Based on the memoir of a prominent Buddhist monk, Heart of Buddha, Heart of China brings to life important trends and events in China’s modern history, showing the way that one individual experienced the fall of China’s last empire, its descent into occupation and civil war, and its eventual birth as modern nation-state. Rare among books on China, Heart shows a Chinese man who is neither an intellectual nor a peasant, trying to reconcile his desire for a bold and activist Chinese nationalism with his own belief in China’s cultural and social traditions, especially Buddhism. Tanxu spent most of ... More

Based on the memoir of a prominent Buddhist monk, Heart of Buddha, Heart of China brings to life important trends and events in China’s modern history, showing the way that one individual experienced the fall of China’s last empire, its descent into occupation and civil war, and its eventual birth as modern nation-state. Rare among books on China, Heart shows a Chinese man who is neither an intellectual nor a peasant, trying to reconcile his desire for a bold and activist Chinese nationalism with his own belief in China’s cultural and social traditions, especially Buddhism. Tanxu spent most of his career in European colonies or semi-colonies, from Russian-founded Harbin, in Manchuria, to the German enclave at Qingdao the international communities of Shanghai and Tianjin, and eventually the British colony of Hong Kong. Juxtaposed with his conservative practice of Buddhism and career reviving and founding Buddhist temples, Tanxu’s life shows the creation of modern China from a combination of nationalism, foreign influence, and Chinese cultural traditions. Heart adds to our understanding of modern China by demonstrating an aspect of Chinese nationalism that is compatible with conservative cultural traditions, rather than the more radical, often Western, ideologies that dominate scholarship and our understanding. At the same time, it illustrates the emotional and physical journey of a man who lived through extraordinary times.