Christine Mollier, "Buddhism and Taoism Face to Face: Scripture, Ritual, and Iconographic Exchange in Medieval China," (University of Hawaii Press, 2008)

Mollier surveys a few of the 40,000-odd manuscripts found in a sealed chamber at Dunhuang, with a particular eye to the relations between Taoism and Buddhism. Against a background of interfaith rivalry (in which Taoists could depict Lao-tzu reincarnating as Buddha to convert the foreigners, whilst Buddhists had Lao-tzu as Buddha's disciple) she unpicks some interesting stuff about similar doctrines appearing in the texts of the two different faiths. Buddhist longevity sutras turn out to have stolen their texts wholesale from Taoist originals; Taoism in return modelled an entire deity upon a Buddhist bodhisattva. There is much local colour for anyone who has an interest in this kind of thing -- descriptions of witchcraft practices (watch out for 'gu'!) and use of the Big Dipper, etc., revealing morsels of practice and belief. Whole texts are translated; the scholarship is very able and at times wry. Dunhuang manuscripts Taoism and Buddhism Interfaith rivalry in ancient China Taoist and Buddhist scriptural exchanges Lao-tzu and Buddha relationship Buddhist longevity sutras influenced by Taoism Taoist deities modeled on Buddhist bodhisattvas Buddhist and Taoist religious texts translation Manuscripts from sealed Dunhuang chamber Ancient Chinese witchcraft practices Big Dipper in Taoist and Buddhist rituals Taoist and Buddhist doctrines overlap Taoist-Buddhist interfaith influences Historical Chinese religious texts analysis Gu witchcraft practices in ancient China Cultural exchange in Chinese religions Manuscript studies of Dunhuang texts Taoist and Buddhist longevity practices Textual analysis of Taoist and Buddhist beliefs Syncretism in Chinese religious traditions Chinese religious manuscripts and scholarship East Asian Studies Podcast East Asian Religion Podcast East Asian Religious History Chinese Religious History Chinese Medieval History