Compared with the Shotoku Reform, which is one of the most important reforms in Japanese history, the Later Daiwa Reform and the Meiji Restoration can be called a relic of the predecessors, and it is worth noting that as a political reform, the Tuiko reform was mixed with a large number of Buddhist ideas.
Even the Seventeen Articles of the Constitution and the Twelve Orders of the Crown, which were promoted in his reforms, have a lot of content related to Buddhism. For example, the second article in the Seventeen Articles of the Constitution is: "Those who respect the Three Jewels, the Three Jewels, and the Dharma monks ... In a law book with the name of the constitution of the country throughout, Buddhism is the state religion at the beginning, which is also a very peculiar problem for later generations who study the reforms of the ancient dynasty.
Why, then, did the most famous prince in Japanese history promote Buddhism so much and promote it vigorously in Japan? The author believes that there are three reasons for this.
At that time, Japan was actually in a stage of great development. Unlike japan before it, Japan at this time had basically completed the task of great unification, while the displaced people from Korea and the Central Plains continent brought a strong impetus to the original technologically backward Japan to promote social progress, especially the progress of farming technology, which promoted the Japanese population to usher in a major outbreak before the beginning of the ancient dynasty. All in all, Japan at this stage is gradually flourishing.
However, there are still many problems with domestic rule. Although imperial power is gradually flourishing, the Japanese emperor is facing a more serious problem than the Central Plains Dynasty's "imperial power does not go to the countryside". Relying on their authority and force, the Local Hao clans de facto divided the counties and occupied the mountains and fields, making the commoners almost unable to maintain their own livelihoods and had to take refuge in the former. This is obviously intolerable for a regime that is gradually taking control of its own power.
Although the royal family is expensive, it has no possibility of expelling aristocratic politics. Even the court's legal outreach had to rely on the close grand nobleman Su Yishi to mediate. Shinto, which was popular in Japan at the time, was a loosely structured belief system. It is this crisis situation that makes prince Shengde desperate to use a more stable and unified faith as a weapon against the clan. And that's one of the reasons why he chose Buddhism.
If we turn our attention to the mainland across the sea from Japan, we will find that the Central Plains at this time are no longer the chaotic land of the Five Hu and Sixteen Kingdoms period. The demise of the Later Zhou Dynasty was the last sign, and the Sui Dynasty began its rise and revival, and people at that time did not know that such a strong and brilliant country had died in the Sui Dynasty.
In the eyes of most people, the reunification of China also marks the establishment of a new power model in Southeast Asia, and prince Shengde at this time does not see the arrogance or pride of his aunt Pushing the ancient empress. In the state letter written to the Sui Dynasty, the latter regarded himself as the country of sunrise and the country of the sunset of the Great Sui, which almost angered the Sui Emperor. In fact, in the evaluation of later Generations of Japanese, Prince Shengde at this time was almost the only reason for the revival of the ancient dynasty. If it were not for Empress Tuigu's strict vigilance against this nephew in the later period of her reign, resulting in his depression, the innovation of the Tuigu Dynasty might have been more thorough.
Therefore, the far-sighted Prince Shengde has already seen the situation of the unification of the Sui Dynasty and the gradual formation of a unified political core in Southeast Asia in the future. In this case, Japan's original possibility of expanding its power through the Korean Peninsula will be in vain. In order to continue to maintain a relatively stable situation and continue to develop, learning the advanced culture of the Central Plains Dynasty has naturally become the only way. It was for this reason that Buddhism was introduced to Japan by Prince Shengde as a carrier of his Muhua thought.
Of course, we must note that in the 5th to 8th centuries AD, the emergence of this Kind of Muhua thought had its important practical significance, and it was not only Japan that had such a move. After the fall of the Sui Dynasty, on the Korean Peninsula, which was closer to the Tang Dynasty, Silla, Baekje, and even Goguryeo after the fall of Goguryeo sent a large number of envoys to the Central Plains. And the motivation, in addition to Buddhism itself, is actually the advanced technology that the Sui and Tang dynasties can bring to it.
At that time, although Japan was in the ascending stage, as mentioned above, this upward process was actually more reflected in the improvement of the overall economy and technology of society, contrary to the difficult living conditions of the common people. One of the purest reasons for introducing Buddhism is actually the spirit of Prince Shengde in order to be able to save the common people with Buddhism.
Of course, this is not completely compassionate, and it cannot be simply regarded as a manifestation of the virtue of the prince of shengde, although the prince's private virtue is indeed praised, but the reason why he hopes to introduce Buddhism to alleviate the suffering of the spiritual world of the japanese people at the bottom is actually the same reason as the early flourishing of Buddhism in India. It was buddhism that appeased the wrath of the people and was able to preserve the rule of the dynasty.
In addition, after Buddhism was introduced to China and developed over a long period of time, it was no longer just a belief in itself. The interpretation and collation of his Buddhist scriptures are also attached with important elements of feudal culture, and these naturally have important practical significance for the reform of Prince Shengde's pushing ancients.
In addition, as mentioned earlier, Japan at this time was in a bad political situation because of the establishment of the Sui Dynasty in the Central Plains. At the end of the 6th century, Goguryeo and Baekje once made peace with Japan in order to contain Silla, and this period was also the peak period when Baekje and Goguryeo monks crossed east to Japan. It also marked the formation of an unusual Buddhist diplomacy.
In fact, even in the late Tuigu Dynasty, during the envoys of Ono Meizi to the Great Sui on the orders of Prince Shengde, she was accompanied by monks and Buddhas, and this kind of Buddhist diplomacy in Southeast Asia almost reached its peak after the 6th century AD.
Buddhism has become the most important religion in Japan since the beginning of the reforms of the Shotoku Taiko Tui Dynasty, but unlike what we imagined, its introduction and development were not just the result of cultural exchanges. The persecution of traditional aristocrats such as the Su I style, the changes in the pattern brought about by the establishment of the Sui Dynasty, and the attempt to appease the anger of the common people caused this traditional religion to eventually take root in Japan and grow into a new paradigm that was different from the rest of the region.
bibliography:
1. "On prince Shengde and the reform of the ancient dynasty"
2. "On the Reasons why Prince Shengde Promotes Buddhism"
3. "The Budding of Japanese National Consciousness during the Ancient Dynasty"