The Research On Zhang Shangying's Defense Of Buddhism In Northern Song Dynasty

Zhang Shangying(1043-1121), also named Zhang Tianjue, called himself Wujin Recluse, was born in Xinjin county, Shu state. He became a successful candidate in the highest imperial examinations in the 2nd year of Zhiping Period(1065), during the reign of Song Yingzong Emperor. Afterward, he was engaged in the politics of the middle-latter period of Northern Song, and was get into the controversy between the reformists'party and the standpatters'party. Although he was appointed to the official position of premier in the 4th year of Daguan Period(1110), most of his political life wasn't in the central government, so his political life wasn't glorious. Relative to his political influence, he had some kind of prestige in the Buddhism. Zhang Shangying was not a Buddhist in his earlier age, he studied Buddhism in his middle life. Latter on, he became the member of Huanglong Zen group. As a recluse, he defended Buddhism and was regarded as "the most contributory defender of Buddhism in Northern Song Dynasty". This dissertation, by studying some ancient literatures, is going to reveal Zhang Shangying's appearance, exploring the age's backgrounds, reasons, activities and thoughts of this defender's.There are three chapters in this dissertation. The first chapter mainly discuss the age's backgrounds of Zhang Shangying defending Buddhism. This chapter depicts the survival background of Buddhism in Song Dynasty by describing the tide of Buddhism, the court Buddhism, the gentry Buddhism and the popular Buddhism of that time. Through macroscopical vision, we try to explain the tide of Buddhism of Northern Song Dynasty and the different role of different class of that time.The second chapter emphasizes on the reasons of Zhang Shangying's defense of Buddhism and the relative activities he was engaged in. Through textual research, we can see the footsteps how he walk into the Buddhism, believe in Buddhism and have a large circle of acquaintances in the Buddhism. By this research, we may feel his feelings of being a defender of Buddhism. Basing on this research, we probe into the inner cause of his defense of Buddhism, which contains the officials'religious duty of Song Dynasty, the personal factor in order to accumulate prestige in politics and the reaction against the religious policy of canonizing Taoism, oppressing Buddhism by Song Huizong Emperor. The activities Zhang Shangying engaged in can be divided into four types: recommending outstanding monks, maintaining the running and glory of temples, mediating in the followers of Buddhism quarrels, abolishing illegal religious temples and building Buddhists'temples.The third chapter focuses on his defense thoughts of Buddhism in his works. Pointing out the advantages of his defense thoughts of Buddhism, we can also see the disadvantages of his defense thoughts of Buddhism. Due to the complexity of his defense thoughts of Buddhism, in order to avoid confusion, we describe these thoughts one by one.