1:12:10
The Confucian Critique of Buddhism
Bryan Van Norden
Overview
This lecture explores the decline of Buddhism in China during the Tang Dynasty and the subsequent rise of Neo-Confucianism. It details how Buddhism, initially influential and wealthy, faced criticism for its foreign origins, perceived anti-social practices, and economic drain. A key moment was Han Yu's protest against a Buddhist relic, which highlighted xenophobic and philosophical objections to Buddhism. The lecture also covers the Great Persecution of Buddhism and how Neo-Confucianism emerged, adopting and adapting Buddhist concepts like 'pattern' (li) while reasserting Confucian values of social engagement, righteousness, and filial piety. The summary emphasizes that Neo-Confucianism, while critical of Buddhism, was deeply influenced by it.
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Chapters
- Buddhism gained significant social prestige, political power, and wealth during the Tang Dynasty.
- Buddhist monasteries controlled vast lands, were tax-exempt, and accumulated wealth through donations and lending.
- The influence of Buddhism is exemplified by figures like Faxiang, who lectured at court, and the veneration of relics like the Buddha's finger bone.
- Practices like the use of relics and the accumulation of wealth by religious institutions were not unique to Buddhism but were prominent during this era.
Understanding the peak of Buddhist influence in China provides the context for the subsequent critiques and the rise of alternative philosophical movements.
The Pharma Temple possessing and displaying the Buddha's finger bone relic, which was brought to the imperial palace for veneration in 819 CE.
- Han Yu's 'Memorandum on a Bone of the Buddha' initiated a strong Confucian critique of Buddhism.
- His objections included Buddhism's foreign origins ('barbarian') and its perceived disregard for core Chinese social values like ruler-minister and father-son relationships.
- Han Yu criticized Buddhist practices that encouraged withdrawal from society and the abandonment of familial duties, viewing them as anti-social and unproductive.
- He also highlighted extreme practices like self-mutilation (burning fingers, cutting off limbs) as corrupting public morals and unnatural, contrasting them with Confucian emphasis on preserving the body as an act of filial piety.
Han Yu's critique marks a pivotal moment where Confucianism began to systematically challenge Buddhism's place in Chinese society, raising both xenophobic and substantive philosophical concerns.
Han Yu's plea to Emperor Wuzong to destroy the Buddha's finger bone by casting it into fire or water, and his description of commoners potentially mortifying their own flesh in devotion.
- Buddhist monasteries were criticized for being a significant economic drain on society due to their tax-exempt status and vast wealth.
- The proliferation of monks and nuns, supported by donations, meant fewer people were engaged in productive labor like farming or craftsmanship.
- Han Yu argued that for every farming or craftsman household, there were six households (including monks and priests) consuming its produce or using its implements, leading to impoverishment.
- These economic concerns contributed to widespread sympathy for critiques of Buddhism's institutional power and wealth.
The economic critique reveals a practical, societal concern that fueled opposition to Buddhism, demonstrating that opposition was not solely philosophical or cultural.
Han Yu's statement that 'for one farming household there are six households that eat its grain' illustrates the perceived economic burden of supporting non-productive religious communities.
- The Great Persecution of Buddhism (Huichang Persecution) occurred in the late Tang Dynasty (845-846 CE) under Emperor Wuzong.
- Ironically, the persecution was instigated not by Confucians, but by Taoists at court who convinced the emperor that Buddhism was a corrupt foreign religion.
- During the persecution, Buddhist monasteries were destroyed, their wealth and land confiscated, and monks and nuns were forced to renounce their vows and return to secular life.
- While Buddhism continued to exist, this event severely diminished its institutional power, wealth, and prestige, preventing it from regaining its former heights.
This event significantly weakened Buddhism's institutional power in China, creating an intellectual space for the resurgence and development of Confucian thought.
The forced laicization of monks and nuns and the seizure of Buddhist temple lands and wealth by the state during Emperor Wuzong's reign.
- Neo-Confucianism arose in the intellectual vacuum left by the decline of Buddhism, though the term 'Neo-Confucianism' is a Western construct.
- The movement's proponents saw themselves not as innovators ('neo') but as revivers of the original 'Way' (Dao) taught by ancient sages like Confucius and Mencius.
