Please choose one essay question and write a 3-4 page essay. It should be noted that
the essay question in the prompt just serves as a guideline for your essay. Based on the
guideline, you still have to (1) pose your own essential and overarching question, (2) create
your own thesis statement and main argument, and (3) organize your ideas in a
well-structured essay. That is to say, the overarching question and main argument in your
essay should respond to the essay question you choose, but you should not just answer allsub-questions in an essay question. The deadline of the essay is Nov 1 (Tuesday).
Question 1: Discuss the acceptance of Buddhism in Chinese culture. Compare and contrastat least one Chinese Buddhist school ( The School of Chan or The School of
Pure Land) with at least one Buddhist sutra which is t ranslated into Chinese
(The Heart Sutra or The Diamond Sutra). If you want, you can choose two
schools or two sutras. In your analysis and comparison, you should focus on at
least one of the following questions: nirvana, emptiness, path to salvation,
mind and language. You can also create a question that includes some of
these questions.
Notice: The two introductory articles on Chinese Buddhism can help you
formulate your thesis statement and main argument.
Question 2: Compare and Contrast the two main schools of Chinese Buddhism: TheSchool of Chan (Zen) and The School of Pure Land. In your analysis and
comparison, you should focus on at least one of the following questions:nirvana, emptiness, path to salvation, mind and language. You can
also create a question that includes some of these questions.
Notice: The two introductory articles on Chinese Buddhism can help youformulate your thesis statement and main argument.
Question 3 : Discuss the acceptance of Buddhism in Tang Tales. Explore how the Old Man
enlightens Tu Tzu -chun and analyze what Tu Tzu-chun experiences in the
illusory trial. Examine how the Buddhist ideas of emptiness and salvationare accepted, revisited, reconsidered and resisted in this tale. In addition,
contrast Tu Tzu-chun with The Vigil of the Champion with an emphasis on
the failure of the protagonist in the illusory trial.
Your essay can be focused merely on Tu Tzu-chun and its comparison
with The Vigil of the Champion. If you want, you can also include The
1World in a Pillow into your discussion . If you do this, make sure that you have
sufficient and deep analysis on Tu Tzu -chun and create an overarching and
consistent argument that concerns both Tu Tzu -chun and The World in a
Pillow.
Question 4 : Discuss the rethinking of the conflict between emptiness and form (orlust) in Madame White is Kept Forever under Thunder Peak Tower by Feng
Menglong. You should analyze the admonition poem of Abbot Fahai (p. 504)
and the admonition poem of Xu Xuan (p. 505) with a focus on their
understanding of emptiness and form (or lust). Discuss how Xu Xuan use
emptiness and abstaining from lust to justify his attitude and action toward
Madame White. Does Xu Xuan still abide in the concept of form when he
claims that he achieves emptiness and Buddhist enlightenment?
You can focus merely on Madame White is Kept Forever under Thunder
Peak Tower. If you want, you can also compare this work with Miss Ren
(The Fox Lady) or/and Ma Rufeis The Tale of the White Snake. If you dothis, make sure that you have sufficient and deep analysis on Madame White is
Kept Forever under Thunder Peak Tower when comparing it with another workor other works.
Question 5 : Discuss the enlightenment through passion and love in The Story of the Stone.Investigate how Jia Bao -yu understands the illusory nature of the mundane
world and approaches the Buddhist truth (Dharma) by suffering for his love with
Lin Dai-yu. Examine how the conflict and dialectic between Se (form,
phenomenon, lust, love, etc) and Kong(emptiness, vanitas, illusion, etc) isreconsidered in Jia Bao -yus enlightenment. Try to interpret the Enlightenment
process from Void, to Form, to Passion, to Form and to Void in terms of Jia
Bao-yus experience in the mundane world. In addition, consider why the Fairy
Disenchantment sends lovesick souls to the mundane world and how she
enlighten s Jia Bao -yu in The Land of Illusion.