Chinese Gleams of Sufi Light: Wang Tai-yu's Great Learning of the Pure and Real and Liu Chih's Displaying the Concealment of the Real Realm

by Sachiko Murata, Tu Weiming (Foreword by), Wang Tai-Yu

Chinese Gleams of Sufi Light investigates, for the first time in a Western language, the manner in which the Muslim scholars of China adapted the Chinese tradition to their own needs during the seventeenth and eighteenth centuries. The book surveys the 1400-year history of Islam in China and explores why the four books translated from Islamic languages into Chinese before the twentieth century were all Persian Sufi texts. The author also looks carefully at the two most important Muslim authors of books in the Chinese language, Wang Tai-yu and Liu Chih. Murata shows how they assimilated Confucian social teachings and Neo-Confucian metaphysics, as well as Buddhism and Taoism, into Islamic thought. She presents full translations of Wang's Great Learning of the Pure and Real--a text on the principles of Islam--and Liu Chih's Displaying the Concealment of the Real Realm, which in turn is a translation from Persian of Lawa'ih', a famous Sufi text by Jami. A new translation of Jami's Lawa'ih' from the Persian by William C. Chittick is juxtaposed with Liu Chih's work, revealing the latter's techniques in adapting the text to the Chinese language and Chinese thought.

Genres: Islam, China, Religion, Philosophy

264 pages, Hardcover

First published August 1, 2000

About the author

Sachiko Murata (村田幸子, born 1943) is a professor of religion and Asian studies at the State University of New York at Stony Brook. She is a 2011 Guggenheim Fellow. (Wikipedia)

Reviews

[Dina Kaidir · Rating 5 out of 5]

In reading these translations, it is clear that the ulama in China saw the "learning to be human" is the fundamental purpose of all Islamic teachings. What comes to mind throughout the reading of this book is what the Prophet (prayers, peace and blessings be upon him) says, "Seek knowledge, even unto China."

In the modern world, we have forgotten how to be human. We consider such ancient wisdom to be 'outmoded' and 'outdated' even 'naive.'

There is "Great Learning," to be done..on ourselves.

[Penandinkpot Uzma · Rating 4 out of 5]

The quest of the spiritual. Understanding oneself. Understanding the self and heart by two of the great sages in China than makes this a very good insight and read for learning and a reflection in one's life.

[Ali Reda · Rating 3 out of 5]

فلسفة ابن عربي بمصطلحات الكونفوشيوسية المحدثة.

[Jessica Zu · Rating 4 out of 5]

Han Kitāb and Cinese-language Islam!