The Administration of Buddhism in China

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Focusing on the intellectual transformation during the early Song dynasty, the book explores the shift from martial values to a cultural emphasis on the arts. Zanning, a prominent Buddhist scholar, played a pivotal role in shaping this new literary agenda through his work, the Topical Compendium of the Buddhist Clergy. His contributions were crucial in defining the values of wen and establishing a cultural consensus that significantly influenced China's future and set a precedent for civilization across East Asia.