Writing and Renunciation in Medieval Japan

This is the first monograph-length study in English of Kamo no Cho mei, one of the most important literary figures of medieval Japan. Drawing upon a wide range of writings in a variety of genres from the Heian and Kamakura periods, Pandey shows how the terms kyo gen kigo (wild words and fancy phrases), sho ji soku nehan (samsara is nirvana), ho ben (expedient means), and suki (single-minded devotion to an art) were deployed by writers in an attempt to reconcile literary and artistic activities with a commitment to Buddhism. By locating Cho mei within this broad context, the book offers an original reading of his texts, while at the same time casting light upon intellectual preoccupations that were central to the times.