Forefathers have always discussed the relationship between Emperor Taizong of the Tang Dynasty and Buddhism. There have always been two theories: one is that Emperor Taizong praised Buddhism. For example, Ouyang Xiu once accused him of "being involved in many loves and restoring the pagoda" ("New Book of Tang Dynasty") "Volume 2 "Benji of Taizong"); firstly, Taizong is not known for his belief in Buddhism. Why are the views on the relationship between Emperor Taizong of the Tang Dynasty and Buddhism so different? Because the relevant historical data are often contradictory, everyone has their own opinions. In fact, the contradictions between these historical materials do not lie in the discrepancies in recording the same facts, but objectively reflect the various contradictions in Tang Taizong's attitude towards Buddhism. To sum up, one is that Taizong's policies towards Buddhism were inconsistent throughout his life, and the other is that Taizong's beliefs and policies towards Buddhism were sometimes contradictory. Therefore, only a comprehensive and in-depth analysis of the causes of these contradictions can we draw more precise conclusions.

The Tang Dynasty pursued the policy of coexistence of Confucianism, Buddhism and Taoism, and Tang Taizong was the founder of this policy. However, the coexistence of the three religions does not mean equal emphasis on the three religions. Under different historical conditions, Emperor Taizong of the Tang Dynasty and his descendants sometimes favored Confucianism, Buddhism, and Taoism. During the reign of Emperor Taizong of the Tang Dynasty, he sometimes said that "the only thing he likes is the way of Yao and Shun, and the teaching of Zhou and Confucius" (Volume 6 of "Zhenguan Zhengyao"); sometimes he announced that "Taoism comes first, then Buddhism"; but more often, he There seems to be more enthusiasm for Buddhism.

During the wars at the end of the Sui Dynasty, the development of Buddhism was hindered to a certain extent. "The temples were annihilated and could not be seen." . After the founding of the Li Tang Dynasty, due to the economic conditions at that time, certain restrictions were placed on the development of Buddhism. For example, in the ninth year of Wude, Emperor Gaozu of the Tang Dynasty accepted Fu Yi's opinions and promulgated the "Sha Tai Monk Taoist Edict". However, after Taizong succeeded to the throne, he immediately announced the abolition of this edict. He began to "conservate monks, establish temples, and promote widespread affairs", and he devoted a lot of effort to the revitalization of Buddhism. In the third year of Zhenguan, Emperor Taizong issued an edict to educate monks and nuns all over the country. There were 3,000 monks and nuns in every state where there were temples. In the same year, in order to repay his mother's kindness, he gave up his old residence, Tongyi Palace, and turned it into a nunnery. Later, many Buddhist temples were built one after another. From the first to tenth year of Zhenguan, there were more than ten Buddhist temples built by Emperor Taizong himself, including Puguang, Cide, and Hongfu. In the third year of Zhenguan, he also ordered the restoration of the Sui Dynasty's translation field at Daxingshan Temple, and ordered the Indian monk Popo to preside over the translation of scriptures; the Chinese ascetics Huicheng, Huizhen, Huijing, Falin and other nineteen people to assist in translation; and ordered minister Fang Xuanling , Du Zhenglun, Xiao Jing and other guardianships were determined. In the sixth year of Zhenguan, he translated three Buddhist scriptures, including "Baoxing Sutra", "Prajna Lamp" and "Dazhuang Lun", into thirty-five volumes. Taizong ordered ten parts to be written and ordered minister Li Baiyao to prepare a preface. In addition, Taizong also promoted Buddhist services inside and outside the palace: either to save his ancestors, he summoned monks and nuns to hold fasts and pray for blessings; or due to wind and rain, he ordered monks and nuns to recite sutras and practice Taoism. And every time the Buddhist service is completed, a large amount of alms must be given. "The Biography of Xuan Wan" in Volume 22 of "Extended Biography of Eminent Monks" records: In the early years of Zhenguan, he successively ordained the six palaces of the Queen, "granting Dharma and wealth, and completing the commission every day".

