Most of the disciples of the Buddha, who have seen through the red dust, have escaped into the empty door, paying attention to the six roots of purity, and no longer lingering on the troubles of the world. However, in ancient China, there were many folk uprisings dominated by monks, and the emergence of monks and soldiers could be seen in many wars. Why do Buddhist monks who pay attention to the quiet place have so many scourges of killing wars?
The profession of monk only emerged from the Southern and Northern Dynasties period. After the two Jin Dynasties, the continuous tolerance of Chinese southern and northern cultures, the Buddhist culture that spread from the western region to the Central Plains, has developed unprecedentedly. Coupled with the entire Southern and Northern Dynasties, the whole situation is too turbulent. Therefore, these Buddhist disciples defended their homeland and had no choice but to take up arms. In fact, monks have been involved in many wars as early as the two Jin Dynasties. At first, these monks were not really "enlightened monks." On the contrary, during the Southern and Northern Dynasties and later Tang and Song dynasties, those who were frustrated escaped into buddhism and received more favorable treatment.
China's ancient monasteries are more economically developed, most of the temples have their own land and manor, and they are not afraid of meat and fish, and they can marry and have children at will. They can also enjoy the privilege of exemption from hard labor, pardon of sins, and so on. In ancient times, those people entered the temple with the idea of "cutting off the red dust", but they did not get a place of purity, and they would be plagued by many vices. In addition, during the feudal period, the regime changes of various dynasties were more frequent. Temples are independent spheres of influence, and during each period of chaos, they become fat in the eyes of warlord organizations and other rebel forces. Those monks who were accustomed to being mighty and blessed refused to give away the fruits they had accumulated, and the monks slowly evolved into monks and soldiers.
From the "Shamen Rebellion" in the Northern Wei Dynasty, and to the late Qing Dynasty, when northern and southern Shaolin collected disciples in Fujian, Guangdong and other places, the temple has become a special group organization. When monks are involved in conflicts of interest, none of this is pure. Therefore, in many wars, the figure of monks can be seen. For example, after the Northern Zhou Emperor Yuwen Yong came to power, he began a large-scale "extermination of Buddhism" operation. In the Tang Dynasty, "13 stick monks saved the Tang King", and in the "Shame of Jingkang" in the last years of the Song Dynasty, monks gathered to revolt to resist the Jin people. In the Ming dynasty and the Qing Dynasty, there are also records of monks and riots. In ancient times, monks paid more attention to countering violence with violence, or joining various groups for different interests. However, although Tang Taizong Li Shimin received help from the monks, he felt that some of these Buddhist disciples were too difficult to manage.
In the last years of the Sui Dynasty, Wang Shichong, Li Yuan, Dou Jiande, and other warlords took advantage of the great chaos in the world. During this period, although Li Yuan had advantages, it was not obvious that Wang Shichong was the most prestigious warlord in the last years of the Sui Dynasty. But Li Yuan and the monks of the Songshan Shaolin Temple reached a consensus. The monk Tanzong led the martial arts monks to constantly harass Wang Shichong's army, and also captured Wang Shichong's nephew Wang Renze alive and gave it to Li Shimin, the Tang king. After Li Shimin inherited the orthodoxy, he also invited the monk Tanzong to Chang'an and granted him an official position. However, in the last years of Li Shimin's reign, Tang Taizong also changed from "honoring Buddha" to "suppressing Buddha". Li Shimin believed that the Tang Dynasty had to allocate funds to these monasteries every year, but the monks gathered together and spent all day not eating and praying to the Buddha, but working for the tiger.
In order to create a more relaxed ruling environment for future generations, Li Shimin secretly reduced the number of funds allocated to various temples. But even so, Li Shimin failed to restrain the growth of the monastic community. Until the Time of Wu Zetian, this empress believed in superstition and gave more privileges to monks and various temples, but the Taoist culture in China gradually declined. Therefore, the development of Buddhism is greatly related to the change of different dynasties and the culture of various backgrounds. This is not to say that the monks of ancient times were all habitual murderers. It can only be said that under certain circumstances, these monks cannot get a moment of peace, but can only take up arms in their hands and defend every right they have gained. After all, since the Southern and Northern Dynasties, monks have become a symbol of privilege in our country, and this view has not changed to this day.
At the beginning of the Tang Dynasty, monks did not have many of the following offenses. However, in the last years of the Tang Dynasty, various temples became a tumor that the Tang Dynasty could not afford. So that in later generations, rulers loved and hated the children of Buddhism. If these monks are used well, they will not move forward, and if they are not used well, they will cause repercussions. It was not until modern times, with Buddhism and Taoism, and the management of these religious associations, that Buddhism truly ushered in tranquility.
References: Twenty-Four Histories, Book of Tang