Wu, J ORCID: 0000-0002-8758-8382
(2020)
Sex in the Cloister: Behind the image of the “criminal monk” in Ming courtroom tales.
T'oung Pao: international journal of Chinese studies, 105 (5-6).
pp. 545-586.
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Abstract
Buddhist monks were commonly portrayed as seducers and even rapists in late sixteenth-century vernacular literature, including, most commonly, courtroom tales (gong’an 公案). Do these stories reflect a deterioration in clerical morality and behavior, or a decline in Buddhist faith and practice, as is sometimes argued? Neither explanation is credible. I argue that the image of monks in courtroom tales should be understood as a literary convention, growing out the burgeoning market for entertainment literature, rather than a window onto social reality. It also reflects an increasing male anxiety about the control of women.
Item Type: | Article |
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Depositing User: | Symplectic Admin |
Date Deposited: | 15 Dec 2020 09:25 |
Last Modified: | 18 Jan 2023 23:06 |
DOI: | 10.1163/15685322-10556P02 |
Related URLs: | |
URI: | https://livrepository.liverpool.ac.uk/id/eprint/3110367 |