Taizong of the Tang Dynasty respected Buddhism and treated some upper-level monks with courtesy. For example, in the sixth year of Zhenguan (632), Taizong ordered Du Shun, the founder of the Huayan Sect, to enter the palace. , so that everyone in the palace respected Du Shun like a Buddha. In the ninth year of Zhenguan (635), Zhishou, a Buddhist master of legal studies, died. Taizong ordered a funeral to be held for him. The court provided funeral utensils and ordered ministers such as Fang Xuanling and Du Zhenglun to pay homage in person. Overview During the first ten years of Zhenguan, Emperor Taizong's policy towards Buddhism was to actively support Buddhism. Some scholars believe that Taizong "had many ulterior motives for the merits he cultivated." This statement is certainly not unreasonable, but if Taizong had no faith in Buddhism, he probably would not have such intentions. Since the arrival of Buddhism from the East, not every emperor has used Buddhist forms to "worry about the failure of the grain harvest", "show the love of children", or "embellish the holy dynasty". It should be said that Tang Taizong's policy towards Buddhism during this period was consistent with his beliefs.

Taizong’s boyhood was a period when Buddhism was popular all over the country. At that time, Emperor Wen of the Sui Dynasty and Emperor Yang of the Sui Dynasty, their father and son, believed deeply in Buddhism. "People all over the world followed the trend and admired each other. There were hundreds of times more Buddhist scriptures among the people than the Six Classics." (Book of the Sui Dynasty, Volume 35, "Jingji Zhi" 》) The influence of Buddhism has penetrated into all levels of society and all aspects of social life. At that time, worshiping Buddhism had become a common trend inside and outside the imperial court. Of course, the Li family, a large aristocratic family, is no exception. In the second year of Daye (606), nine-year-old Li Shimin suffered from eye disease. His father Li Yuan personally went to Chang'an Caotang Temple to worship Buddha for blessing. After Li Shimin recovered from his illness, Li Yuan built a stone Buddha and sent it to the temple for worship. These had to leave a mark on Li Shimin's young mind. Later, he never forgot this experience as a child, and he personally wrote a poem to praise Kumarajiva, the founder of Caotang Temple, to express his respect and remembrance of the eminent monks of the previous generation. Li Shimin received support from Buddhism when he participated in his father's establishment of the Tang Dynasty. In the fourth year of Wude (621), in the key battle of besieging Wang Shichong who was defending Luoyang, monks Zhicao, Huiyang, Tanzong and others from Songshan Shaolin Temple took the initiative to help break the city and captured Wang Shichong's nephew Renze. This special relationship made him have some special feelings towards Buddhism. Therefore, before he ascended the throne, he had close contacts with Buddhist monks. According to the third volume of "The Biography of the Eminent Monk", the "Biography of Huizhen", during the Wude period, Huizhen argued with Master Jizang of Sanlunzong, and Li Shimin "visited Lunfu personally. We are deeply attached to each other and plan to become mentors and friends." In addition, his interactions with Huixiu, Huicheng, Mingzhan, Zhishi, Fashun and others are also found in "Biography of the Monk".

The influence of society and family as well as personal experience gave Tang Taizong his belief in Buddhism. He has expressed this belief many times.

