A Study On Secularization Of The Monk-poets In The Tang Dynasty

Monk-poets produced in the Wei-Jin, flourished in the Tang Dynasty, and gradually formed a large group. The largest difference between monk-poets and ordinary monks was secularization. Previous studies about monk-poets, mainly focused on two perspectives:literature and religion. For the most part of scholars, they discussed the writing styles of the monk poems, the way monk poets expressed their feelings and their position in the history of literature. Some other scholars focused on the development of Buddhist religion and the philosophical significance of the poems. Academic research from a historical perspective on monk-poets was rare, so as the comprehensive academic works. In this paper, I discuss the status of monk-poets in the Tang Dynasty, the secularization of them and their influences on culture.The generation and development of monk-poets were related to the development of Buddhism in the Tang Dynasty, especially the attitude of the emperors in the Tang Dynasty and a series of policies. Their status between the multitude and scholars, could be divided into two aspects:political and economic. Monk-poets could be officials or lords through their dual status and had the privileges on the legal; they did not have taxes and supported be by the state. These were the foundations for them to write a large number of monk poems.Poetry expressed the personality and emotion of the monk-poets, but also the external form of their secularization. The forms of their secularization can be divided into three aspects. First, according to the change of monk-poets, there were two stages of the literati stylization, they wrote poetry or essays upon the emperor’s order in the early stage. Then they acted as individual scholars in the later stage and wrote a variety of polytypes poetry at the same time. They also send poetry to many other poets, hold meetings and set up clubs due to the interests of poetry. Utilitarian hope was reflected in poetry that the monk-poets wanted to be recognized by society, so they participated in many kinds of social activities, broke the Buddhist precepts, such as eat meat and drank wine or participated in recreational activities. There was no difference between them and ordinary people. Some monk-poets just like scholars, visited nobleman and officials, even returned to laity after being introduced or passing the provincial civil service examination.The process of secularization, was keeping pace exactly with the Cultural integration of Chinese Buddhism and Confucianism, in which the monk-poets played an important role. They learned history and literature as well as poetry, then wrote many poetry, trying to bridge the deep chasms between the Confucianism and Buddhism. They did these things because they wanted to get recognized by the government and the majority of scholars. The Zen Buddhism even chose the successor and discussed the Buddhism through poetry. The flourish of monk-poets resulted in the flourish of temple culture, which became an important part of the culture in the Tang Dynasty. They were participants, products and the promotors of the fusion of Buddhism and Confucianism. They had double identities a tremendous impact on the culture of Tang Dynasty.