China:The Glorious Tang And Song Dynasties - Asian Art Museum ...

Perhaps because Confucian dogma did not approve of female rulers, or even because she had
once lived in a Buddhist convent, Wu Zetian turned to Buddhism to legitimize her rule. Her followers
claimed that Wu Zetian was the incarnation of Maitreya Buddha, the Buddha of the glorious
future age. She promoted gifted Buddhist scholars and patronized the construction of splendid
Buddhist temples and sculptures. Testimonies to her patronage are the rock-cut cave and sculptural
constructions at Longmen, famous for its colossal Buddhist carvings. The caves are located near
Luoyang, the eastern capital of Tang. At this extensive site, more than 2000 caves and 100,000
sculptures have survived. The history of construction at this site began in the last decade of the fifth
century. However, the majority of the cave excavations and sculptures were created during Tang
dynasty, and among the Tang caves, most were crafted during the reign of Wu Zetian under her
sponsorship. In fact, the largest and most celebrated colossal rock-cut sculpture was financed by Wu
Zetian. From her own personal budget, she contributed about 20,000 guan, and she participated in
the consecration ceremony when the statue was complete. Many scholars suspect the image of this
Buddha was modeled on the image of Wu Zetian. (See slide no. 14c in the art section)
Under the patronage of emperors like Wu Zetian, Buddhism flourished in China. However,
Buddhism’s relationship with the native culture was not always harmonious. Basic Buddhist teachings
advocating abandoning family and retreating into monasteries directly conflicted with
Confucian dogma, which put emphasis on family duties and harmony among kinships. Buddhism
was also in a competing position with a native religion, Daoism, for followers and patronage. In
addition, Buddhists could not always count on the favor of the emperors. For example, emperor
Wuzong of the Tang (840–846) banned Buddhism as a corrupting foreign influence, confiscated the
wealth accumulated by monasteries and shrines, and engineered widespread destruction of Buddhist
temples and sites particularly in southern China.
The tensions between Buddhism and native culture made Buddhists realize that in order to
flourish in China, they needed to adapt to the indigenous cultural context. Gradually, Chinese
Buddhists reconciled Indian teachings with native values and socio-political ideas such as filial piety,
ancestor worship, and social discipline. The most distinctive development in this Chinese adaptation
of Buddhism was the rise of Chan Buddhism (known as Zen Buddhism in Japan). Chan
Buddhism, whose name is derived from the Sanskrit word dhyana meaning meditation, emphasized
the practice of meditation and value of monastic discipline over the study of sutras and ritual.
Eventually its practice spread into Korea, Japan, and Vietnam.
According to tradition, an Indian monk named Bodhidharma came to China during the fifth
century and established Chan Buddhism in the Shaolin monastery, an institution that is world
famous today for its martial arts. However, the most important figure for the history of Chan
Buddhism in China was the sixth patriarch, Huineng (638–713) who lived during the Tang.
According to the standard Chan account, Huineng grew up in Guangdong and traveled to Hubei to
pursue religious enlightenment with the fifth patriarch of Chan school, Hongren. Huineng worked
as a humble rice pounder in the monastery. However, when Hongren was looking for his religious
successor, he was greatly impressed by the following stanza Huineng composed:
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