In the "Hongfu Temple Shizhai Vow", he claimed to be "a disciple of the Emperor's Bodhisattva" and vowed to "only take refuge in the Three Jewels with sincerity". He expressed that his ultimate belief in his life is "May the mind realize inaction, and the gods will move to wonderful joy. Riding a cyanotic horse to enter the fragrant city, climbing the golden steps to the treasure palace. Playing and having fun, enjoying the pure land. Eternal shadow of Dharma cloud, tasting nectar. Disease syndrome Bodhi, attain enlightenment early." In the "Zhongming of Daxingshan Temple", he also claims to be the incarnation of the "Golden Wheel Heavenly King". Now he is born in the emperor's house to save all living beings and bring "the happiness of cloud harmony, ** * The Dharma drums are pronounced together; the sound of the elegant chant is far away from the sound of the Sanskrit. "When the sound of the sound is heard, the hammers and hammers vibrate. The supportive policies enabled Buddhism to recover and develop rapidly in the early Tang Dynasty. Buddhist temples that were burned down by the war were restored, monks and nuns who were dispersed during the war returned to the temples, large-scale scripture translation was revived, and various Buddhist sects were founded one after another. During the Zhenguan period, the number of temples in the country reached 3,716. "There are over one hundred thousand monks and nuns in the world." Although this was not as many as the number of monks and nuns in the Sui Dynasty, the national population at that time was "only one-tenth of that of the Sui Dynasty," which was already a considerable number. In short, Buddhism has been greatly restored and developed during the Zhenguan period.

When some historians talk about Tang Taizong's different attitudes towards Buddhism and Taoism, they seem to think that Taoism was always first and then Buddhism with little analysis. In fact, until the eleventh year of Zhenguan (637), Li Shimin had never been partial to Taoism. He once made it clear: "Since the founding of the country, where else have Taoist temples been built? All merits and virtues will be returned to the temple family. At the beginning of the domestic battlefield, All of them have devoted their lives to the Buddha. Today, I have set up a Buddhist temple, so I devote myself to it." (See Volume C of "Collection of Ancient and Modern Buddhism and Taoism") This is because Taizong of the early Tang Dynasty did not attach great importance to Taoism. clear evidence.

In the eleventh year of Zhenguan, Emperor Taizong of the Tang Dynasty promulgated the "Edict on Taoist priests and women to be crowned monks and nuns", and his policy towards Buddhism and Taoism changed. This "emperor's Bodhisattva ordained disciple" suddenly went out of his way and announced that "from now on, in fasting, practicing Dharma, and in terms of titles, Taoist women's crowns can precede monks and nuns." After the edict, a great uproar was caused in the society. The ascetics Zhishi, Falin, Fachang, Huijing and others wrote to Fuque, asking Taizong to withdraw his orders. Taizong ordered Zhongshu Shilang Cen Wenwen to declare strict commandments, and the monks had no choice but to swallow their anger. Only Zhishi still fought for the status of Buddhism to Taizong, but was punished with a cane and released. In the 14th year of Zhenguan, the Taoist priest Qin Shiying accused Fa Lin of writing a treatise that slandered the royal family. Taizong sent Liu Decheng, the Minister of Punishment, and others to interrogate Fa Lin in prison. Falin was sentenced to exile in Yizhou and died of illness in exile.

Although the occurrence of the Buddhist and Taoist Edicts and the Falin Incident showed that Tang Taizong's policy towards Buddhism had changed, it cannot be concluded that his belief in Buddhism had also changed. In the "Edict on Taoist Priests, Women Crowning Monks and Nuns", Emperor Taizong of the Tang Dynasty only emphasized the differences between Yi and Xia, kinship and distance between Buddhism and Taoism, as well as the initial determination of the world. In politics, he needed to adopt Laozi's idea of ??governing by inaction in order to achieve " Governing the country through economic development, turning against simplicity and returning to purity.” As for faith, he clearly pointed out that although Buddhism and Taoism have "different paths of advancement", they are "the same trend of promoting benefit", and there is no derogatory criticism of Buddhism. While Zhishi was being scolded by the rod, Taizong also summoned the monks Fagong and Faxuan to wait in Luoyang, pay a deep favor, attend the banquet, and specially ordered them to be retained and sent to the capital. At the same time that Fa Lin was imprisoned, in order to safeguard the dignity of the Buddha, Taizong also ordered craftsmen not to make pre-made Buddha statues for sale, and ordered the ready-made statues to be distributed to temples and paid according to the crowd.

