On the Role of Religion in Tang Tales: An Introduction to Zhang Du’s Xuanshi zhi (original) (raw)

Late Tang China and the World, 750–907 CE

Cambridge Elements in the Global Middle Ages, 2023

In recent decades, the Tang dynasty (618-907) has acquired a reputation as the most 'cosmopolitan' period in Chinese history. The standard narrative also claims that this cosmopolitan openness faded after the An Lushan Rebellion of 755-763, to be replaced by xenophobic hostility toward all things foreign. This Element reassesses the cosmopolitanism-to-xenophobia narrative and presents a more empirically-grounded and nuanced interpretation of the Tang empire's foreign relations after 755. (Only front matter is attached. To read or download the full text, go to https://www.cambridge.org/core/elements/late-tang-china-and-the-world-750907-ce/EFDCEB654B6F89500D2C72C0FBF6DA1F)

Early Tang China and the World, 618–750 CE

Cambridge Elements in the Global Middle Ages, 2023

For about half a century, the Tang dynasty has held a reputation as the most 'cosmopolitan' period in Chinese history, marked by unsurpassed openness to foreign peoples and cultures and active promotion of international trade. Heavily influenced by Western liberal ideals and contemporary China's own self-fashioning efforts, this glamorous image of the Tang calls for some critical reexamination. This Element presents a broad and revisionist analysis of early Tang China's relations with the rest of the Eurasian world and argues that idealizing the Tang as exceptionally “cosmopolitan” limits our ability to think both critically and globally about its actions and policies as an empire. (Only front matter is attached. To read or download the full text, go to https://www.cambridge.org/core/elements/abs/early-tang-china-and-the-world-618750-ce/DEBE89CA29C0A144821535509E3E4BF6)

Three Teachings in Xixia and Tangut Identity

The Tangut case is exemplary from the perspective of the role which both inter-religious and intra-religious intercourses played in the formation of a civilization. Tangut ideological system can be represented as three-partite system, which included Sinitic, Tibetan and the indigenous Tangut elements. These elements were about to develop into a unique amalgamation which we determine as the " Tangut ideology " , or the " Tangut tradition ". All foreign elements of this complex system are traceable to their respective source traditions; however, it was the combination of these otherwise obvious features which determined the uniqueness of Xixia ideological outlook. The process of the Tangut tradition building can be viewed diachronically: one is confident that the balance of its constituents fluctuated in specific periods, but in which manner we are not exactly sure; the diachronic vector can only be reconstructed from the currently available texts, which form a synchronic snapshot of the Tangut civilization at its height in the mid-12 th century. Partially, the uncertainty of the research results is explainable by the fact that other traditions which emerged simultaneously with the Tangut, i.e. these of Kitan and Jurchen, have survived to a much lesser degree than the Tangut one; thus, although we can suggest that the three traditions probably evolved along similar lines, there is too little ground for historical comparison. The balance of this paper is that none of the three teachings existed in Xixia independently, but formed an integrated whole, provisionally identified as the Tangut ideology.

Mad but not Chan: Tu Long (1543-1605) and the Tiantai School of Buddhism_Vol.5 No.2 2019

This article focuses on the relationship between the controversial late-Ming playwright Tu Long and the contemporaneous Tiantai school of Buddhism represented by Youxi Chuandeng. It aims to contribute on the one hand to studies of Tu Long, which have paid little attention to Tu's connection with Tiantai, and on the other hand to studies of Chuandeng and the late Ming Tiantai revival, which have not yet explored the nexus between Chuandeng's philosophical teachings and his social network. I argue that it is most likely through Tiantai Buddhism, rather than "mad Chan" or Yangming philosophy, that Tu justified his antinomian deeds. This case study of Tu Long indicates that the success of the Tiantai school in the late Ming may be attributed to its fulfillment of the literati appetite for reading and writing, as well as to its tolerance of their unconventional lifestyle and syncretic spirituality. Unveiling some disagreements between Tu and Yunqi Zhuhong, whom many regard as Tu's guru, this paper highlights the agency of a lay Buddhist amid the tensions between rival schools and teachers.

Tangut Identity and the Three Teachings in the Tangut State

This example of the Three Teachings in a Tangut text is exemplary as a case of both inter-and intra-religious discourse played out within the context of the formation of a state and a civilization. Tangut identity can be understood as a tripartitie system, which includes Sinitic, Tibetan and indigenous Tangut elements. These elements were about to develop into a unique amalgamation which we now call " Tangut ideology " , or the " Tangut tradition " , when the Tangut empire fell. All foreign elements within this complex system are traceable to respective sources within these three traditions; it is the combination of these three cultural systems that determine the uniqueness of a separate and distinct Xixia ideological outlook. The process of constructing this Tangut tradition can be viewed diachronically. Although we can be confident that balancing these three cultural traditions fluctuated during specific periods, we cannot be certain about how this balancing took place. We can only use extant texts to produce a synchronous snapshot of Tangut civilization at its height in the mid-12 th century. Comparisons with simultaneous civilizations like the Khitan and Jurchen, where less evidence has survived than for the Tanguts, may address certain lacunae in this research. Uncertainties in this research can be addressed through other traditions that emerged simultaneously to suggest that the Three Traditions probably evolved along similar lines. The research in this paper demonstrates that none of the Three Teachings existed independently in Xixia, but formed an integrated whole, which I provisionally identify as the Tangut ideology.