不空金刚发展文殊信仰的背景与政治活动 = AMOGHAVAJRA'S DEVELOPMENT OF THE MANJUSRI BELIEF IN THE TANG : A STUDY OF BUDDHIST POLITICAL IDEOLOGY

Abstract

The cult of the Bodhisattva Manjusri (文殊信仰）in the Tang differed significantly from early Mahayana Buddhism ( 大乘佛教），namely in its being politicised by the Empress Wu Zetian (武则天）of the Great Zhou (690-705). This politicisation emphasised the cult's chief deity, i.e. Bodhisattva Manjusri's role as the protector of the Buddhist Cakravartin and his land (护王及护国）. In the Emperor Tang Daizong (代宗)’s era, the esoteric (密教）monk Amoghavajra (不空金刚）further developed the Manjusri cult in a systematic implementation of esotericed practices, corresponding to the political situation of that time. The thesis discusses Amoghavajra’s development of the cult of Bodhisattva Manjusri in the Daizong era in three chapters: In the first chapter, I touch on the development of the Manjusri cult before and during the Tang up to Daizong’s era. In the second chapter, I discuss the political background upon which Amoghavajra developed the Manjusri cult for Daizong. Finally, the focuses of chapter three are on Amoghavajra’s background and an elaboration of his activities promoting the Manjusri cult, accounting for Daizong’s correlation with the characteristic of ruler and state protection provided by the Manjusri cult.