Han Yu: “Memorial on the Buddha’s Bones”

Questions for Further Study

• 1.: The history of Confucianism in early China was in large part a history of the intersection of politics, power, and religion. In what ways did Confucianism legitimize the power of Chinese rulers? In what ways did the influx of Buddhism challenge that power?
• 2.: The conflict that gave rise to Han Yu's document reflected a deeper underlying conflict between progressivism and conservatism. During the Tang Dynasty, imperial China was a center of cosmopolitanism and new ideas; Han Yu called for a return to more traditional Confucian beliefs and practices. Do you see a similar conflict occurring in twenty-first-century America? If so, how does that conflict manifest itself?
• 3.: The Confucianism that Han Yu champions placed considerable emphasis on such concepts as order versus chaos, harmony and peace, ancestor worship, family structure, ancient rituals, and social hierarchies. Why would his vision of culture, society, and organization have been attractive to the Chinese people at this time—so much so that he inaugurated the neo-Confucian movement that lasted for hundreds of years?
• 4.: Han Yu's memorial documents a chapter in the conflict between Buddhism and Confucianism in early China. Do you see any analogues of this conflict—a conflict between two major religions—in the modern world? Why does this type of religious conflict often break out into armed conflict and violence?
• 5.: The text states: “Searching for the root cause of the decline of imperial power [during the Tang Dynasty], some pointed to the presence of non-Han Chinese at all levels of the society. Uighurs and Tibetans were banned from living in the capital, resulting in the forcible removal and ultimate slaughter of Uighur residents from Chang'an's precincts.” Can you think of other examples of nations where foreign elements were blamed for social ills? Offer an explanation for why people blame “foreigners” when things appear to be going wrong.