The Development of Chan and Pure Land Buddhism in the Middle Tang Dynasty

Looking back at the history of Buddhism in medieval China, more and more scholars believe that the Tang Dynasty was a significant turning point in the development of Buddhist schools. Before the mid-Tang Dynasty, various Buddhist sects developed well.However, the southern Chan and the Pure Land were the dominant sects after the mid-Tang Dynasty. Furthermore, “Chan and Pure Land dominance” has always been the norm in Chinese Buddhism after the Tang Dynasty. In this context, this study will mainly explore three questions: (1) What caused Southern Chan and Pure Land to stand out among the many Buddhist sects of the Tang Dynasty? (2) How to understand the relationship between Southern Chan and Pure Land that they unite with each other and attack each other? (3) How to understand the regional incongruity and regional difference between Southern Chan and Pure Land Development?

Faculty Supervisor:

Jinhua Chen

Student:

Partner:

Zhejiang University

Discipline:

Sociology

Sector:

Education

University:

The University of British Columbia

Program: