This is a study of the inscriptions on various types of Buddhist images and stelae made by the common people during the Northern dynasties and Sui and Tang dynasties from the fourth to the ninth century. These inscriptions demonstrate that many common people dedicated their merits of making Buddhist images to emperors, ministers and the state apart from their present parents and parents of past seven generations. Hou Xudong thinks that this is a recognition of the state, the Northern Wei, by the common people. Satō Chisui thinks that it is the emperor worship amongst the common people as instructed by their society’s monastic teachers. But he is still not sure about the reasons why the Buddhist monks and nuns also had the mentality of emperor worship. Ishimatsu Hinako thinks that it is due to Emperor Taiwu’s persecution of Buddhism; Chinese Buddhists were afraid that such tragedy might happen again so that their faith in Buddhism became stronger and they wished that the emperor could protect Buddhism. I argue that it was the Buddhist way to pay their debt of gratitude to the Chinese emperors for their protection of Buddhism because Buddhism had faced many challenges and criticisms from Chinese people since its introduction to China in the Han dynasty and it even underwent severe persecutions. Emperor Tai Wudi of the Northern Wei, for instance, persecuted Buddhism so the monastics had a vivid memory of such events.
목차
I. Introduction II. Reasons for the Dedication of Merits to Emperors III. Dedication of Merits to Emperors Made by the Three Groups 1. Buddhist Societies’ Dedication of Merits to the Emperors 2. Monastics’ Dedication of Merits to the Emperors 3. Official’s Dedication of Merits to the Emperors IV. Concluding Remarks References Abstract
키워드
emperorBuddhist imagesdedication of meritscommon people
저자
Guang Xing [ Associate Professor and Director, Centre of Buddhist Studies The University of Hong Kong ]
금강대학교 불교문화연구소 [Geumgang Center for Buddhist Studies]
설립연도
2003
분야
인문학>불교학
소개
불교학의 제 분야에서 활약하는 우수한 소장학자를 연구교수 및 연구원으로 초빙하여 불교문헌의 연구와 번역, 출판과 학술교류등 사업을 추진한다. 또한 국제적 수준으로 한국불교학계를 발전시키기 위해 본 대학교 불교문화학부와 협동하여 국제학술회의의 개최 및 저명한 외국인학자의 초빙강연 등의 국제적 학문교류를 적극적으로 수행한다. 이를 통해 한국불교학의 수준을 향상시키고 세계적인 불교학의 중심지로서 발전하고자 하는데 있다.