Michael Saso
Encyclopedia
Michael R. Saso is a Professor Emeritus of the Department of Religion at the University of Hawaii
. He is a scholar of the religious practices of Japan
and China
, with a particular emphasis on Taoism
.
He was born in Portland, Oregon
to Andrew Saso and Beatrice Saso, née Hunt. He earned the following degrees: B.A., Literature, St. Clara University, 1952; M.A., Philosophy/Anthropology, Gonzaga University
, 1955; M.A., Chinese Studies, Yale University
, 1964; Ph.D., Classical Chinese/Anthropology, University of London
1971. He joined the University of Hawaii as an associate professor in 1974, later becoming a professor of Chinese religion.
Saso has translated Japanese and Chinese religious texts and related works and has written several books on Asian religion. His knowledge of Taoism and Buddhism
comes from within those communities: he is an initiated Taoist priest of the Zhengyi Sect as well as an ordained Tendai
Buddhist priest.
His first ordination, however, was as a Jesuit
. He left the order in the 1960s, and in 1968 married Nariko Akimoto, with whom he had two daughters. The marriage was later annulled. Saso requested reinstatement to the Catholic priesthood in 1998 and is now connected with the New Life Center in Carmel, California, as a priest in the Diocese of San Jose.
University of Hawaii
The University of Hawaii System, formally the University of Hawaii and popularly known as UH, is a public, co-educational college and university system that confers associate, bachelor, master, and doctoral degrees through three university campuses, seven community college campuses, an employment...
. He is a scholar of the religious practices of Japan
Japan
Japan is an island nation in East Asia. Located in the Pacific Ocean, it lies to the east of the Sea of Japan, China, North Korea, South Korea and Russia, stretching from the Sea of Okhotsk in the north to the East China Sea and Taiwan in the south...
and China
China
Chinese civilization may refer to:* China for more general discussion of the country.* Chinese culture* Greater China, the transnational community of ethnic Chinese.* History of China* Sinosphere, the area historically affected by Chinese culture...
, with a particular emphasis on Taoism
Taoism
Taoism refers to a philosophical or religious tradition in which the basic concept is to establish harmony with the Tao , which is the mechanism of everything that exists...
.
He was born in Portland, Oregon
Portland, Oregon
Portland is a city located in the Pacific Northwest, near the confluence of the Willamette and Columbia rivers in the U.S. state of Oregon. As of the 2010 Census, it had a population of 583,776, making it the 29th most populous city in the United States...
to Andrew Saso and Beatrice Saso, née Hunt. He earned the following degrees: B.A., Literature, St. Clara University, 1952; M.A., Philosophy/Anthropology, Gonzaga University
Gonzaga University
Gonzaga University is a private Roman Catholic university located in Spokane, Washington, United States. Founded in 1887 by the Society of Jesus, it is one of 28 member institutions of the Association of Jesuit Colleges and Universities and is named after the young Jesuit saint, Aloysius Gonzaga...
, 1955; M.A., Chinese Studies, Yale University
Yale University
Yale University is a private, Ivy League university located in New Haven, Connecticut, United States. Founded in 1701 in the Colony of Connecticut, the university is the third-oldest institution of higher education in the United States...
, 1964; Ph.D., Classical Chinese/Anthropology, University of London
University of London
-20th century:Shortly after 6 Burlington Gardens was vacated, the University went through a period of rapid expansion. Bedford College, Royal Holloway and the London School of Economics all joined in 1900, Regent's Park College, which had affiliated in 1841 became an official divinity school of the...
1971. He joined the University of Hawaii as an associate professor in 1974, later becoming a professor of Chinese religion.
Saso has translated Japanese and Chinese religious texts and related works and has written several books on Asian religion. His knowledge of Taoism and Buddhism
Buddhism
Buddhism is a religion and philosophy encompassing a variety of traditions, beliefs and practices, largely based on teachings attributed to Siddhartha Gautama, commonly known as the Buddha . The Buddha lived and taught in the northeastern Indian subcontinent some time between the 6th and 4th...
comes from within those communities: he is an initiated Taoist priest of the Zhengyi Sect as well as an ordained Tendai
Tendai
is a Japanese school of Mahayana Buddhism, a descendant of the Chinese Tiantai or Lotus Sutra school.Chappell frames the relevance of Tendai for a universal Buddhism:- History :...
Buddhist priest.
His first ordination, however, was as a Jesuit
Society of Jesus
The Society of Jesus is a Catholic male religious order that follows the teachings of the Catholic Church. The members are called Jesuits, and are also known colloquially as "God's Army" and as "The Company," these being references to founder Ignatius of Loyola's military background and a...
. He left the order in the 1960s, and in 1968 married Nariko Akimoto, with whom he had two daughters. The marriage was later annulled. Saso requested reinstatement to the Catholic priesthood in 1998 and is now connected with the New Life Center in Carmel, California, as a priest in the Diocese of San Jose.
Publications
- Taiwan Feasts and Customs; a Handbook of the Principal Feasts and Customs of the Lunar Calendar on Taiwan (1966)
- Taoism and the Rite of Cosmic Renewal (1972)
- Zhuang-Lin xu daozang (Supplement to the Taoist Canon of the Zhuangchen and Lin families) (editor) (1975)
- Buddhist and Taoist Studies (Asian Studies at Hawaii, No. 18) (editor) (1977)
- Dôkyô hiketsu shûsei: A Collection of Taiost Esoterica (editor) (1978)
- Teachings of Taoist Master Chuang (1978)
- Blue Dragon, White Tiger: Taoist Rites of Passage (1990)
- Homa Rites and Mandala Meditation in Tendai Buddhism (1991)
- Tantric Art and Meditation: The Tendai Tradition (1991)
- Buddhist Studies in the People's Republic of China, 1990-1991 (trans. & editor) (1992)
- Christian Education in China: 1921-1991 (1992)
- A Taoist Cookbook: with Meditations Taken From the Laozi Daode Jing (1994)
- The Gold Pavilion: Taoist Ways to Peace, Healing, and Long life (1995)
- Velvet Bonds: The Chinese Family (1999)