Real and Imagined: The Peak of Gold in Heian Japan (Harvard

Real and Imagined: The Peak of Gold in Heian Japan (Harvard East Asian Monographs)

During the Heian period (794â€“1185), the sacred mountain Kinpusen, literally the â€œPeak of Gold,â€ came to cultural prominence as a pilgrimage destination for the most powerful men in Japanâ€•the Fujiwara regents and the retired emperors. Real and Imagined depicts their one-hundred-kilometer trek from the capital to the rocky summit as well as the imaginative landscape they navigated. Kinpusen was believed to be a realm of immortals, the domain of an unconventional bodhisattva, and the home of an indigenous pantheon of kami. These nominally private journeys to Kinpusen had political implications for both the pilgrims and the mountain. While members of the aristocracy and royalty used pilgrimage to legitimate themselves and compete with one another, their patronage fed rivalry among religious institutions. Thus, after flourishing under the Fujiwara regents, Kinpusenâ€™s cult and community were rent by violent altercations with the great Nara temple KÅfukuji. The resulting institutional reconfigurations laid the groundwork for ShugendÅ, a new movement focused on religious mountain practice that emerged around 1300. Using archival sources, archaeological materials, noblemenâ€™s journals, sutras, official histories, and vernacular narratives, this original study sheds new light on Kinpusen, positioning it within the broader religious and political history of the Heian period.
Country USA
Brand Harvard University Press
Manufacturer Harvard University Asia Center
Binding Hardcover
ItemPartNumber 9780674504271
UnitCount 1
Format Illustrated
EANs 9780674504271
ReleaseDate 2015-05-04

Country	USA
Brand	Harvard University Press
Manufacturer	Harvard University Asia Center
Binding	Hardcover
ItemPartNumber	9780674504271
UnitCount	1
Format	Illustrated
EANs	9780674504271
ReleaseDate	2015-05-04

Real and Imagined: The Peak of Gold in Heian Japan (Harvard East Asian Monographs)

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