Chapter 32 Huichang exterminates Buddha

In feudal society, religion often became the ruler's spiritual weapon to paralyze the people, so it was supported and respected by the ruler.But not all religions in all periods were welcomed by the rulers, and even the most influential Buddhism was repeatedly rejected.In the history of our country, there have been "three martial arts and one sect" Buddhist extermination incidents. "Three Wu" refers to Tuoba Tao, Emperor Taiwu of the Northern Wei Dynasty, Yu Wenyong, Emperor Wu of the Northern Zhou Dynasty, and Li Yan, Emperor Wuzong of Tang Dynasty, and one refers to Zhou Shizong Chai Rong. "Exterminating Buddhism in Huichang" refers to Tang Wuzong's activities of destroying Buddhism during the Huichang period. It was the result of the economic conflict between Buddhism and the feudal state, and the struggle between Buddhism and Taoism for religious status.

Indian Buddhism was introduced to China around the end of the Western Han Dynasty.Its dissemination and development can be roughly divided into three periods: the import period before the Wei and Jin Dynasties; the dissemination period during the Eastern Jin Dynasty and the Southern and Northern Dynasties;After Buddhism was introduced to China at the end of the Western Han Dynasty, after five or six hundred years of preaching, the bleak management of ordained monks and nuns developed into the Tang Dynasty, and its righteousness became one of the three major ideologies of the time. "Or "Confucianism, Buddhism and Taoism" order and said in the world.The formation of this pattern has a lot to do with certain rulers from the Southern and Northern Dynasties to the Sui Dynasty who believed in Buddhist principles, advocated Buddhist activities, ordained a large number of monks and nuns, and built the temple "Lan Ruo".

After hundreds of years in the Jin, Southern and Northern Dynasties, the power of Buddhism expanded wildly. By the early Tang Dynasty, there were more than 100,000 monks and nuns who were not engaged in production.After Tang Taizong, Wu Zetian and several generations of emperors in the Tang Dynasty, they supported the development of Buddhism, which further developed the power of Buddhism.Monasteries in the Tang Dynasty had tax-free privileges, and more and more farmers became monks or took refuge in monasteries as tenants, and the state's tax revenue decreased.As early as the second year of Jingyun (711 A.D.), someone pointed out: "Ten world's wealth, but Buddha has seven or eight." It was even more serious in the era of Su and Dai.In addition to economic strength, the monastery also has political privileges and has established its own legal system.There are "dharma monks" and "monk soldiers", that is to say, a temple is equal to a small Buddhist country.There are countless temples in the world, and there are also countless Buddhist kingdoms.

The political and economic conflicts between the central and local governments of the Tang Dynasty and the monasteries became more and more acute. It was against this historical background that Tang Wuzong exterminated Buddhism.Wu Zong himself believed in Taoism. Before he ascended the throne, he was obsessed with Taoism and practiced the law of longevity.After ascending the throne, he took advantage of his status and privileges, took medicine and made alchemy, and worshiped Taoism, which became very popular.Wu Zong came to the throne in February of the fifth year of Kaicheng (840 A.D.). In September, 81 Taoist priests Zhao Guizhen and others were called into the palace to set up Jince Daochang in the third hall. Taoist believers.After that, he called Liu Xuanjing, a Taoist priest from Hengshan, into the imperial palace, and named him Doctor Yinqing Guanglu, a Bachelor of Chongchong Wenguan, and bestowed the title "Mr. Guangcheng".He also called Deng Yuanqi, a Taoist priest in Luofu (Zengcheng, Boluo, etc., Guangdong) into the palace to practice alchemy and teach the art of longevity.

There was an uproar in the ruling and opposition parties. People of insight put forward many harsh advices on Wu Zong's fatuous actions, and held a public debate in Yanying Hall.Wu Zong defended his Taoism activities by saying: "I have nothing to do in the palace, I don't get involved in sensual entertainment, and I am too lonely. I just want to chat with Taoist Zhao Guizhen to amuse myself." : "I dare not criticize the successes and failures of the previous emperors, only because Zhao Guizhen was forbidden to enter and leave the palace during the Jingzong Dynasty to deceive Sheng Cong, so I don't want your majesty to repeat the same mistakes." Wu Zong also defended Taoist Zhao Guizhen: "As for the Jingzong era, I knew this person right away. At that time, I only knew that his name was Zhao Lianshi, and he had done nothing wrong in the palace. I chatted with him, just to clear up the boredom in my chest, and I would not let him interfere in military affairs. There are 100 Zhao Guizhens in the palace , I will not be bewitched by him."

The dispute between Buddhism and Taoism has a long history.In April of the fifth year of Huichang (845 A.D.), Emperor Wuzong issued an edict to check the number of monasteries and monks and nuns in the world.In May, another order was issued to keep two temples in Chang'an and Luoyang on the left and right streets, with 30 monks in each temple.There is one temple in each county in the world, and the temples are divided into three levels. There are 20 monks in the upper temple, 10 monks in the middle temple, and 5 monks in the lower temple.In August, all temples in the world were ordered to be demolished within a time limit.Destroyed more than 4,600 temples all over the world and privately set up 400 monasteries under the name of "Lan Ruo".The wood from the temple demolition was used to repair government apartments, the gold and silver Buddha statues were handed over to the treasury, the cast iron Buddha statues were melted to make farm tools, bronze statues, bells, chimes and other objects were melted and made into coins.Confiscated tens of millions of hectares of fertile land in temples, 150,000 male and female slaves, more than 260,000 monks and nuns were forced to return to vulgarity, and more than 500,000 ordinary people who were exclusively used as slaves in temples were liberated.This action of abolishing Buddha gave the Tang government a lot of financial, material and land benefits, increased taxpayers, saved the treasury, and benefited the country and the people. It is a feat.Wu Zong's contribution to abolishing the Buddhist kingdom is beyond reproach.

The implementation of Wuzong's edicts varies across the country.In some places, the separatist regimes were very powerful and refused to implement the central edict of the Tang Dynasty. For example, the three towns in Hebei did not abolish Buddha, so monks and nuns from other places fled to the jurisdiction of the three towns in Hebei.Although the edict to abolish Buddha was implemented in some places, it was not strong enough and had little effect.Even so, Wu Zong's extermination of Buddhism can still be regarded as a general outbreak of political and economic conflicts between the temple forces and the Tang Dynasty government, and the blow to Buddhism was extremely serious, so Buddhists call it "Huichang Fa Difficulty".