Buddhist Temples Of Lintao In Yuan And Ming Dynasties

Tibetan Buddhism arises in the period of Tibetan Regime,then spread outward rapidly.The government of Yuan dynasty treats Tibetan Buddhism as a state religion,and establishes an emperor teacher system, in order to reinforce the management of Tibet. Yuan government uses the influence of monks and laymen to regulate the Tibetan affairs;Ming dynasty takes over this system and makes it more perfect. Moreover, Lintao of Gansu, which adjoins the east part of Tibet, becomes a center of Buddhist activities through the work of Phagspa lama. Here, he takes charge of building the Lintao temple, and begins to sermon and disseminate the Dharma, making the Tibetan Buddhism here boom. Then, five small temples headed by Pagoda Temple are built on the former site of Lintao temple, continue the boom of it. During the early period of Ming dynasty, some influential Buddhists of Pagoda Temple and other temples around it are invited to the capital and subinfeudated by the emperor. Such religious policy of Ming dynasty utilizes well the local influence of Tibetan Buddhism, and regulates the affairs of Tibet through the power of local monks and laymen. At the same time, such religious policy of central dynasty also plays a role in the communication of Han and Tibet culture.