The Influence Of Buddhism On Women’s Marriage And Family Life In The Late Tang,Five Dynasties And Song Dynasty

The Late Tang,Five Dynasties,and Song dynasties were a turning point in social development,and Buddhism completed the process of its Chinesization during this period,exerting a tremendous influence on society,with women’s marriage and family life being one of the most profoundly influential areas of Buddhism.Marriage was a prerequisite for the family,and under the social division of labor between male domination and female domination,marriage and family life were the main places of social practice for women.With the development and spread of Buddhism,the content of Buddhist thought has become an important guideline for women to conduct themselves in the world,and its influence on women’s marriage and family life runs through women’s life from the time they enter marriage to the time they die in old age,including the concept of marriage before marriage,family life after marriage,the change of mind after losing marriage,and the funeral treatment after death.This paper focuses on the Buddhist influence on women’s marriage and family life.The first part of the paper focuses on the influence of Buddhism on women’s concept of marriage,including women’s single-mindedness to Buddhism and their reluctance to marry,as well as the relationship between the doctrine of marriage destiny and women’s marriages.The second part examines the influence of Buddhism on women’s marriage and family life in the late Tang,Five Dynasties,and Song dynasties,and discusses two aspects,namely,women’s matrimonial duties in intact marital families and women who lost their marriages in incomplete marital families,and summarizes the content of women’s matrimonial duties,children’s education,and their psychological and homecoming status after losing their marriages.The third part briefly discusses the influence of Buddhism on women’s burial after old age and death,including women’s views on life and death,burial styles and sacrificial systems.The fourth part analyzes the reasons for the influence of Buddhism on women’s marriage and family in terms of the intermingling of Buddhism and Chinese culture and women’s self-needs.The fifth part analyzes the functions played by Buddhism in women’s marriage and family life from both positive and negative perspectives.During the Late Tang,Five Dynasties,and Song Dynasties,women were influenced by Buddhist thought in their marriage and family life,and they would bring the color of Buddhist faith in handling various household affairs,treating their families,comforting themselves,and dealing with the afterlife.These are unique manifestations of the influence of Buddhism on women’s marital and family life during the late Tang,Five Dynasties and Song dynasties.