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Wm. Theodore de Bary, Ainslie Embree, and Amy Vladeck Heinrich, eds., A Guide to Oriental Classics [1989]

121 entries: 102 monographical, 19 otherwise

Unranked—arranged chronologically within topical sections: Classics of the Islamic Tradition (no. 1-14); Classics of the Indian Tradition (The Vedas-no. 42); Classics of the Chinese Tradition (no. 43-Three Hundred Tang Poems); Classics of the Japanese Tradition (The Ten Thousand Leaves-102)

This, the third edition of A Guide to Oriental Classics, "prepared by the staff of the Committee on Oriental Studies, Columbia University," offers another Columbia-related list of classics, except in this case Eastern classics. Indeed, the book grew out of a counterpart to the "great books" classes: namely, the Oriental Humanities course; according to the book's Introduction, "the assumptions of this course, inherited from the parent Humanities course in the Western tradition, have been basically two: that there were certain great works of intellectual and artistic achievement in the Oriental world which any educated person, whatever his own field of specialization, ought to have read; and that these books could be understood and appreciated without prior initiation into the complexities of scholarly research in each field." That is, the same approach used in the "great books" courses and reading plans—scholars from different disciplines making literature accessible to a general public not devoted to those disciplines—applies here, except of course that the East does not diametrically correspond to the West. Ideally, over time, the Islamic Tradition ('Near East' perhaps) will be understood better as the link between the Orient and the Occident, while the Buddhist, Hindu, and Chinese realms can be given their proper, distinct place, interacting of course with other Indian as well as Korean and Japanese (and Indonesian, and other Asian/ Pacific) traditions.

The Guide provides lists of complete and partial translations of each work, and secondary readings on the work, as well as some Topics for Discussion. Each of the four traditions begins with a General Works section listing bibliographies and secondary works about the tradition generally. A few chapters deal with areas of literature so broad that they cannot even count as indeterminate selections for our project. They tend to list secondary works first, followed by the literary works, usually anthologies. Those chapters are: 'Supplementary Readings on Indian Buddhism'; 'Sanskrit Lyric Poetry'; 'Indian Devotional Poetry'; 'Indo-Islamic Poetry'; 'Supplementary Readings on Chinese Buddhism'; 'Chinese Drama'; 'Chinese Poets and Poetry' and 'Supplementary Readings on Japanese Buddhism'. 'Three Hundred Tang Poems' from the Chinese poetry chapter has been included; this is just one example of how this list could expand in the future. The 'Chinese Drama' chapter includes several anthologies that obviously consist of monographical works.

  1. Muallaqat

  2. The Seven Odes
    compiled Eighth Century—Arabic


    --
  3. Quran

  4. Koran
    Seventh Century—Arabic


  5. Ibn Hazm

  6. Tawq al-Hamamah
    The Ring of the Dove
    written ca. 1022—Arabic


  7. Badi al-Zaman al-Hamadani

  8. Maqamat Badi az-Zaman al-Hamadhani
    Ninth Century—Arabic

  9. Al-Hariri of Basra

  10. Maqamat al-Hariri
    Eleventh Century—Arabic

    --
  11. Kitab alf Laylah Wa-Laylah

  12. The Thousand and One Nights; The Arabian Nights
    Ninth-Fifteenth centuries—Arabic


  13. Al-Ghazali

  14. Al-Munqidh min al-Dalal
    Deliverance From Error
    Eleventh-early Twelfth centuries—Arabic


  15. Averroës (Ibn Rushd)

  16. Fasl al-Maqal
    On the Harmony of Religion and Philosophy
    Twelfth Century—Arabic


  17. Farid ud-Din Attar (Attar of Nishapur)
    Mantiq-ut-Tayr
    The Conference of the Birds
    1177—Persian


    • Rumi

  18. Poems
    Thirteenth Century—Persian

  19. Ibn Khaldun

  20. Muqaddimah
    Fourteenth Century; originally written as the preface to Kitab al-Ibar—Arabic

  21. Ferdowsi

  22. Shahnameh
    The Book of Kings
    written ca. 977-1010—Persian


  23. Omar Khayyam

  24. The Rubaiyat of Omar Khayyam
    ca. Eleventh-Twelfth centuries; compiled by Edward FitzGerald in five editions, 1859, 1868, 1872, 1879, and 1889—Persian

