Sichuan University Doctoral Thesis

The Extermination of Buddhism by four emperors is the important and great event in the ancient history of China and the Chinese Buddhistic history, but also the same ones in the ancient and medieval history of the world and the ecumenical Buddhistic history. But researches into it are very scattered and not enough deepgoing up to now. Therefore it is necessary to research into it completely, systematically, deepgoingly, manidimensionally and up-linkedly.The first was the extermination of Buddhism by Taiwu Emperor of Northern Wei. Its main cause wasn't the contradiction of economic benefit between clergical and secular landlords because there were a few the Buddhistical temples and monks & nuns then, and social wealths and resources consumed and taken up by them weren't much. But it was to suspect that the monks would attempt to rebel and collude with the powerful and dynamic uprising of Ge Wu then. Besides there were many factors in it but all of them not main. The extermination of Buddhism by Taiwu Emperor was the bloodist and crudest among the "Four Buddhistical Disasters", and so I determinate its nature "exterminating" Buddhism. The first was most lasting too. Both are its main characteristics. The extermination of Buddhism by Taiwu Emperor set a precedent of suppressing and wiping out Buddhism (religion), safeguarding and lifting the secular regime and autocratic imperial power. Extermination of Buddhism by Taiwu Emperor was subtle for advantages and disadvantages of and effect on country and people. So it was unappropriate to remark it progressive or reactionary, positive or negative simply. But in any case it was too severe and magnifid.The second was the abolishment of Buddhism by Zhouwu Emperor of Northern Zhou. It was affected by various anti-Buddhistic thoughts of the Northern Dynasties. The mainest cause of abolishing Buddhism was the acuate contradiction of economic benefit between clergical and secular landlords. There were the other factors of it besides for benefit. There was a more important factor, which has been being overlooked and left out, in two exterminations of Buddhism in the Northern Dynasties. Namely both monarch and premier Taiwu Emperor and CuiHao and Zhouwu Emperor had got a psychology which competed for legitimism, removed bogus and distinguished the Chinese from foreigners by abolishing Buddhism. It was because that both Wei and Zhou were dynasties set up by the minority Xianbeis, that exterminating Buddhism from broad and respecting the domestic Confucianism was beneficial to avoid arousing suspicion. The abolishment of Buddhism by Zhouwu Emperor had clear-up characteristics, namely without killing and bleeding; both Buddhism and Taoism were abolished; repeated discussions and more cautious; advocating Confucianism; abolishment of Buddhism was conducted in twice, one within the boundary of Northern Zhou and another of Northern Qi. The abolishement of Buddhism by Zhouwu Emperor was the most positive, progressive, effective and beneficial to country and people among the four Buddhistic distresses. I've summed up its significance as lighting burden on people, making country rich and building up military might, unifying the North; triumphing over the ethnical splittism by its fusion; contributing to prevent from combination of politics and religion as well as theocracy dictatorship; enabling Sui Dynasty to unify the whole country and to resist the northern Turk.The third was prohibition of Buddhism by Tang Wuzong Empercr. It was affected by the various counter Buddhistic thoughts and speeches in history and especially in Tang Dynasty. And also these thoughts had developed so systemical and complete that formed a primary system whose core was the Confucian cultivating morale, managing family, administering country and making the world safe and sound. The prohibition of Buddhism in Huichang years experienced the developing course from estrangement from to bannisknent of Buddhism and accompanied with the regressive course from closing to Taoism to addicting to it. For th...