Tang and Song Eight Masters and Buddhism

Author: Liu Jinzhu
Publisher:
Publishing Date: 2004-12-01
Features: By the Tang and Song dynasties, Buddhism had largely integrated with the local culture. Although the Eight Great Masters primarily promoted Confucianism, they did not entirely reject Buddhism. Their surviving poetry and prose left many traces, indicating that Buddhism still had a significant influence on them. Through a classification and analysis of the literary works of the Eight Great Masters by genre, and by categorizing and observing the Buddhist-related texts, this book identifies commonalities and groups the distinctive aspects by individual authors. For example, Han Yu's poetic style influenced by Buddhist gathas, Liu Zongyuan's animal fables inspired by Buddhist tales, Ouyang Xiu's monographs and epitaphs, Zeng Gong's temple prayers and temple architecture descriptions, Wang Anshi and Su Zhe's Buddhist-themed poetry, and Su Shi's occasional use of Buddhist terminology.
This book also discusses the relationship between copying Buddhist scriptures, standardizing characters, and practicing calligraphy; the interactions between the Eight Great Masters and their monastic friends, as well as the Buddhist-inspired stories of conversion; the "Three Perfections Culture" formed by "temple wall poetry," "temple wall paintings," and "temple wall inscriptions" during temple visits, and its influence on creative inspiration.
Additionally, the Buddhist concept of reincarnation attracted two different forms of attention among the scholars of the Tang and Song dynasties: Tang people often spoke of the afterlife, while Song people preferred to discuss past lives. The Tang people's focus on the afterlife reflected a lack of confidence in the present life, whereas the Song people's attention to past lives suggested a more positive attitude toward life and a more progressive value orientation.