Chapters in this book

1. Frontmatter i
2. Contents vii
3. Preface. The Great “Civilized” Conversation: Cases in Point xi
4. 1. Asian Classics as the Great Books of the East 1
5. 2. Asia in the Core Curriculum 30
6. 3. Why We Read the Analects of Confucius 44
7. 4. Mencius 57
8. 5. Laozi 72
9. 6. Zhuangzi 80
10. 7. Xunzi 93
11. 8. The Lotus Sūtra 110
12. 9. The Teaching of Vimalakīrti 120
13. 10(a). The Platform Sūtra of the Sixth Patriarch 128
14. 10(b). The Platform Sūtra as a Chinese Classic 136
15. 11. Tang Poetry: A Return to Basics 149
16. 12. Journey to the West 159
17. 13. A Dream of Red Mansions 174
18. 14. Zhu Xi and the Four Books 187
19. 15. Waiting for the Dawn : Huang Zongxi’s Critique of the Chinese Dynastic System 199
20. 16(a). The Tale of Genji as a Japanese and World Classic 209
21. 16(b). Passion and Poignancy in The Tale of Genji 220
22. 17. Th e Pillow Book 231
23. 18. Kamo no Chōmei’s “An Account of My Hut” 241
24. 19. The Tale of the Heike 248
25. 20(a). Kenkō’s Essays in Idleness 257
26. 20(b). Kenkō and Montaigne in Tandem 265
27. 21(a). The Poetry of Matsuo Bashō 275
28. 21(b). Matsuo Bashō 287
29. 22. Chikamatsu 301
30. 23. Saikaku’s Five Women Who Loved Love 310
31. 24. Kaibara Ekken’s Precepts for Daily Life in Japan 321
32. 25. The Contemporary Meaning of T’oegye’s Ten Diagrams on Sage Learning 335
33. 26. The Memoirs of Lady Hyegyŏng 352
34. 27. The Song of the Faithful Wife Ch’unhyang 365
35. 28. Reading and Teaching The Tale of Kieu 376
36. Index 389