Since Emperor Taizong of the Tang Dynasty did not change his belief in Buddhism, why did his policy towards Buddhism change significantly? This is because Tang Taizong, as a far-sighted feudal politician, would rather suppress his beliefs and obey political needs when his religious beliefs conflicted with political needs. When the peasant uprisings in various places were suppressed one after another and the ruling order was basically stable, the tasks faced by Emperor Taizong of the Tang Dynasty were firstly to combat the dissident forces within the ruling class, and secondly to restore and develop the feudal economy. Only in this way could the rule of the Tang Dynasty be established. To consolidate. At the beginning of the Tang Dynasty, the ruling class temporarily maintained cooperation in order to suppress the peasant uprising. But when class contradictions are alleviated due to the disparity in strength between them, the contradictions within the ruling class become relatively prominent. At that time, the power of the Shandong gentry landlords was quite strong, and they did not take the new rulers headed by the Li family seriously. During the Zhenguan period, courtiers of the third rank and above wanted to marry someone with a Shandong surname, "even if they lost a lot of money and silk, they were still admired." In the fifth year of Zhenguan, Taizong ordered Gao Shilian and others to compile the "Chronicles of the Gentlemen". Cui Qianyou, a Shandong nobleman with "no title", was listed as the first class, ranking above the noble ministers and nobles of the Tang Dynasty. Of course, these phenomena were intolerable to Emperor Taizong of the Tang Dynasty. On the one hand, he attacked the Shandong gentry forces politically, and on the other hand, he promoted Li Laojun. On May 14, the 14th year of Zhenguan, Emperor Taizong visited Hongfu Temple in person, summoned the upper-level monks, and explained to them the unexplained truth in the edict of "First Taoism, then Buddha": "Laojun Biyi is my ancestor. I respect my ancestors. Respecting relatives is the foundation of life, so the order is in front. The Taoist priest is the only one who has learned from the ancestors, so he should be in front. Today, the Li family controls the country, and Mr. Li is in front. If the Shi family is in charge, then the Shi family will be at the top. ". (Volume C of "Collection of Ancient and Modern Buddhism and Taoism") The key to this confession is "the Li family controls the country." It shows that respecting the "old monarch" is to promote the new monarch, and "first the Tao and then the Buddha" actually means to put the monarch first and then the Buddha. Fa Lin didn't know the secret, and she took the trouble to prove that Li Tang was not a descendant of "Laojun". No wonder she made Tang Taizong furious. Emperor Taizong of the Tang Dynasty needed to pursue his ancestors and call himself after Li Laojun in order to improve the status of the Li family.

By respecting Taoism and integrating monarchical and divine power, he offset the social influence of the Shandong gentry and consolidated the dominance of the Li and Tang dynasties. This was an important reason why he announced the policy of Taoism first and Buddhism later. On the other hand, it was also due to the excessive expansion of the temple economy, which affected the recovery and development of the social economy and conflicted with the fundamental interests of the feudal country. In the temple economy, the proportion of Buddhist temples far exceeds that of Taoist temples, so the contradiction between Buddhist economic power and national interests is even more prominent.

