The Dharma of Dragons and Daemons: Buddhist Themes in Modern Fantasy [Paperback]

David R. Loy (Author), Linda Goodhew (Author), Jane Hirshfield (Foreword), Linda Goodhew (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: February 1, 2000

Sure to appeal to anyone with an interest in fantasy literature, The Dharma of Dragons and Daemons employs a Buddhist perspective to appreciate some of the major works of modern fantasy, and uses modern fantasy fiction to elucidate Buddhist teachings. In the tradition of David Loy's cutting-edge presentation of a Buddhist social theory in The Great Awakening, this pioneering work of Buddhist literary analysis, renown scholar David Loy and Linda Goodhew offer ways of reading modern fantasy-genre fiction that illuminate both the stories themselves, and the universal qualities of Buddhist teachings. Authors examined include J.R.R. Tolkien, Philip Pullman (of The Amber Spyglass trilogy, from whose works the word "daemon" is borrowed in the title), Ursula K. LeGuin, and the anime movie Princess Mononoke.

Editorial Reviews

From Publishers Weekly

A veritable cottage industry now exists to examine Christian themes in popular culture. But what of the Buddhist themes? Loy and his wife, Goodhew, offer a brief but compelling foray into the dharma teachings of modern fantasy in YA literature and film. Tolkien's Lord of the Rings trilogy, for example, may seem to be entirely un-Buddhist (it features a Christian-influenced resurrection and posits a profound dualism between good and evil), but its preference for non-violence, shown in the repeated sparing of Gollum's life, resonates with Buddhist principles. More importantly, Frodo's quest is one of renunciation; the story is fundamentally a lesson of nonattachment. Other chapters address Michael Ende's Momo, which the authors call "a Zen-like critique of our obsession with time"; two films of Japanese anime master Hayao Miyazaki; the Earthsea books of Ursula Le Guin; and Philip Pullman's His Dark Materials trilogy. The authors concede that with the exception of Le Guin, none of the creators of these works ever explicitly refer to Buddhism, but the dharma connections are usually sound and fruitful. For best effect, readers will come to the book with some knowledge of Buddhism and of the works under discussion, which are not laid out in detail.
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Review

"Eloquent...I am delighted to reread beloved passages and revisit imaginary worlds which have animated my own inner life." -- Inquiring Mind

"Wheeler's collection is best-of-breed. Every selection is a gem, thanks to pitch-perfect editing." -- Turning Wheel

Product Details

• Paperback: 155 pages
• Publisher: Wisdom Publications (February 1, 2000)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0861714768
• ISBN-13: 978-0861714766
• Product Dimensions: 8.9 x 6.3 x 0.5 inches
• Shipping Weight: 11.4 ounces (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 4.0 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (3 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #1,190,257 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

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Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

5 of 5 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars You don't have to be a Buddhist or a fantasy reader, October 2, 2005

By 

ireadabookaday - See all my reviews
(VINE VOICE)   

This review is from: The Dharma of Dragons and Daemons: Buddhist Themes in Modern Fantasy (Paperback)

This is an enjoyable ( and rare) look at Buddhist themes in Western literature. I picked it up for the section on the His Dark Materials trilogy, but was drawn into the section on Tolkien, and was introduced to several works I had never heard of. Just as a book does not need to be explicitly Buddhist to illustrate Buddhist concepts, you don't need to be a Buddhist-or a fantasy reader- to enjoy the literary and spiritual insights of this book.

5.0 out of 5 stars Wonderful book!, April 15, 2011

By 

Amelia - See all my reviews

Amazon Verified Purchase

This review is from: The Dharma of Dragons and Daemons: Buddhist Themes in Modern Fantasy (Paperback)

This is a wonderful book about buddhism. Its interesting how they have changed my perspective with it. I love reading and writing though and I think for someone who didn't it may not be the best, but if you are a writer or fantasy fan that is interested in buddhism its great. Then again I love almost anything written by David R. Loy!

4 of 11 people found the following review helpful:

2.0 out of 5 stars Not for scholars, November 26, 2005

By 

D. McConeghy (Santa Barbara, CA) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: The Dharma of Dragons and Daemons: Buddhist Themes in Modern Fantasy (Paperback)

As a graduate student specializing in religion I found this book wanting. If you're looking for a "soft" approach to finding spirituality in popular culture, then this book may be for you. Despite the autho'rs credentials this minimally researched book acts more as a stepping stone to creative thinking about identifying basic Buddhist concepts in fantasy writing than a serious attempt at scholarly inquiry. Often the connections are weak, but I commend Roy for his attempt because the field definitely needs more books that attend to Buddhist themes in popular culture. Instead, I would refer readers to the "Philosophy and XX" series that looks at specific movies/books such as The Matrix, The Lord of the Ring trilogy or The Simpsons.