When it comes to the Northern Dynasties in the history of China, people are deeply impressed by the frequent alternation of dynasties and the vigorous rise of Buddhism. In about 200 years, the Northern Dynasties experienced the Northern Wei, the Eastern Wei, the Western Wei, the Northern Qi and the Northern Dynasties, and Buddhism also experienced the process from prosperity to extinction.
What is even more puzzling is that in the middle and late Northern Dynasties, Shi Feng, Empress Xuanwu, Empress Gao Shi, Empress Xiaoming, etc. 17 all became nuns! No matter how much people in the northern dynasties loved to worship Buddha and learn from the scriptures, it was rare for many queens to become monks at that time.
So, what makes these powerful and prosperous queens become lonely nuns who accompany the past? What kind of historical mystery is hidden in it? Let's solve this strange phenomenon in the history of Buddhism and the development of the Northern Dynasties.
In the eyes of ordinary people, the queen is virtuous and beautiful. They have been accumulating gold and jade all their lives, and poverty and suffering are the most unlikely words in their life dictionaries. However, when the country perishes, it is difficult for these rich queens to get used to living from luxury to frugality. Wandering life makes it more difficult for me to accept the ups and downs of life, such waves.
In addition, because the Northern Dynasties attached importance to Buddhism, temples were given a high status. At that time, a large number of monasteries were built in various places, including 65,438+0,367 monasteries in Luoyang, the capital, with more than 2 million monks and nuns nationwide.
At that time, monasteries were not engaged in production and enjoyed the privileges of the clan landlord class: monks attached themselves to farmers by renting or serving, running enterprises and issuing usury. Exploitation of working people and accumulation of wealth. So these monks live a very rich life. This has also become an important reason for the Queen to leave the palace.
There are other reasons besides money. For health reasons, entering the temple environment is conducive to physical recovery, or seeking political asylum, and so on. In short, these reasons prompted the queen to become a monk. At that time, the temple where the queen became a monk was actually a privilege, and the living conditions were not much different from those in the palace. In life, becoming a monk is a kind of preferential treatment compared with being put in limbo.
The rulers of the Northern Dynasties generally disdained the Buddha and flattered him. For example, He Chong in the Book of Jin preached the New Year, "The second is to flatter Taoism, and the second is to flatter Buddha." It is said that Buddhism was introduced into China in the Eastern Han Dynasty and began in Luoyang.
At the end of Han Dynasty, during Cao Wei period, Buddhism first spread in Henan, spread rapidly during the Western Jin and Sixteen Kingdoms period, and reached its peak during the Northern Wei Dynasty. The Northern Wei Dynasty was a minority regime established by the Tuoba Department of Xianbei nationality, and its ruling time was 17 and 17 1 emperor. The emperors of the Northern Wei Dynasty all worshipped Buddha except Emperor Taizu Tuoba.
For example, Daowudi, the founding emperor of the Northern Wei Dynasty, didn't know much about Buddhism. "As the only one in the western regions, we can't communicate with each other, so Futu's teaching has never been heard, or no one believes it." Later, during the campaign, Emperor Daowu came into contact with Buddhist temples and monks all over the country, so he fell in love with Huang Lao and read Buddhist scriptures. Everyone salutes the shaman and attracts people's hearts with Buddhism.
Then Ren Zhaojun's shamanism became shamanism, and he ordered thousands of monks to build a pagoda temple in the capital city of Pingcheng. What's more, emperors began to build temples, and every state, county and county built Buddhist temples. They also stipulate that anyone who wants to become a monk, regardless of age, will be allowed to become a monk and given preferential treatment.
Levin, located in the north of Qi, was in 700 AD.
So when a dynasty in the Northern Wei Dynasty was overthrown, all the queens became nuns in order to live a rich life. Take the temple of EtaUrsaeMajoris as an example, where the queen with the most nuns lives. It is said that this temple was built with the ruler's capital. Most temples are magnificent, with a large number of ladies waiting on the queen and concubines.
It can be seen that although it is called the temple, it is actually another palace for the queen's concubines to entertain themselves. The deposed queen just lost the respect of her inner master, but her material life is no different from that of the palace. Even because there are no rules in the palace, their private lives have become more dissolute and promiscuous. Therefore, it is incredible and heartbreaking that this paradise, recognized as a Buddhist holy land, has become a place of lewdness.