Looking for good books for learning classical chinese

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Caoimhghín
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Re: Looking for good books for learning classical chinese

Post by Caoimhghín »

The fifth one listed is one that I have. It is very good but throws a lot at you fast. You will need to make a lot of use of flashcards, etc. Do you know Anki? I use it to make automated flashcards. Its pretty good.
Then, the monks uttered this gāthā:

These bodies are like foam.
Them being frail, who can rejoice in them?
The Buddha attained the vajra-body.
Still, it becomes inconstant and ruined.
The many Buddhas are vajra-entities.
All are also subject to inconstancy.
Quickly ended, like melting snow --
how could things be different?

The Buddha passed into parinirvāṇa afterward.
(T1.27b10 Mahāparinirvāṇasūtra DĀ 2)
Motova
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Re: Looking for good books for learning classical chinese

Post by Motova »

Coëmgenu wrote: Sat Jan 27, 2018 12:27 pm The fifth one listed is one that I have. It is very good but throws a lot at you fast. You will need to make a lot of use of flashcards, etc. Do you know Anki? I use it to make automated flashcards. Its pretty good.
Thank you. :smile:

Yes I've tried Anki, but I prefer physical study aids.
To become a rain man one must master the ten virtues and sciences.
humble.student
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Re: Looking for good books for learning classical chinese

Post by humble.student »

Those are all very good books. I have not read Schuessler's work though. You might also want to throw in Pulleyblank's Grammar, and perhaps Fuller's Introduction once you've finished Rouzer. Also have a look at Harbaugh's Chinese Characters dictionary, which is very useful, generally speaking, in looking up characters as well as their traditional etymologies.

If and when you complete those books, you could move onto more advanced textbooks and readers such as Readings in Classical Chinese, and Literary Chinese for Advanced Beginners (both published by SMC, Taiwan). That ought to bridge the gulf between reading a primer and plunging straight into the original texts quite nicely.
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Caoimhghín
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Re: Looking for good books for learning classical chinese

Post by Caoimhghín »

Motova wrote: Sat Jan 27, 2018 2:57 pm
Coëmgenu wrote: Sat Jan 27, 2018 12:27 pm The fifth one listed is one that I have. It is very good but throws a lot at you fast. You will need to make a lot of use of flashcards, etc. Do you know Anki? I use it to make automated flashcards. Its pretty good.
Thank you.
Somehow I miscounted the links in your OP. It is the fourth, Rouzer's, I meant to refer to. :spy:
Then, the monks uttered this gāthā:

These bodies are like foam.
Them being frail, who can rejoice in them?
The Buddha attained the vajra-body.
Still, it becomes inconstant and ruined.
The many Buddhas are vajra-entities.
All are also subject to inconstancy.
Quickly ended, like melting snow --
how could things be different?

The Buddha passed into parinirvāṇa afterward.
(T1.27b10 Mahāparinirvāṇasūtra DĀ 2)
Motova
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Joined: Sun Sep 16, 2012 11:05 pm

Re: Looking for good books for learning classical chinese

Post by Motova »

humble.student wrote: Sun Jan 28, 2018 6:59 am Those are all very good books. I have not read Schuessler's work though. You might also want to throw in Pulleyblank's Grammar, and perhaps Fuller's Introduction once you've finished Rouzer. Also have a look at Harbaugh's Chinese Characters dictionary, which is very useful, generally speaking, in looking up characters as well as their traditional etymologies.

If and when you complete those books, you could move onto more advanced textbooks and readers such as Readings in Classical Chinese, and Literary Chinese for Advanced Beginners (both published by SMC, Taiwan). That ought to bridge the gulf between reading a primer and plunging straight into the original texts quite nicely.
Thank you. :twothumbsup:
Coëmgenu wrote: Sun Jan 28, 2018 8:21 pm
Motova wrote: Sat Jan 27, 2018 2:57 pm
Coëmgenu wrote: Sat Jan 27, 2018 12:27 pm The fifth one listed is one that I have. It is very good but throws a lot at you fast. You will need to make a lot of use of flashcards, etc. Do you know Anki? I use it to make automated flashcards. Its pretty good.
Thank you.
Somehow I miscounted the links in your OP. It is the fourth, Rouzer's, I meant to refer to. :spy:
Thank you, no worries. :cheers:
To become a rain man one must master the ten virtues and sciences.
humble.student
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Re: Looking for good books for learning classical chinese

Post by humble.student »

For those looking for an entry point into Classical Chinese, begin here: http://facultysites.vassar.edu/brvannor ... eryone.pdf

I would then suggest reading through (and making notes) from Pulleyblank's grammar, and working through Rouzer fairly intensely. Barnes' "Chinese Through Poetry" can be considered an instructive diversion; pleasant and pedagogical, but it will really come into its own once you begin reading sutras which contain a lot of verse.

Once you've made a certain amount of progress with the books listed above, you could then move on to more specifically Buddhist texts, and John Kieschnick's free primers are an excellent place to start. In fact, they're the only place to start in the absence of any other similar works (for the time being). https://religiousstudies.stanford.edu/p ... t-writings
Motova
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Re: Looking for good books for learning classical chinese

Post by Motova »

humble.student wrote: Tue Jan 30, 2018 9:50 am For those looking for an entry point into Classical Chinese, begin here: http://facultysites.vassar.edu/brvannor ... eryone.pdf

I would then suggest reading through (and making notes) from Pulleyblank's grammar, and working through Rouzer fairly intensely. Barnes' "Chinese Through Poetry" can be considered an instructive diversion; pleasant and pedagogical, but it will really come into its own once you begin reading sutras which contain a lot of verse.