    --
  25. Dede Korkut
    The Book of Dede Korkut
    Turkic


    • Yunus Emre

  26. Poems
    late Thirteenth-early Fourteenth centuries—Turkish

  27. Fuzuli
    Dastan-i Leyli vu Mecnun
    The Epic of Layla and Majnun
    Sixteenth Century—Turkic


    --
    • Vedas

  28. ca. Eighteenth-Fifth centurie B C—Sanskrit

    --
  29. Rigveda
    Sanskrit

    --
    • Upanishads

  30. Seventh-Fourth centuries B C—Sanskrit

  31. Vyasa
    Mahabharata
    includes Bhagavad Gita; ca. Ninth Century B C-Fourth Century—Sanskrit

    • Bhagavad Gita

  32. part of the Mahabharata; ca. Ninth Century B C-Fourth Century—Sanskrit

  33. Valmiki

  34. Ramayana
    ca. Fifth-Second centuries B C—Sanskrit

  35. Patanjali

  36. Yoga Sutras
    ca. Second Century B C—Sanskrit

  37. Badarayana

  38. Brahma Sutra
    Vedanta Sutra
    ca. Fifth Century B C—Sanskrit


  39. Adi Shankara
    Brahmasutra Bhasya
    Commentary on the Brahma Sutra
    ca. early Ninth Century—Sanskrit


    --
    • Tripitaka

  40. ca. Sixth-Fifth centuries B C; Sanskrit translations—Pali

    --
  41. Dhammapada

  42. part of the Khuddaka Nikaya, fifth of five nikayas in the Sutta Pitaka; written ca. Third Century B C—Pali

    --
  43. Milinda Panha

  44. Questions of Milinda
    written ca. Second Century B C-Second Century—Pali


    --
  45. Mahasatipatthana Sutta
    —Pali

    --
    • Prajnaparamita

  46. ca. First Century B C—Sanskrit

    --
  47. Astasahasrika Prajnaparamita Sutra

  48. The Perfection of Wisdom
    ca. First Century B C—Sanskrit


    --
  49. Vajracchedika Prajñaparamita Sutra

  50. The Diamond Sutra
    ca. First Century B C—Sanskrit


    --
  51. Srimaladevi Simhanada Sutra

  52. The Lion's Roar of Queen Srimala
    complete Sanskrit original not extant; Chinese translation


    --
  53. Lankavatara Sutra

  54. Sanskrit

    --
  55. Infinite Life Sutra

  56. Sanskrit

    --
  57. Amitabha Sutra

  58. Sanskrit

  59. Shantideva

  60. Bodhisattvacharyavatara
    written ca. 700—Sanskrit

  61. Kalidasa

  62. Abhijnanasakuntalam
    The Recognition of Sakuntala
    ca. Fifth Century—Sanskrit


  63. Sudraka

  64. Mrcchakatika
    The Little Clay Cart
    ca. Second Century B C-Fifth Century—Sanskrit


    --
  65. Panchatantra

  66. Pancatranta
    Sanskrit


  67. Jayadeva

  68. Gita Govinda
    Song of Govinda
    ca. 1200—Sanskrit


  69. Kalidasa

  70. Meghaduta
    The Cloud Messenger
    ca. Fifth Century—Sanskrit


  71. Bhartrihari
    Satakatraya
    The Three Satakas
    ca. Fifth Century—Sanskrit


    Rabindranath Tagore
    • The Crescent Moon

    English translations of selections mostly from Sisu, 1903—Bengali

    • The Gardener

  72. English translations of selections from Kshanika, 1900; Kalpana, 1900; Sonar Tari, 1894; and others—Bengali

  73. Visarjan

  74. Sacrifice
    1890—Bengali


  75. Dakghar

  76. The Post Office
    1912—Bengali


  77. Chitrangada
    1892; English translation entitled Chitra—not the same as the author's poetry book entitled Chitra, 1896—Bengali

    • Fruit-Gathering

  78. 1916; English translations of selections from Gitimalya, Gitali, Balaka, and others—Bengali

  79. Stray Birds

  80. —Bengali

  81. Phalguni
    The Cycle of Spring
    1916—Bengali


    • The Fugitive

  82. 1921; English translations of selections from Manasi, 1890; Sonar Tari, 1894; Giti-Malya, 1914; Kahini, 1900; and others; also includes Viday-Abhisap [1894]—Bengali

