Ming Dynasty, Confucianism, Buddhism And Facilities Thought

This dissertation employs an integrating approach, which involves philosophy and historiography, by typical case analysis, to display several typical types of the Confucianism-Buddhism Syncretion in Ming dynasty. Particularly, it explores Fang Yizhi's academic critical theory and unveils all the resources and influences of different Confucianism-Buddhism Syncretion(CBS), and brings the core issue—the interaction between Confucianism and Buddhism into a prominent place.In this dissertation, the Buddhism and Buddhology in Ming are not viewed as in declining period. As to Buddhism, it has been proved by its civil prevalence; as to Buddhology, the CBS shows it.Two objectives of this writing:1.Try to unveil how Buddhology, especially the Buddhology in Ming dynasty, displays its syncretic essence in the process of adjusting to Chinese tradition; and how Confucianism, especially the Confucianism in Ming dynasty also, restore the doctrine under the influence of Buddhistic thinking.In Chinese Buddhistic history, Tang dynasty can be regarded as the time of digesting the India Buddhism and then founding Chinese own Buddhism; Song dynasty, the time of creating the Neo-Confucianism by virtue of Sinocised Buddhism. But till Ming dynasty, the dogma of Buddhism seems to make no progress, and thus the Buddhism in Ming dynasty is referred to the integration of Confucianism, Buddhism and Taoism or the secularization of religion.In Ming dynasty, the conflict between the holiness and secularity of religion stands out, that afterward evolved into the relationship between Confucianism and Buddhism. The reason why the relationship between Confucianism and Buddhism becomes so prominent is concerned with the religious segregation and its bordering policy by Zhu Yuanzhang.In Tang dynasty, the Denominational Buddhism comes into being, at the meantime, Buddhology has a tendency to transform the factual realm(相境) to reasonable realm(理境) as well as to transfer the Zen cultivation(修禅观) to Zen explanation(说禅观). Ming dynasty has inherited and developed this tendency and then provided us with the possibility to syncretize Confucianism and Buddhism from the standpoint of words-teaching.2. Clarify and classify the thinking of Confucianism-Buddhism Syncretion in Ming dynastyAs many Buddhistic and Confucian scholars put forward, Confucianism and Buddhism should not be mixed up, even if it comes to discuss the Confucianism-Buddhism relationship, which concerns both sides deeply. So the relationship can play in different forms in their respective stands. And therefore, in this dissertation, the typology is used to research CBS in Ming dynasty. Obviously, typological research itself some times may be risky and a waste of time and effort. In addition, it is not easy to ensure its scientificalness with no fictitiousness. However, the typological approaches can provide some stable material for further research.The CBS in Ming dynasty falls into three categories. The syncretion on the basis of Confucianism, the syncretion on the basis of Buddhism, and the syncretion on the basis termed as non-Confucianism and non-Buddhism. And these three categories were represented by Wang Yangming,Ouyi Zhixu,and Fang Yizhi respectively.