Emperor Wuzong's Edict on the Suppression of Buddhism

SELECTION FROM EMPEROR WUZONG’S EDICTON THE SUPPRESSION OF BUDDHISM : THE EDICT OF THE EIGHTH MONTH

Introduction

Buddhism was a fundamental part of the culture, religiosity, and even the skyline of Tang China. As such, it is not surprising that Tang empero rs should have had ambivalent feelings about Buddhism, both as a religion and, even more so, as an assemblage of institutions and people — temples, monasteries, monks and nuns — which held

substantial wealth in land and other resources but which did not pay taxes. The following edict from Emperor Wuzong (r. 841-846) is indicative of the seriousness with which Tang emperors regarded Buddhism. The fact that

Emperor Wuzong was a fervent Daoist and anxious to seek a Daoist elixir of immortality and thus heavily under the influence of Daoist priests adds another twist to the plot.

Document Excerpts with Questions (Longerselection follows this section)

From Sources of Chinese Tradition, compiled by Wm. Theodore de Bary and Irene Bloom, 2nd ed., vol. 1 (New York: Columbia

Selection from Emperor Wuzong’s Edict on the Suppression of Buddhism:

The [[Edict}} of the Eighth Month]]

[[[Buddhism]]] has spread to the hills and plains of all
the nine provinces and through
the walls and towers of our two capitals. Each
 day finds its monks and followers growing more numerous and its temples more lofty. It wears out the strength
of the people with constructions of earth
and wood, pilfers their wealth
for ornaments of gold and precious objects, causes men


to abandon their lords and parents for the company of teachers, and severs man
and wife with
 its monastic decrees. In
destroying law and injuring mankind, indeed, nothing surpasses this doctrine!

Now if even one man
fails to work the fields, someone must go hungry; if one woman
does not tend her silkworms, someone will
be cold. At present there are an
inestimable number of monks and nuns in
the empire, each
of them waiting for the farmers to feed him and the silkworms to clothe him, while the public temples and private chapels have reached boundless numbers, all with
soaring towers and elegant ornamentation
sufficient to outshine the imperial
palace itself.

Questions:

1. On what grounds does Wuzong criticize Buddhism?

2. Are Wuzong’s criticisms grounded in Confucian philosophy?

Primary Source Document, with Questions (DBQ) on SELECTION FROM EMPEROR WUZONG’S EDICT ON THE SUPPRESSION OF BUDDHISM: THE EDICT OF THE EIGHTH MONTH

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3. Compare Wuzong’s criticism of Buddhism with that of Han Yu in his “Memorial on the Bone of the Buddha.” Are there similarities between the two critiques of Buddhism? Are there differences? What are the philosophical bases of the two critiques?

4. Comparing Wuzong’s critique of Buddhism with that of Han Yu, which do you find more convincing? Why?

5. If you were a Buddhist, what arguments could you use to counter Wuzong’s critique?

The temples of the empire that have been
demolished number more than
4,600; 26,500 monks and nuns have been returned to lay life and enrolled as subject to the Twice‑a‑Year Tax; more than
40,000 privately established temples have been destroyed, releasing 30 or 40 million
qing of fertile, top‑grade land and 150,000 male and female servants who will
 become subject to the

Twice‑a‑Year Tax. Monks and nuns have been
placed under the jurisdiction
of the Director of Aliens to make it perfectly clear that this is a foreign
religion. Finally, We have ordered more than
 2,000 men
 of the Nestorian
 and Mazdean
 religions to return
 to lay life and to cease polluting the customs of China.

Alas, what had not been
 carried out in
 the past seemed to have been waiting for this opportunity. If Buddhism is completely abolished now, who will
 say that the action
 is not timely? Already more than
 100,000 idle and unproductive Buddhist followers have been expelled, and countless of their gaudy, useless buildings destroyed. …

Questions:

6. In the passage above, Wuzong outlines steps taken against Buddhism. Considering these steps, what do you think his main goals are in the attempt to weaken or even eradicate Buddhism?

Longer Selection

From Sources of Chinese Tradition, compiled by Wm. Theodore de Bary and Irene Bloom, 2nd ed., vol. 1 (New York: Columbia

Selection from Emperor Wuzong’s Edict on the Suppression of Buddhism:

The Edict of the Eighth Month

We have heard that up through
the Three Dynasties the Buddha was never spoken
of. It was only from the Han
and Wei
on
that the religion
of idols gradually came to prominence. So in this latter age it has transmitted its strange ways, instilling its infection
with
every opportunity, spreading like a luxuriant vine, until
it has poisoned the customs of our nation; gradually, and before anyone was aware, it beguiled and confounded men’s minds so that the multitude have Primary Source Document, with Questions

(DBQ) on SELECTION FROM EMPEROR WUZONG’S EDICT ON THE SUPPRESSION OF BUDDHISM: THE EDICT OF THE EIGHTH MONTH

Asia for Educators | Columbia University | http://afe.easia.columbia.edu Page 3 of 3 been
increasingly led astray. It has spread to the hills and plains of all the nine provinces and through
 the walls and towers of our two capitals. Each
 day finds its monks and followers growing more numerous and its temples more lofty. It wears out the strength
of the people with
 constructions of earth
 and wood, pilfers their wealth
 for ornaments of gold and precious

objects, causes men
to abandon
their lords and parents for the company of teachers, and severs man
 and wife with
 its monastic decrees. In
 destroying law and injuring mankind, indeed, nothing surpasses this doctrine!

Now if even one man
fails to work the fields, someone must go hungry; if one woman
does not tend her silkworms, someone will
be cold. At present there are an
inestimable number of monks and nuns in
the empire, each
of them waiting for the farmers to feed him and the silkworms to clothe him, while the public temples and private chapels have reached boundless numbers, all with
soaring towers and elegant ornamentation
sufficient to outshine the imperial
palace itself. … Having thoroughly examined all
earlier reports and consulted public opinion
on all
sides, we no longer have the slightest doubt in Our mind that this evil
 should be eradicated. Loyal ministers of the court and provinces have lent their aid to Our high
intentions, submitting most apt proposals that We have found worthy of being put into effect.

Presented with
 an opportunity to suppress this source of age‑old evil
and fulfill
the laws and institutions of the

ancient kings, to aid mankind and bring profit to the multitude, how could We forbear to act? The temples of the empire that have been
demolished number more than
4,600; 26,500 monks and nuns have been returned to lay life and enrolled as subject to the Twice‑a‑Year Tax; more

than
40,000 privately established temples have been destroyed, releasing 30 or 40 million
qing of fertile, top‑grade land and 150,000 male and female servants who will
 become subject to the

Twice‑a‑Year Tax. Monks and nuns have been
placed under the jurisdiction
of the Director of Aliens to make it perfectly clear that this is a foreign
religion. Finally, We have ordered more than
 2,000 men
 of the Nestorian
 and Mazdean
 religions to return
 to lay life and to cease polluting the customs of China.

Alas, what had not been
 carried out in
 the past seemed to have been waiting for this opportunity. If Buddhism is completely abolished now, who will
 say that the action
 is not timely? Already more than
 100,000 idle and unproductive Buddhist followers have been

expelled, and countless of their gaudy, useless buildings destroyed. Henceforth
We may guide the people in
stillness and purity, cherish
the principle of doing nothing, order Our government with
 simplicity and ease, and achieve a unification
 of customs so that the multitudes of all realms will
find their destination
in Our august rule

Source

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