Sixth-Century Chinese Manuscript Sheds Light on the Transferability of Merit and Suffering and on the Intersection of Politics and Religion
Xiao Yan, also known as Emperor Wu of the Liang dynasty (464-549, r. 502-549 ce), was one of the first Chinese emperors to utilize Buddhism to improve his political position. Recent studies have shown how Emperor Wu orchestrated his own ordination as a bodhisattva in 519 so that, as savior of the pe...
| Main Author: | |
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| Format: | Electronic Article |
| Language: | English |
| Check availability: | HBZ Gateway |
| Interlibrary Loan: | Interlibrary Loan for the Fachinformationsdienste (Specialized Information Services in Germany) |
| Published: |
2024
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| In: |
Buddhist Christian studies
Year: 2024, Volume: 44, Pages: 57-76 |
| Further subjects: | B
Buddhist-Christian dialogue
B Xiao Yan B Buddhism B China B Emperor Wu B Bodhisattva |
| Online Access: |
Volltext (lizenzpflichtig) Volltext (lizenzpflichtig) |
| Summary: | Xiao Yan, also known as Emperor Wu of the Liang dynasty (464-549, r. 502-549 ce), was one of the first Chinese emperors to utilize Buddhism to improve his political position. Recent studies have shown how Emperor Wu orchestrated his own ordination as a bodhisattva in 519 so that, as savior of the people, he could rise above the great families that threatened his supremacy.1 In practice, Emperor Wu's role as bodhisattva was that of a leveler who distributed karmic merit in egalitarian fashion among his subjects, breaking the monopoly of karma claimed by his aristocratic rivals;2 and he also volunteered to take his subjects' sufferings upon himself, further solidifying his role as universal uplifter. This article examines the mechanics of Emperor Wu's policy by analyzing a manuscript preserved in the Dunhuang cave complex that shows the emperor-bodhisattva in action. A full transcription and translation of the document are included at the end of this article. |
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| ISSN: | 1527-9472 |
| Contains: | Enthalten in: Buddhist Christian studies
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| Persistent identifiers: | DOI: 10.1353/bcs.2024.a940766 |