- Key concepts like 'li' (pattern) and 'xin' (mind) became central, often influenced by Buddhist philosophical frameworks.
- Neo-Confucianism sought to re-establish Confucianism's relevance by developing a more sophisticated metaphysical and ethical system.
Understanding Neo-Confucianism's origins is crucial to grasping its philosophical content and its complex relationship with the Buddhism it sought to supplant.
The Chinese term 'Xue,' meaning 'learning of the Way,' is the closest equivalent to 'Neo-Confucianism,' reflecting a focus on reviving ancient teachings rather than creating something new.
- Confucians like Han Yu and Liu Shangshan argued that Buddhism encouraged selfishness and withdrawal from the world, contrasting it with Confucian emphasis on social engagement and righteousness.
- They drew parallels between Taoist egoism (Yang Zhu) and Buddhist ideals, and between Mencius's impartial caring and Buddhist universal compassion, positioning Confucianism as a moderate, socially responsible path.
- A key Confucian critique, ironically mirroring Mahayana Buddhist critiques of Theravada, was that Buddhism's goal of individual enlightenment (Arhat) was selfish compared to the Bodhisattva ideal of saving all beings.
- Neo-Confucians grappled with integrating Buddhist concepts like 'pattern' (li) into their philosophy, distinguishing their approach by emphasizing that 'pattern is one, but its manifestations are many.'
These subtle philosophical critiques reveal the core disagreements over the purpose of life, the nature of the self, and the ideal relationship between the individual and society.
Liu Shangshan's distinction: Confucians pursue righteousness and the public good to order the world, while Buddhists pursue profit and selfish good to flee the world.
- Confucianism emphasizes cultivating virtues like benevolence (ren) and righteousness (yi) that manifest in social relationships and community well-being.
- The ideal Confucian life involves finding happiness and fulfillment within the everyday world through ethical conduct and social contribution.
- Filial piety (xiao) and respect for elders are fundamental virtues, requiring the preservation of one's body and responsible care for family.
- Neo-Confucian texts like Zhang Zai's 'Western Inscription' express a profound sense of cosmic unity and compassion, viewing all beings as siblings and companions, yet grounding this in Confucian social obligations.
This chapter clarifies the positive vision of Confucianism, highlighting its focus on ethical cultivation within a social context as an alternative to Buddhist renunciation.
Zhang Zai's 'Western Inscription' stating, 'Heaven is the father, earth is the mother... The people are my siblings, and all living things are my companions.'
Key takeaways
- Buddhism's immense wealth and influence in Tang China eventually led to significant social and political backlash.
- Confucian critiques of Buddhism ranged from xenophobic objections to foreignness to substantive concerns about its impact on social structures and individual morality.
- The Great Persecution of Buddhism severely curtailed its institutional power, paving the way for Neo-Confucianism's rise.
- Neo-Confucianism, while critical of Buddhism, adopted and adapted many Buddhist philosophical concepts, particularly 'pattern' (li).
- A central Confucian argument against Buddhism is its perceived focus on individual salvation or escape from the world, contrasting with Confucian emphasis on social engagement and ordering the world.
- Confucianism prioritizes cultivating virtues like benevolence and righteousness within social relationships, emphasizing filial piety and community well-being.
- The Neo-Confucian concept of 'pattern is one, but its manifestations are many' attempts to reconcile universal unity with the importance of distinct social roles and obligations.
Key terms
Neo-ConfucianismBuddhismTang DynastyHan YuMemorandum on a Bone of the BuddhaGreat Persecution of BuddhismFaxiangFilial PietyBenevolence (Ren)Righteousness (Yi)Pattern (Li)BodhisattvaArhatWestern InscriptionMencius (Mengzi)
Test your understanding
- What were the primary reasons for the decline of Buddhism's influence in Tang China?
- How did Han Yu's critique of Buddhism blend xenophobic sentiments with genuine philosophical objections?
- What economic arguments did Confucians use to criticize the institutional power of Buddhist monasteries?
- How did the Great Persecution of Buddhism impact its long-term development in China?
- In what ways did Neo-Confucianism adopt or adapt concepts from Buddhism, despite being critical of it?
- What is the fundamental difference between the Confucian and Buddhist approaches to life and society as articulated by thinkers like Liu Shangshan?