  83. Mohandas K Gandhi

  84. The Story of My Experiments With the Truth
    originally published serially 1925-9 in Navijan—Gujarati

  85. Confucius (Kǒng Zǐ) (Kǒng Fūzǐ) (K'ung Fu-tzu)

  86. Analects
    Lún Yǔ
    written and compiled by the author's pupils; ca. Fifth Century B C-Second Century—Chinese


  87. Mòzǐ (Mo Tzu)

  88. Mòzǐ
    ca. Fifth Century B C—Chinese

  89. Lǎozǐ (Lao-tzu) (Laocius)

  90. Dàodéjǐng
    Tao te Ching
    ca. Sixth Century B C—Chinese


  91. Zhuāngzī (Zhuāng Zhōu) (Chuang-tzu)

  92. Zhuāngzī
    Nánhuá Zhēnjīng
    ca. Third Century B C—Chinese


  93. Mèng Zǐ (Mencius) (Meng Tzu)
    Mèng Zǐ
    Fourth Century B C—Chinese

    --
    • The Doctrine of the Mean

    part of the Book of Rites—Chinese

    --
    • The Great Learning

  94. part of the Book of Rites—Chinese

  95. Xúnzǐ (Hsün-tzu)

  96. Xúnzǐ
    Third Century B C—Chinese

  97. Hán Fēizi (Han Fei-tzu)

  98. Hán Fēizi
    Third Century B C—Chinese

  99. Simǎ Qiān

  100. Shǐjì
    The Records of the Grand Historian
    written 109-91 B C—Chinese


    --
  101. Saddharma Pundarika Sutra

  102. Lotus Sutra
    Sanskrit


    --
  103. Vimalakirti Sutra

  104. Sanskrit

    --
  105. Mahayana Sraddhotpada Sastra

  106. Awakening of Faith in the Mahayana
    original Sanskrit version attributed to Asvaghosa not exant—Chinese


  107. Huìnéng

  108. Liùzǔ Tánjīng
    The Platform Sutra of the Sixth Patriarch
    ca. Eighth-Thirteenth centuries—Chinese


  109. Línjì Yìxuán (Lin-chi l-Hsüan)
    Línjì Yǔlù
    Record of Linj
    ca. Ninth-Twelfth centuries—Chinese


    • Zhū Xī (Chu Hsi)

  110. Selected works
    Twelfth Century—Chinese

    Wáng Yángmíng (Bo'an)
  111. Chuáxí Lù

  112. Instructions for Practical Living
    late Fifteenth-early Sixteenth centuries—Chinese


  113. Inquiry on the Great Learning

  114. late Fifteenth-early Sixteenth centuries—Chinese

  115. Shī Nài'ān

  116. Shuǐ Hŭ Zhuàn
    The Water Margin
    written Fourteenth Century—Chinese


  117. Wú Chéng-ēn (Ruzhong)

  118. Xi Yóu Jì
    Journey to the West; Monkey
    late Sixteenth Century—Chinese


  119. Lánlíng Xiàoxiào Shēng

  120. Jīn Píng Méi
    The Plum in the Golden Vase; The Golden Lotus
    1610; author's identity unknown, given name is a pseudonym—Chinese


  121. Cáo Xuěqín (Mengruan) (Ts'ao Hsueh-ch'in)

  122. Hóng Lóu Mèng
    The Dream of the Red Chamber; The Story of the Stone
    1791—Chinese


    --
  123. Shījīng

  124. Shih-Ching; The Classic of Poetry; The Book of Poetry; The Book of Songs; The Book of Odes
    one of the Five Classics of Confucianism; Eleventh-Seventh centuries B C—Chinese


  125. Qū Yuán and Sòng Yù
    Cǔ Chí
    Verses of Chu; Songs of the South
    ca. Third Century B C-Third Century—Chinese


    --
    • Three Hundred Tang Poems

    compiled by Sun Zhu ca. 1763—Chinese

    --
    • Man'yoshu

    The Ten Thousand Leaves
    poetry anthology; probably completed by Otomo Yakamochi; ca. Seventh and Eighth centuries—Japanese


