Absolute delusion, perfect Buddhahood : the rise and fall of a Chinese heresy

Published in 2000 by the University of Hawai'i Press, this scholarly work examines the San-chieh-chiao, or Three Levels movement, a controversial Buddhist sect that emerged in sixth-century China. Jamie Hubbard explores the historical and doctrinal landscape of this movement, specifically focusing on its critique of institutionalized Buddhism and its eventual suppression by the imperial state, which viewed its teachings as heretical.

The book is an academic deep dive into the complex intersection of orthodoxy and heterodoxy in East Asian religious history. Hubbard’s design for the work is meticulous, grounded in extensive research of primary Buddhist texts and archeological findings. It is widely respected within the field of Buddhist studies for its nuanced analysis of how religious groups navigate the tension between their unique revelatory claims and the established socio-political order.