Monk, Temple, And Social Life In The Tang Dynasty

"Tai Ping Guang Ji" is a important collection. Some stories in this book vividly presented the civil society in the tang dynasty monk, monasteries and Buddhism."Tai Ping Guang Ji" aslo shows us some true face of the Tang Dynasty monk. People become a monk not only by the influence of religion, there are practical considerations. Under the influence of the family, although a person have left the family to be a monk, but has always been "becoming a monk but not away from home". In the Tang Dynasty there are different views on the society to the Monk’s disobedience of ring regulations which is extremely common. And in order to protect their own image, Buddhism always use the religious constraints.By religious and medical care in secular society, Monks described in "Tai Ping Guang Ji" realize their religious merit of "meeting their own and helping others at the same time". Monks care for people and help them to overcome the hardships of real life using unique Buddhistic way. Behavior of "Zhaiseng" can best embody people’s dependence on Buddhism. People in Tang Dynasty invite the monks reciting scriptures for themselves and their families, and they can always get a Buddhist merit and earthly reward. In order to spread Buddhism more better and help monks themselves and others, Buddhism encouraged monks to practice medicine. Medical monks of the Tang Dynasty have superb medical skills and always save patients’ lives when they are about to despair.Tang Dynasty is the critical period of Confucianism, Buddhism and Taoism’s struggle and integration,"Tai Ping Guang Ji" shows how Monk, Literati and Taoist get along with. In order to spread Buddhism and to achieve their own political interests, monks actively make friends with Literati. And the contact between Literati and monk is Tang Dynasty’s unique social and cultural image. Candidates ask monks for help to pave the way for their own career, monk also predict the future for the scholars. There is a very close relationship between Monk and Literati, they can call each other disciples and there are religious and political reasons. Buddhism and Taoism has a fierce struggle in official history, but "Tai ping Guang Ji" shows the harmonious relationship between the two denominations in implicit way, and more is friendly exchanges and learning from each other between monk and Taoist in the civil, even work together to participate in some religious activities.The temple is a place for religious activities in the traditional sense, however, temple’s social and cultural functions is more obvious described in "Tai Ping Guang Ji". The temple can attract a large number of tourists and believers because of its beautiful scenery, hundreds of lively drama and monk’s speech. The temple not only do not exclude any kind of secular activities, but actively participate in. Tang’s Yi Guan industry is still underdeveloped, and the temple just play a very important ignited function. There are both candidates who have calmly studied and frustrated reclusive people, some people are looking for religious attachment and some other people are forced. temple’s abundant secular activities objectively also give birth to the temple’s business and at the same time temple is also a platform for public entertainment. Temples is even like an open small society, they also create a very good condition for young men and women who live in and some monks also act as a medium of marriage.In conclusion, monks go out of the temple to spread and promote Buddhism in various ways, and temple’s all kinds of secular activities also increase the Buddhistic attractiveness to people in the Tang Dynasty. Although the Tang Dynasty’s monks and temples have obvious characteristics of secularization described in "Tai Ping Guang Ji", but it is just this sacred and secular coexistence feature which make Buddhism more likely to be accepted by people and get along well with the Tang society.