Escape from Blood Pond Hell

The Tales of Mulian and Woman Huang

Wilt L Idema translator Beata Grant translator

Format:Hardback

Publisher:University of Washington Press

Published:1st Dec '11

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Escape from Blood Pond Hell cover

Provides detailed and powerful descriptions of popular religious beliefs and practices in late imperial China

These translations of The Precious Scroll of the Three Lives of Mulian and Woman Huang Recites the Diamond Sutra are late-nineteenth-century examples of baojuan (literally, "precious scrolls"), a Chinese folk genre featuring alternating verse and prose that was used by monks to illustrate religious precepts for lay listeners. They represent only two of numerous versions, composed in a variety of genres, of these legends, which were once popular all over China. While the seeds of the Mulian legend, in which a man rescues his mother from hell, can be found in Indian Buddhist texts, the story of Woman Huang, who seeks her own salvation, appears to be indigenous to China.

With their graphic portrayals of the underworld; dramatization of Buddhist beliefs about death, salvation, and rebirth; and frank discussion of women's responsibility for sin, these texts provide detailed and powerful descriptions of popular religious beliefs and practices in late imperial China, especially as they relate to women.

"The translation is very accessible, with notes and a glossary, and is suitable as a text for courses on Chinese religion and popular literature."

-- Chun-Fang Yu * The Journal of Asian Studies *

"The literary merits of both precious scrolls are recognizable in the high scholarly translations. . . . One can recommend Grant and Idema's book to students of Chinese religion, literature, anthropology, and social history, as well as of those of whole East Asian region."

-- Rostislav Berezkin * Asian Ethnology *

"The translators' well-written, informative introduction provides a host of insights and useful information about the stories; the translations are faithful to the original texts and easy to read. A good resource for those interested in traditional literature or popular religion in China. Summing Up: Recommended."

* Choi

ISBN: 9780295991191

Dimensions: unknown

Weight: 590g

368 pages