Temples And Local Society Of Tiantai Mountain In Ming-Qing Dynasties

The Tiantai Mountain is a Buddhist and Taoist resort in southeastern Zhejiang Province.During the Ming and Qing Dynasties,the numerous monasteries and Taoist temples in Tiantai Mountain were gradually marginalized by the orthodox ideology and the state system.Their living space was reduced significantly compared to the Tang and Song dynasties.At the same time,the construction of patriarchal clan in the Tiantai Mountain has risen and clan organizations have grown stronger.The gentry group was active in the regional cultural construction and competition of local cultural power.Ordinary people still have strong religious beli efs,and they participated in religious activities such as pilgrimage and donation in a more large-scale and organized way.The temple Taoist Temple in Tiantai Mountain thus has a deeper and more intimate connection with the local communities.The monks and Taoist priests actively managed their relationship with the local gentry,clans,and local governments,and skillfully used the power of one of them to exert influence on the other,thereby safeguarding the interests of the temple and seeking the survival and development of the temple.This essay includes the purchasing and management of temple estate,the field dispute between Maoyuan Zhang and Tongbai Temple in the Kangxi period,the mine tax-exempt of Gaoming temple in the Wanli period,to show the view of the Tiantai Temple during the Ming and Qing Dynasties,Conflicts,cooperation and compromise with local gentry,clans,and officials,as well as self-positioning and discourse strategies of monks and Taoist priests in these interactive relationships.