Reconciling Buddhism with Traditional Chinese Values

Buddhism entered China during the Han Dynasty, spreading from Central Asia along the Silk Road. Although conversion to Buddhism was slow at first, later dynasties such as the Wei (386–534 C.E.) adopted and promoted Buddhism. The continued political division of China and concurrent chaos prompted many to seek spiritual refuge in the Buddha. The transformation of Buddhism so that it appealed more readily to the Chinese was a long process. Lives of the Eminent Monks, for example, was composed in a traditional Chinese style of biography, but the content is clearly Buddhist. One of the most important features of the following life is the defense of Buddhist customs that seem to challenge traditional Chinese ways of life.

Zhu Seng Du was originally named Wang Xi (Xuanzong) and came from Donghuan, in Guangdong, South China. He came from a lesser literati family but was a very presentable young man. When he was sixteen his spirit soared high and his character stood out among his peers. His personality was mild and he was well loved by his neighbors. He lived with his mother and was a filial son to the last letter of the Confucian code. He courted the daughter of Mr. Yang Deshen in the same village. The Yang family was also respectable. Their daughter, Tiaohua, had a comely face and proper poise. She was versed in the apocryphal literature and was the same age as Du. The day he proposed to her, she accepted. However, not soon afterwards and before the marriage was set, Tiaohua’s mother died. Tiaohua’s father soon followed. Meanwhile, Du’s mother also passed away. Suddenly realizing the transience of this world, Du left it behind and entered a monastic order, changing his name to Seng Du, Du, the follower of Sakyamuni.7 He left his trace beyond the world of dust and wandered, as a student, in faraway places. Tiaohua, after having tended to the mourning rites for her parents, realized that there was no place in society for a woman like her without anyone on whom to depend, neither parents, husband, nor child. Therefore she wrote to Du, “According to the Confucian norms of filial piety the hair and skin of one’s body, being something received from one’s parents, should not be harmed [for example, by tonsure]. The ancestral temples should not be abandoned as you, Du, the monk, have done. Moreover, considering the teaching of Confucian society you should abandon your lofty hermit ideal, and arousing your talents make a name for yourself in the world. Through your success you should let shine the spirit and glory of your ancestors and be a comfort to those close to you, fulfilling the expectations of both man and the spirits.” She also wrote five poems. . . .

Seng Du responded, “Serving the king, as demanded by Confucianism, is to assist in the ruling of one’s country. That cannot be compared with pursuing the Buddhist path for all peoples. Serving one’s parents means to establish a family of one’s own; but that cannot be compared with following the Buddhist path for the sake of all beings in the three realms. The dictum ‘Never to harm your body or hair’ is the narrow advice of those committed to the world. I am ashamed that my present virtue has not extended itself to cover even that filial duty. However, small baskets of earth add up to a mountain: all beginnings are small. Thus I put on my monk’s gown, drink the pure water, and laud the wisdom of the Buddhas. Although the dress of princes, the food of the eight rarities, the sound of music and the color of glories are all fine, I would not trade my lot for them. If our minds are in tune to one another, we will meet in nirvana. However, people’s hearts are different, just as their faces are. Your distaste for the hermit’s way is like my indifference to the world. Dear one, let this be the last parting and let all the karmic ties from ten thousand years past that brought us together end here. Time is running short. The student of the dharma must learn to daily eliminate his attachment to the world of action. Men and women of the world, however, should adapt themselves to the times. You are, in age and virtue, in your prime, so you should pursue what you desire and admire. Do not keep this man who is committed to Buddhism in your mind and thereby lose the best years of your life.” Du further wrote five poems in reply. . . .

Du’s mind was made up and, like a rock, it could not be swayed. Touched by his reply, Tiaohua also entered an order and became a nun.

Patricia Buckley Ebrey, ed., Chinese Civilization and Society: A Sourcebook, 2d ed. (New York: Free Press, 1983), 99–100.

READING AND DISCUSSION QUESTIONS