会昌法难 Dharma Tragedy

• justdoit77

  29 Feb 08, 16:04

  Below is an article about dharma tragedy happened in China during Tang Dynasty.

  �代是中国佛教�展的��期，在�王�的支�扶掖下，佛教的�个方�皆得到了迅速�展。然而，事情总是一波三折，��能一切顺利。到了中�，佛教便��到了一场空�的法难，打击著实��。

  本�，���代皇�都是佛教的支�者，但到了敬宗时，�教的势力一时����了上风。那时出了一���赵归真的�士，深为敬宗皇�信�，常出入宫�之中。

  敬宗皇�在�仅一年，文宗继�，佛教法难便已现出端倪。文宗大和�年（八三五年）四月，翰林学 士�训�请罢除宫中长生殿内�场，沙汰僧尼，文宗��了。但当天夜里忽起大风，���元殿，拔倒殿�大树三棵，文宗以为��，�急下令�止沙汰僧尼的活 动。七月，�训�请令天下僧尼考佛�学业，��格者勒令还俗，文宗�予淮许。�一月，�训因故被��僧尼考试制度���止。

  开�元年（八三六年），文宗�欲�止佛教的传播，他对近臣说∶「天下是�有无补於教化而�废财 物的事情存在呢？请你们仔细想想，说给我��。�近臣回答∶「佛教�徒日�增多，他们就是饱食终日，无所事事的蠢物。�文宗一�，正�心�，�下令罢废僧 尼，�许僧尼讲�说法，勒令还俗。

  但此事�未得到贯彻实行。�说，当时御膳房的厨�正准备烹鸡蛋，忽闻蛋中有微声传出，细�之 下，乃是诸鸡蛋在念观音��，凄怆至�。厨�立�禀告文宗，文宗�曰∶「�想佛教的神力竟能达到这�地步。��下令今後�许�鸡蛋，罢废僧尼的事自然也就 �置下�。所以，文宗一�，佛教虽然已是风雨欲�，总算在飘摇之中�全下�。

  开�五年（八四○年）正月，�武宗继�。武宗未��时便已是�教的喜好者，�其登基，��士入�中，信用其言，佛教的形势益��妙起�。

  会昌元年（八四一年）六月�一日是武宗生日，武宗於宫内设斋，请佛教僧侣与�士互作议论，�� 士紫衣，和尚则一无所得。�年，武宗��衡山�士刘玄�入宫，与敬宗时入宫的赵归真�修符　。会昌二年（八四二年），宰相�德裕上���外国僧人回国，并 �许度沙弥童�出家。佛教的�机已步步趋近。

  会昌五年（八四五年）正月，�士赵归真�请与佛教展开辩论，得到武宗许�，�令僧�汇�麟德殿 进行交锋。按赵归真的想法，自己既有武宗的强力支�，��论辩一胜，便�光明正大地废�佛教，树立�教的�对地�。�想佛教僧侣中有一���知玄的法师， 精於辩论之术，赵归真硬尽浑身解数也�能胜其一二。

  按照一般的��，佛教既於辩论中获胜，它也就��了自己的平安。�知玄法师虽然辩�无�，�有 点�识大体，对形势判断�明，他藉胜利之机对武宗说∶「�教所谈的都是羽化飞�之术，是山林匹夫所喜好的，�王��应留�於此。�知玄此�原本是��武宗 皈信佛教，�武宗早就是�教的信徒，对羽化飞�之事心�往之。知玄说�教是山林匹夫所好之事，在武宗��就完全�了�一��义，�是说武宗�过是一介山野 匹夫而已。所以，武宗未待知玄法师将�说完，便已勃然�色，下令将知玄�放到山野桑梓之间。

  武宗後�望仙�於�郊，赵归真乘机进言说∶「佛教为西方胡夷之教，中国汉人�应奉行。�武宗於 是下了废除佛法的决心。但�到诸大臣的�对，他们��说∶「赵归真奸诈�人一个，皇��应与他亲近，更�应�他的胡言乱语。�那赵归真倒也是个�明人，� 诸大臣对自己有��，便�皇�引�了罗浮山�士邓元超等人，自己则���於幕後指挥。在赵归真�邓元超等�士�宰相�德裕的悠患下，佛教法难终於到�。

  会昌五年（八四五年）四月，武宗下�；敕令检校天下僧尼人数。五月，�下�书，令东西二都�留 佛寺四所，�寺�留�人。天下州郡�留一寺，按寺院规模，上寺�留廿人，中寺�留�人，下寺�留五人，其馀僧尼皆令还俗。八月，武��下�书，令天下�州 郡按期拆�佛教寺院。此�一下，立�有四六○○馀所寺院�四万馀所兰若被拆除。拆下�的木�用於建筑学校�驿站，金银佛�被打碎，称�斤两，交���收 管。铜�铜器用以铸�，土地财物尽数收归国有。

  当此之时，武宗在佛教手中共收回田地数�万顷，奴婢�五万人，廿六．○五万僧尼蓄�还俗，佛教法难空�，祸�大江�北��山大�。五��天�等�寺皆被摧�。

  会昌六年（八四六年），�武宗死，宣宗继�，佛教法难终於结�。五月，宣宗命�钦义为两街功德 使，令两街�增佛寺八所。�以「惑乱先���除佛教�的罪�，令�钦义逮�赵归真�邓元超�刘玄�等�士�二�诛之，陈其尸首。贬�德裕为崖州�户，�久 �德裕病死。大中元年三月（八四七年），宣宗下�，以会昌年间并�寺院��除佛教过甚，�许�僧大德�修寺院，有��得�止。佛教�过几年的舛�之後，� ����了元气。

  「会昌法难�是中国佛教�上的大事，对佛教的打击�为严酷。

  http://www.zgfxy.cn/Article/ShowArticle.asp?ArticleID=281

  Really sad to know that such thing happened in a dynasty that used to treasure dharma so much. During this period 841 - 846AD, a lot of buddhist and monks were killed, forced to renounce, tortured, imprisoned by the emperor. Worst still, a lot of precious teaching and books were lost...

  Let's hope to acquire the capability soon, so we can protect the spreading of dharma in the world.

• dumbdumb!

  29 Feb 08, 16:13

  translation?

• justdoit77

  29 Feb 08, 17:04

  couldn't find a matching translation, you may want to see this one instead. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Four_Buddhist_Persecutions_in_China

• JitKiat

  29 Feb 08, 17:20

  From your article, å”�武宗  only became king for a few years and was dead after 1 year of banning Buddhism. Isn't this an obvious retribution? And look at those "fake Taoists" (even Lao Zhi/Zhuang Zhi will not recognize them I guess), all were killed by 宣宗. Hopefully they would repent in Hell. 阿弥陀佛

• cycle

  3 Mar 08, 14:40

  Originally posted by justdoit77:

  http://www.zgfxy.cn/Article/ShowArticle.asp?ArticleID=281

  Really sad to know that such thing happened in a dynasty that used to treasure dharma so much. During this period 841 - 846AD, a lot of buddhist and monks were killed, forced to renounce, tortured, imprisoned by the emperor. Worst still, a lot of precious teaching and books were lost...

  Let's hope to acquire the capability soon, so we can protect the spreading of dharma in the world.

  
  Before and during the China's Cultural Revolution, harsh treatments were also given to the Sangha... Precious lives were lost, respectable and honourable venerables were ridiculed and harmed.

  Yes, as Buddhists we must always protect the Triple Gems.

• Herzog_Zwei

  4 Mar 08, 02:08

  I was hoping more such events will appear in history, as much as the numbers are concerned, the Buddhists during that period were too powerful and influencing political decisions in the imperial court and a lot of wealth was confiscated to fund the army which was faring badly defending China from the Tartars. 

• An Eternal Now

  4 Mar 08, 08:57

  Its not like Buddhists have a lot of influence on political decisions or are powerful nowadays.
• Herzog_Zwei

  4 Mar 08, 13:06

  Originally posted by An Eternal Now:

  Its not like Buddhists have a lot of influence on political decisions or are powerful nowadays.

  
  Such events happening in history... Not present, which then becomes a dire disaster.

• justdoit77

  4 Mar 08, 13:41

  Originally posted by Herzog_Zwei:

  I was hoping more such events will appear in history, as much as the numbers are concerned, the Buddhists during that period were too powerful and influencing political decisions in the imperial court and a lot of wealth was confiscated to fund the army which was faring badly defending China from the Tartars. 

  If one day you become influencing like a MNC owner or what, is it ok that the government kill you then confiscate all your money to fund anti-terrorism?

• Herzog_Zwei

  5 Mar 08, 12:06

  Originally posted by justdoit77:

  If one day you become influencing like a MNC owner or what, is it ok that the government kill you then confiscate all your money to fund anti-terrorism?

  
  Why not? Especially if an MNC owner insists on trying to run the government without the support of the people.