The Red Thread: Buddhist Approaches to Sexuality

·期刊原文
The Red Thread: Buddhist Approaches to Sexuality
by Faure, Bernard
Reviewed by D.E. Perushek
Library Journal
Vol.123 No.20
Dec 1998
p.113
COPYRIGHT 1998 Reed Publishing USA

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The author of major works on Zen, Faure (religion, Stanford) here
turns his gaze to sexuality in Buddhism, which binds its
practitioners to human existence as if by a red thread. His focus is
on Chinese and Japanese Buddhism, with lesser emphasis on India,
Tibet, and Korea. Progressing through an examination of passion and
discipline, transgression and vice, the book culminates in two
chapters dealing largely with the tradition in Japan of "male love"
(nanshoku) and its manifestations both in and beyond the monastic
life. The principles that passions are no different from awakening
and that ultimate truth is beyond good and evil receive a thoroughly
documented, cross-cultural explanation. Faure's examination also
touches on other transgressions, such as drinking or eating meat.
The relative silence on transgressions by females emanates from
their irrelevance in the system. Faure plans a companion volume in
which women will play a more prominent role. Recommended for
academic collections.--D.E. Perushek, Northwestern Univ. Lib.,
Evanston, IL