Medicine Master Buddha In The Tang Dynasty

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The worship of Medicine Master Buddha in the Tang dynasty enjoyed lavish imperial patronage, especially during the reigns of Emperor Zhongzong 中宗 (r. 684, 705-710) and Emperor Suzong 肅宗 (r. 756-762). Their generous supports of this cult, however, were not merely derived from their religious faith. Instead, these two rulers’ sponsorship of the divinity was closely related to their harsh adversities. When these two monarchs struggled to solve their political challenges, they viewed the Buddha as a divine savior whose supreme power would assure the safety of a righteous sovereign and the state’s prosperity. Their standpoints, in fact, were different from common people’s stereotypical understanding of the Buddha as a divine healer who granted the faithful a speedy recovery from disease.
This section first explores how Emperor Zhongzong’s devotion to Medicine Master Buddha was tied with his frustration of political pursuit. It then moves on to examine how the Buddha was worshipped by Emperor Suzong while he was exhausted by defeating the An Lushan Rebellion 安祿山之亂 (755-763), one of the most devastating military uprisings in the Tang history. Placing the divinity in his appropriate historical, political, and religious contexts, we learn that the Buddha’s role as the national protector who safeguarded the state’s …show more content…

In fact, Emperor Zhongzong did not bestow special favor on this Buddha until he encountered political difficulties and struggled to survive. He became the Tang ruler twice, but both of his reigns were very short. In 684 Emperor Zhongzong, as the heir apparent, succeeded his father, Emperor Gaozong 高宗 (r. 649-683). Unfortunately, his mother, Wu Zetian 武則天 (625-705), immediately controlled the authority of the central government. Emperor Zhongzong consequently was deposed and exiled by Wu Zetian who demoted him to a princely rank and gave him a new name, called Li Zhe

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