Philip J. Ivanhoe is Professor in and Chair of the Department of East Asian Languages and Cultures at Georgetown University.

From Tang Buddhism through the Confucianism of the next one thousand years, in various forms, one idea was central: insights that can inform a good life come not from learning but from a pure, 'original nature' shared by all people. Distinctive among works on Chinese thought, Ivanhoe's book identifies not only core teachings of three famous figures who worked with this idea, but also the style of the words and personal character traits by which they conveyed their views to disciples. It is based on high quality research, with helpful introductory and explanatory comments on the different works. The prose is crisp and clear. It is also a pleasure to read because, though Huineng, Lu Xiangshan, and Wang Yangming lived long ago, this work keeps those sages alive. In it, the reader feels their interaction not only with their fellow monks or with fellow neo-Confucians but also with Ivanhoe's audience today. --Donald J. Munro, University of Michigan

Philip J. Ivanhoe is Professor in and Chair of the Department of East Asian Languages and Cultures at Georgetown University.

From Tang Buddhism through the Confucianism of the next one thousand years, in various forms, one idea was central: insights that can inform a good life come not from learning but from a pure, 'original nature' shared by all people. Distinctive among works on Chinese thought, Ivanhoe's book identifies not only core teachings of three famous figures who worked with this idea, but also the style of the words and personal character traits by which they conveyed their views to disciples. It is based on high quality research, with helpful introductory and explanatory comments on the different works. The prose is crisp and clear. It is also a pleasure to read because, though Huineng, Lu Xiangshan, and Wang Yangming lived long ago, this work keeps those sages alive. In it, the reader feels their interaction not only with their fellow monks or with fellow neo-Confucians but also with Ivanhoe's audience today. --Donald J. Munro, University of Michigan