Integrated Buddhism (A Study of the Buddhist Thought of Guifeng Zongmi)

Author: Dong Qun
Publisher:
Publish Date: 2000-06-01
Features: The fundamental characteristics of religious and Buddhist philosophical thought. Zong Mi's thought is very rich; he was proficient in both internal and external studies. Internal studies involved Chinese and Indian Buddhism. Chinese Buddhism covered the entire Buddhist history from the Han Dynasty to the mid-Tang Dynasty, especially Zen, Teaching, and Vinaya, all the Zen sects within Zen, and all the schools within Teaching, about which he had a deep understanding. How to grasp the core of his thought? Integration is a very prominent feature. Starting from integration, one can grasp the essence of Zong Mi's thought. Therefore, the writing method of this book is to integrate Zong Mi's thought throughout. Zong Mi proposed the theory of integration with profound considerations, wanting to change the state of Buddhist development in the mid-Tang Dynasty and provide a solution for the future development of Chinese Buddhism. The state of Buddhism at that time was: Zen and Teaching were in conflict, and various sects within Zen were divided. Zong Mi attempted to integrate the sects within Zen and the integration between Zen and Teaching, hoping to lead Buddhism on the path of integration. He also hoped to take Buddhism as the main body and integrate Confucianism and Taoism, aiming to provide a solution to the series of social problems faced by mid-Tang society through this unity of the Three Teachings.