In the early years of Zhenguan, the social economy was still in decline and dilapidated, "the countryside was deserted and famine was rampant." However, the Buddhist temple economy has developed rapidly. For example, the Songshan Shaolin Temple owns thirty hectares of land granted by Emperor Taizong, and the water can crush one body. The Qingchan Temple in the capital has "waters and land, farmland, barns and mills, and warehouses are full... has Yin, the capital, ever visited this temple?" (Volume 29 of the "Extended Biography of Eminent Monks" "Huizhou Biography"). Across the country, "garlands are widely installed, and the magnificence is extraordinary; the laboring craftsmen sit alone on the mud beard"; "the female workers Luo Qi, cut and make obscene flags; skilled craftsmen gold and silver, loosely carving relics tombs. Rice noodles rice, there is a gathering of monks and nuns across the street; scented oil candles illuminate the hall of Hu Shen in vain." (Fu Yi's "Buddha and Monk List of Shangfei Province" in Volume 11 of "Guanghong Mingji"). As Fu Yi has repeatedly said: The development of the Buddhist monastery economy has caused serious harm to "cutting off national reserves" (ibid.). As a great feudal politician, Taizong of the Tang Dynasty had a much deeper understanding of social reality than ordinary members of the ruling class at that time. He always paid attention to the development of various forces and their relationships. He understood very well that only when the development of various forces in society maintained a relatively balanced relationship, would it be beneficial to the rule of the Tang Dynasty. If one party is particularly prominent, it will break the relative balance between them and inevitably cause a series of contradictions, which is extremely detrimental to his rule. He wants to control the development of various forces and constantly adjust the relationships between various forces to ensure his rule. Therefore, he had to take into account the social problems caused by the excessive development of Buddhism, and had to make certain adjustments to previous policies.

Although the Buddhist problem had emerged at that time, it had not developed to the point where extreme measures were required. From the perspective of society as a whole, it was not a major problem. At the same time, in a society where Buddhism is widely believed, problems are complex and involve a wide range of issues. Improper handling will not only affect the solution of the main problems at that time, but also cause new conflicts. What's more, Taizong still believed in Buddhism deep in his thoughts. Therefore, it was not necessary and impossible for him to destroy Buddhism and destroy the Dharma like Emperor Taiwu of the Northern Wei Dynasty, Emperor Wu of the Northern Zhou Dynasty, and later Wuzong of the Tang Dynasty, but adopted the policy of "Taoism first, Buddhism later". As mentioned before, the essence of the so-called "Taoism first, Buddha second" is to put the emperor first and then the Buddha. Li Shimin did not compete with the monks as a Taoist priest, but as the supreme ruler of the Tang Dynasty to deal with Buddhist issues. What was his purpose? Conducive to the rule of the Tang Dynasty. He declared that "Taoism first, Buddhism later" and suppressed the trend of Buddhism slightly was to prevent the development of Buddhism from exceeding a certain limit, but it was not to abandon the Buddhism he believed in.

Although Emperor Taizong of the Tang Dynasty did not explicitly cancel the edict of "First Taoism, then Buddhism" in his later years, he actually resumed the policy of promoting Buddhism. This can be clearly seen from his relationship with Xuanzang.

On the seventh day of the first month of the nineteenth year of Zhenguan (645), Xuanzang returned from India to seek Dharma and arrived in Chang'an. Emperor Taizong of the Tang Dynasty was in Luoyang, preparing to send troops to conquer Liao. He ordered Fang Xuanling, who was left behind in Xijing, to send officials to welcome Xuanzang and place him in Hongfu Temple. In February, on the eve of the expedition, Taizong summoned Xuanzang into the palace to "talk about the true customs... from Mao to You (from 5 a.m. to 7 p.m.), without noticing the delay, until the drum was closed" ("Continued Biography of Eminent Monks") Volume 4 "The Biography of Xuanzang"). When Xuanzang met with him, he asked for the promotion of virtuous people and the organization of an interpreter. Taizong agreed to his request and ordered a minister to provide the necessary gifts according to Xuanzang's regulations. He also invited twelve eminent monks from all over the country, such as Daoxuan, Shentai, Bianji, and Xuanying, to prove the meaning; he also recruited dozens of people including Zhu Wen, calligraphy, Zhengfan scholars, penshou, and calligraphers to assist in the translation. Minister Yu Zhi Ning, Xu Jingzong, Du Zhenglun and others also participated in the translation. A large-scale national translation center was established in Hongfu Temple where Xuanzang lived. Even as some scholars have said, Taizong's respect for Xuanzang at this time was "actually out of love for talents" rather than out of belief in Buddhism. So after the failure of the Liao campaign, it may be difficult to explain Taizong's series of actions toward Buddhism in this way.

