History, Ideology, and General Ideological History: A Case Study of Chan Buddhism in the Tang Dynasty, in P.-k. Cheng and K. W. Fan eds. New Perspectives on the Research of Chinese Culture, Springer, 2013.

History, Ideology, and General Ideological History:
A Case Study of Chan Buddhism in the Tang Dynasty

Zhaoguang Ge

At present, scholars around the world—in Europe, America, Japan, China, Hong Kong and Taiwan—are researching the history of Chan Buddhism. The research, which is being done from various perspectives, using diverse research methods and different theoretical backgrounds, is presenting us with a more complicated face of Chan Buddhism. In addition to general studies of Chan tradition and ideology, new books and articles are coming out on topics that include the relationship between Chan Buddhist thought and language, the complex relations between Chan Buddhist anecdotes and Buddhist classics, the relation between Buddhist monks and politics, the profound influence of Chinese classical literature on the expression of Buddhist truth, and the history of the Buddhist life and institution. All of these topics have room for further investigation. The question now is how can we find a new direction that will improve upon the road that was paved by Hu Shi and Suzuki and leads all the way to Yin Shun, in order to find new ways to tell the history of Chan Buddhism?