes (symbolism, ritual and the arts, literature and scripture, state and religion, geography and environment, intellectual history, gender); and "practical" essays (finding references and using libraries, working with archive collections, conducting fieldwork). A chronology of religion in Japanese history is also provided.
