Since the introduction of Buddhist temples to China, they have been developing in a good state.
In the Tang Dynasty, because of the emperor's advocacy and guidance, the Buddhist temple once appeared in an extremely prosperous situation. For a time, buddhist temples were scattered all over the country, and the number of monks and nuns was unmatched by any previous dynasty.
However, these large numbers of monks, nuns and temples have consumed a large amount of the country's wealth, and with the prosperity of the Buddhist chanting, the temple economy has gradually evolved into a new economic form, and has accounted for an increasing proportion of the country's various economies, which has seriously restricted the development of social economy.
In order to maintain the rule, the emperor finally extended his hand, so that the Buddhist temple encountered the strongest "demolition office" in history.
According to the Tang Dynasty scholar Du Mu in his "Record of the Newly Built Southern Pavilion in Hangzhou", Tang Wenzong felt the strong influence of buddhist temples on the state finances during his reign.
Tang Wenzong once said to his prime minister, "During this period, our people are especially trapped in the Buddha", hoping to crack down on him.
However, as far as the situation at that time was concerned, although Tang Wenzong had this lament, he still focused his main energy on the matter of eliminating the eunuch dictatorship, so he had no time to take care of this matter. Coupled with the deep roots of Buddhist temples in the Tang Dynasty, Tang Wenzong may not be feasible to shake them.
After Tang Wuzong ascended the throne, he also deeply felt the drawbacks of the excessive prosperity of the Buddhist temple, and he even angrily said about this matter:
"It is the Buddhist temple that makes the world so poor!"
In the "Demolition of the Temple System" promulgated by Tang Wuzong later, there was also a relevant narrative, saying that the development of Buddhist temples made the people of the world, in addition to bearing their own lives, also have to support these monks and nuns who had earned nothing for nothing, which was a great disadvantage to the country and the family.
Because of this, Tang Wuzong made up his mind to intervene, which was also out of a kind of protection for the country's financial resources and manpower.
In addition to considering economic issues, Tang Wuzong also had an important reason, that is, there were differences and struggles between Buddhas and Taoists at this time because of their different beliefs. And Tang Wuzong, who was a devotee, naturally stood on the opposite side of the Buddhist temple.
Like other kings, Tang Wuzong was also very eager for immortality, and during his reign, he was very fond of a Taoist monk named Zhao Guizhen, and worshipped him as a teacher to learn the "art of immortals". But Zhao Gui was genuinely narrow-minded, because he was favored by the emperor, he slandered the Buddhist temple whenever he talked to Emperor Wuzong, in order to make the Tao rule the world. As for what Zhao Guizhen said, Emperor Wuzong was even more convinced.
Wang Chen's Tang Yulin also records this incident, believing that at the instigation of the Taoist monks, Tang Wuzong ordered the abolition of buddhist temples.
In addition to the above two reasons, there is also a theory that Tang Wuzong was looking for the exiled uncle Li Yi, later Tang Xuanzong, which used the rectification of the Buddhist temple as a cover.
Xuanzong Li Yi was the 13th son of Emperor Xianzong, and he was low-key on the surface, but he was obscure. After Tang Wuzong ascended the throne, he thought he was a scourge and always wanted to get rid of him. However, at that time, due to the eunuch's manipulation, Li Yi was rescued, and Li Yi entered the empty door and hid in the rivers and lakes in order to avoid Wuzong's murder.
It is precisely because of such a story that many people speculate that the real purpose of Tang Wuzong's wanton action may be to find his uncle, cut the grass and remove the roots, and avoid future troubles.
Although this statement seems to make sense, is there any real basis for this?
Scholars who held this view in later generations generally relied on the "Records of the Journey to the Tang Dynasty", which was written by a Japanese monk named Yuanren in the Tang Dynasty.
Among them, it is said that Confucius once said that the eighteen sons of the Li clan were at the end of their ropes, and there were monks who came to govern the country. And Tang Wuzong happened to be the eighteenth, to put it bluntly, he would be replaced by a monk, and this monk was Li Yi.
This statement is still just speculation, talk about making up for it, and finally can not be fully believed. If there really is a matter, then Emperor Wuzong's actions should also be a comprehensive effect of the reasons for the appeal, and the matter of the Light King and the instigation of the Daoist monks are only direct causes, not the fundamental purpose.
In order to better implement the measures of the Buddhist temples targeted later, Tang Wuzong first ordered the ancestral department to investigate the number and distribution of temples and monks and nuns in the Tang Dynasty at that time. The ancestral hall was the department in charge of religious affairs in the Tang Dynasty, so it was not difficult to reconcile these data.
In May of the fifth year of Huichang (845 AD), the ancestral department presented a letter to Emperor Wuzong of Tang, recording the number of monasteries, and at this time there were thousands of monasteries and hundreds of thousands of monks and nuns in the country. Two months later, Emperor Wuzong of Tang officially issued a book, announcing the implementation of his imperial court strategy to suppress Buddhism.
In this book, buddhist monasteries and the number of people were controlled. Some temples were demolished, and monks and nuns were forcibly restored to the secular world.
In the early days of the implementation of the Huichang incident, the effect was quickly highlighted.
First of all, the demolished temples not only no longer have to consume state assets in the future, but also have a large number of land and money confiscated, which greatly alleviates the pressure on the national treasury.
Secondly, after these monks and nuns returned to the common people, they directly changed from the hedonistic class to the peasant households, and since then they have begun to pay taxes and grain to the imperial court, and they also have to assume the duties of conscription accordingly, which really reduces a lot of burdens on the government and economy at that time.
But "if there is a benefit, there must be a disadvantage", Tang Wuzong's attack on the Buddhist temple this time greatly hurt the people, more or less also brought some negative effects to his rule.
Not only that, but some other goals in this operation were seriously affected, which greatly affected the multifaceted development of Chinese religious culture.
This historical event is generally called "Huichang Annihilation of the Buddha" in ancient history, and in the history of Buddhism, it is called "Huichang Dharma Difficulty", which shows its great destruction of buddhist temples.
The "Destruction of the Buddha by Huichang" was one of the few important activities in ancient China to suppress Buddhist temples, and had a profound impact on the time and future generations.
Tang Wuzong attacked Buddhism, but because he was too confused, he eventually became one of the emperors of the Tang Dynasty who died by taking Dan medicine. For this reason, the evaluation of Tang Wuzong by later generations was also mixed.
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