Once you've made a certain amount of progress with the books listed above, you could then move on to more specifically Buddhist texts, and John Kieschnick's free primers are an excellent place to start. In fact, they're the only place to start in the absence of any other similar works (for the time being). https://religiousstudies.stanford.edu/p ... t-writings
Thank you. :twothumbsup:
To become a rain man one must master the ten virtues and sciences.
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rory
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Re: Looking for good books for learning classical chinese

Post by rory »

humble.student wrote: Tue Jan 30, 2018 9:50 am For those looking for an entry point into Classical Chinese, begin here: http://facultysites.vassar.edu/brvannor ... eryone.pdf

I would then suggest reading through (and making notes) from Pulleyblank's grammar, and working through Rouzer fairly intensely. Barnes' "Chinese Through Poetry" can be considered an instructive diversion; pleasant and pedagogical, but it will really come into its own once you begin reading sutras which contain a lot of verse.

Once you've made a certain amount of progress with the books listed above, you could then move on to more specifically Buddhist texts, and John Kieschnick's free primers are an excellent place to start. In fact, they're the only place to start in the absence of any other similar works (for the time being). https://religiousstudies.stanford.edu/p ... t-writings
Super, thank you so much for this! I've got Pulleyblank and just downloaded the Stanford primers. I'm not stopping until I can read those texts!
gassho
Rory
Namu Kanzeon Bosatsu
Chih-I:
The Tai-ching states "the women in the realms of Mara, Sakra and Brahma all neither abandoned ( their old) bodies nor received (new) bodies. They all received buddhahood with their current bodies (genshin)" Thus these verses state that the dharma nature is like a great ocean. No right or wrong is preached (within it) Ordinary people and sages are equal, without superiority or inferiority
Paul, Groner "The Lotus Sutra in Japanese Culture"eds. Tanabe p. 58
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Motova
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Re: Looking for good books for learning classical chinese

Post by Motova »

rory wrote: Sun Feb 11, 2018 4:37 am
humble.student wrote: Tue Jan 30, 2018 9:50 am For those looking for an entry point into Classical Chinese, begin here: http://facultysites.vassar.edu/brvannor ... eryone.pdf

I would then suggest reading through (and making notes) from Pulleyblank's grammar, and working through Rouzer fairly intensely. Barnes' "Chinese Through Poetry" can be considered an instructive diversion; pleasant and pedagogical, but it will really come into its own once you begin reading sutras which contain a lot of verse.

Once you've made a certain amount of progress with the books listed above, you could then move on to more specifically Buddhist texts, and John Kieschnick's free primers are an excellent place to start. In fact, they're the only place to start in the absence of any other similar works (for the time being). https://religiousstudies.stanford.edu/p ... t-writings
Super, thank you so much for this! I've got Pulleyblank and just downloaded the Stanford primers. I'm not stopping until I can read those texts!
gassho
Rory
:woohoo:
To become a rain man one must master the ten virtues and sciences.
Ekayano
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Re: Looking for good books for learning classical chinese

Post by Ekayano »

I have almost all the books mentioned, in bookform or PDF, or both. But I have searched everywhere, and am not able to find introduction to classical chinese by John Cikoski.
According to rewievs one of the very best books on classical chinese.
Information on how and where to buy the book would be very much appreciated. :?:
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Rinchen Dorje
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Re: Looking for good books for learning classical chinese

Post by Rinchen Dorje »

I did my undergrad work in Chinese language/history/literature and loved translating Tang dynasty poetry. That was many many years ago but the one book I always recommended was this:
https://www.amazon.com/Gateway-Chinese- ... 0835125378
It requires you to memorize around 300 characters to start but then it builds from there with each lesson. Each lesson includes actual passages from the classics...Kong Zi, Lao Zi, and Zhuang Zi, as well as a few excerpts from some of the 4 Ming/Qing Classics. There may be better out there now...been a long time but Prof Faurot really did her homework in putting this together. Hope this helps...also doesnt hurt to have Matthews Chinese dictionary at your side..its very old, a bit pricey, doesn't use pinyin or tones but once you understand how to look up characters with it it will prove to be invaluable in that it contains many ancient meanings for characters not found in many modern dictionaries
https://www.amazon.com/Matthews-Chinese ... dictionary
"But if you know how to observe yourself, you will discover your real nature, the primordial state, the state of Guruyoga, and then all will become clear because you will have discovered everything"-Namkhai Norbu Rinpoche
SilenceMonkey
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Re: Looking for good books for learning classical chinese

Post by SilenceMonkey »

There are many kinds of classical chinese and you can get easily lost in it all. Confucian philosophy and government documents and Daoist and medical and Buddhist classical chinese are all so different, it's almost like learning completely different languages. Don't get lost!

For Buddhism, use these:

https://religiousstudies.stanford.edu/p ... t-writings
humble.student
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Re: Looking for good books for learning classical chinese

Post by humble.student »

There's also this very recent book too:
https://www.amazon.com/Chinese-Buddhist ... 1138953326
Motova
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Re: Looking for good books for learning classical chinese

Post by Motova »

SilenceMonkey wrote: Sat Jul 28, 2018 7:41 am There are many kinds of classical chinese and you can get easily lost in it all. Confucian philosophy and government documents and Daoist and medical and Buddhist classical chinese are all so different, it's almost like learning completely different languages. Don't get lost!

For Buddhism, use these:

https://religiousstudies.stanford.edu/p ... t-writings
humble.student wrote: Sat Jul 28, 2018 3:52 pm There's also this very recent book too:
https://www.amazon.com/Chinese-Buddhist ... 1138953326
Thank you both very much. :smile:
To become a rain man one must master the ten virtues and sciences.
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