- See 251–253 in the key to Figure 5.5; and Raju (1985: 61).
- Potter (1976: 252–254). This pattern is particularly prominent in modern thinkers
such as Ramakrishna who represent India to the West.
6. Buddhist and Neo-Confucian China
- At the end of the Northern Wei (about 534 c.e.) there were 2 million monks and
nuns, and 30,000 temples. The size of the Buddhist church fluctuated widely during
battles for political favor with Taoists and Confucians. In 574–577, the Northern
Chou emperor, at the instigation of Taoist advisers, confiscated the property of the
Buddhist temples and returned as many as 3 million monks to lay life. After
reunification, the Sui emperor in 601 drastically curtailed the Confucian schools
and promoted Buddhism; during his reign 230,000 monks and nuns were con-
verted. In the mid-T’ang dynasty (713–741), a time of violent shifts in the political
popularity of Buddhism, there were 125,000 monks and nuns; in 830 as many as
700,000 monks were officially registered. In the great persecution of 845 the census
indicated 260,000 monks and nuns to be returned to secular life, 4,600 monasteries
and 40,000 temples and shrines destroyed, and several million acres of fertile lands
confiscated. Even these numbers do not indicate the full extent of Buddhism; they
do not include novice monks, who may have been far more numerous than the
fully ordained monks. In addition, the monasteries at this time possessed 150,000
slaves, who were turned into tax-paying peasants. Data from Ch’en (1964: 136,
155, 158, 190–191, 200–201, 204, 232, 242, 244, 250–251, 259, 401). On
Chinese population growth, see McEvedy and Jones (1978). On Chinese social
history in these periods, see Eberhard (1977); Gernet (1982, 1962); CHC (1986,
1979). On the development of Buddhism, see Ch’en (1964); Demiéville (1986);
Zürcher (1959); Weinstein (1987). Network sources are cited in Chapter 2. - On economic growth in medieval China, see Elvin (1973); Jones (1988). On the
role of Buddhist institutions in economic growth, see Gernet (1956); Ch’en (1964);
and the theoretical model in Collins (1986: 19–76), and Collins (1997). - Loyang in the east and Ch’ang-an (Sian) in the west were the two great capital
cities of northern China; the seat of government often changed between them, while
the other remained the secondary capital. - In fact, the Yogacara doctrine of Consciousness-Only had already been in existence
in China, previously imported from India by Paramartha around 550; Hsüan-tsang
himself had studied with these masters before going to Nalanda. Chinese intellec-
tuals did not fail to understand these doctrines; the school had survived already
for three generations. And the Hua-yen philosophy that displaced Consciousness-
Only was fully as abstract and technical. - Hsüan-tsang’s travels to India became the subject of the most popular novel of
medieval China, Journey to the West (or Monkey). It is a comic fairy tale of
supernatural demons and protectors, featuring the monkey with magic powers who
accompanies Hsüan-tsang. The basket of scriptures which is the object of the trip
is a kind of magical precious object; there is no sense that it has intellectual
contents. This reflects the way Hsüan-tsang was received by the emperor and the
Notes to Pages 269–288^ •^971