    --
    • Kokin Wakashu

  126. Kokinshu
    Japanese


  127. Sei Shonagon

  128. Makura no Soshi
    The Pillow Book
    written 1002—Japanese


    Murasaki Shikibu
  129. Genji Monogatari

  130. The Tale of Genji
    ca. early Eleventh Century—Japanese


  131. Murasaki Shikibu Nikki

  132. written ca. 1008-1010—Japanese

  133. Lady Nijo

  134. Towazugatari
    The Confessions of Lady Nijo
    early Fourteenth Century—Japanese


  135. Horikawa

  136. Sanuki no Suke nikki
    Emperor Horikawa Diary
    late Eleventh-early Twelfth centuries—Japanese


  137. Izumi Shikibu

  138. Izumi Shikibu Nikki
    The Izumi Shikibu Diary
    Eleventh Century—Japanese


  139. Ki no Tsurayuki

  140. Tosa Nikki
    originally anonymously published; written Tenth Century—Japanese

  141. Sugawara no Takasue no Musume (Takasue's Daughter) (Lady Sarashina)

  142. Sarashina Nikki
    Japanese

  143. Mother of Michitsuna

  144. Kagero Nikki
    The Gossamer Years
    written ca. 974—Japanese


    --
  145. Ise Monogatari

  146. The Tales of Ise
    probably written in part by Ariwara no Narihira; Ninth-Tenth centuries—Japanese


    --
  147. Yamato Monogatari

  148. Tales of Yamato
    written Tenth Century—Japanese


  149. Lady Daibu
    Kenreimon-in Ukyo no Daibu
    The Poetic Memoirs of Lady Daibu
    late Twelfth-early Thirteenth centuries—Japanese


    • Kukai

  150. Selected works
    early Ninth Century—Japanese

  151. Shinran

  152. Tannisho
    transcribed by Yuen, late Thirteenth Century—Japanese

  153. Genshin

  154. Ojoyoshu
    written 985—Japanese

  155. Dogen

  156. Shobogenzo Zuimonki
    Thirteenth Century—Japanese

    Hakuin Ekaku
  157. Orategama

  158. Eighteenth Century—Japanese

  159. Itsumadegusa

  160. Wild Ivy
    Eighteenth Century—Japanese


  161. Chomei Kamo

  162. Hojoki
    An Account of My Hut
    written 1212—Japanese


  163. Yoshida Kenko

  164. Tsurezuregusa
    Essays in Idleness
    written 1330-32—Japanese


    --
  165. Heike Monogatari
    Tale of the Heike
    ca. Thirteenth-Fourteenth centuries—Japanese


    --
    • Noh plays

  166. Japanese

    Ihara Saikaku
  167. Five Women Who Loved Love

  168. 1685—Japanese

  169. The Life of an Amorous Woman

  170. 1686—Japanese

  171. Some Final Words of Advice

  172. —Japanese

  173. The Japanese Family Storehouse

  174. 1688—Japanese

  175. This Scheming World

  176. 1692—Japanese

  177. Basho Matsuo

  178. Oku no Hosomichi
    The Narrow Road to the Deep North
    late Seventeenth Century—Japanese


    Chikamatsu Monzaemon
  179. Sonezaki no Shinju

  180. The Love Suicides at Sonezaki
    1703—Japanese


  181. Shinju Mannenso

  182. The Love Suicides in the Women's Temple
    1710—Japanese


  183. Meido no Hikyaku

  184. The Courier for Hell
    1711—Japanese


  185. Kokusen'ya Kassen

  186. The Battles of Coxinga
    1715—Japanese


  187. Nebiki no Kadomatsu

  188. The Uprooted Pine
    1718—Japanese


  189. Onnagoroshi Abura no Jigoku

  190. The Woman-Killer and the Hell of Oil
    1721—Japanese


  191. Shinju Ten no Amijima

  192. The Love Suicides at Amijima
    1721—Japanese


  193. Horikawa Nami no Tsuzumi

  194. 1721—Japanese

  195. Tamba Yosaku Machiyo no Komurobushi

  196. 1721—Japanese

  197. Yari no Gonza

  198. 1721—Japanese

  199. Hakata Kojoro Namimakura

  200. 1721—Japanese

  201. Izumo Takeda, Shoraku Miyoshi, and Senryu Namiki

  202. Kanadehon Chushingura
    The Treasure of Loyal Retainers
    1748—Japanese


  203. Natsume Soseki

  204. Kokoro
    originally entitled Kokoro: Sensei no Isho, published serially Apr.-Aug. 1914 in Asahi Shinbun—Japanese