In the 20th year of Zhenguan, Xuanzang presented the five volumes of Buddhist scriptures and "Records of the Western Regions" he had translated to the public. Taizong personally responded and received many awards and honors. In the 22nd year of Zhenguan, Emperor Taizong read Xuanzang's newly translated "Yogini on the Earth" and said to his courtiers: "When I look at the Buddhist scriptures, it is like looking at the sky and overlooking the sea. I can't fathom the depth. The master can obtain such profound Dharma in a foreign land. I Compared with the Yi army and the state affairs in Yin, it is not as good as the Buddhist scriptures. Looking at it now, the origin of the ancestors is far away, and the nine schools of Confucianism and Taoism are comparable to the three schools of Buddhism in Tingying. , this is nonsense." (Volume 6 of "The Biography of Master Sanzang of Daci'en Temple") Then he ordered the secretary to compile nine parts and distribute them to Yong, Luo, Bing, Xiang, Jing, Yan, Yang, Liang, and Yijiuzhou for "exhibition and transfer. Circulation makes the people who lead the land share the unheard meaning” (ibid.). He also personally wrote the "Preface to the Holy Teachings of the Tripitaka of the Tang Dynasty", praising Buddhism as "a small word spread widely, saving people in three ways: teachings and teachings, guiding people to be born in ten places" (ibid.). Later, Taizong became more and more supportive of Buddhism. At Xuanzang's request, he ordered five people to be saved each in the capital and the prefecture temples in Tianxia, ??and fifty people from Hongfu Temple. This time alone, more than 18,500 monks and nuns were saved. In the same year, a new Ci'en Temple was built for Empress Changsun. Three hundred monks were educated there, and fifty eminent monks were invited to stay. Don't build a translation institute, ask Xuanzang to move in and be a translator, and take up the post of senior scholar.

On the day Xuanzang moved, Emperor Taizong, the crown prince, and concubines came to Anfumen Tower to see him off personally holding incense burners. The ceremony was very solemn. Tens of thousands of people watched the ceremony. Until his death, Emperor Taizong of the Tang Dynasty continued to discuss Buddhism with Xuanzang, asking about karma and the relics of the sages of the Western Regions. I deeply regret that we met so late that we cannot promote Buddhism.

After the failure of the Liao expedition, Emperor Taizong’s belief in Buddhism deepened. In fact, it was not only due to Xuanzang’s influence, but also due to the implementation of the recuperation policy, which promoted the rapid recovery and development of social production. The feudal economy began to prosper in the late Zhenguan period, and the economic conflicts between the state and the temples have temporarily eased. This relieved him of his concerns and allowed the development of Buddhism. At the same time, after the country gradually stabilized, Tang Taizong began to pay attention to the management of the Western Regions. Most of the countries in the Western Regions believe in Buddhism, and Xuanzang was warmly received by these countries during his journey to the west. When Xuanzang heard about the prosperity of Buddhism in the Tang Dynasty, all the countries in the Western Regions admired him and sent envoys to the dynasty one after another. In particular, King Harsha, who unified Northern India at that time, sent envoys several times. In the fifteenth year of Zhenguan, he ordered Li Yibiao and Wang Xuance to apply for employment. This situation naturally made Emperor Taizong of the Tang Dynasty pay special attention to Buddhism.

After analyzing the changes in Tang Taizong’s policies towards Buddhism and their reasons, it is not difficult to see that the so-called “three religions are used together”, and its premise and basic tendency is to praise Buddhism. Only when there was a conflict between political needs and ideological beliefs did Emperor Taizong's policies toward Buddhism slightly deviate from his beliefs. This can only show the brilliance of Tang Taizong as a feudal politician, but it must not be concluded that he does not believe in Buddhism.