A Preliminary Exploration of Buddhist Culture in Tang Legends

Abstract: The chuanqi (legendary stories) of Tang Dynasty are widely recognized as a milestone that marks a new stage in the history of Chinese fiction. During this period, the Tang Dynasty adopted a religious policy that allowed Buddhism and Daoism to coexist, leading both religions to reach their historical peaks of prosperity. In the texts of Tang chuanqi, Buddhist thought is also endowed with profound meaning. This paper aims to conduct a detailed analysis of the stylistic features, literary themes, and character outcomes in five classic Tang Legends from the Anthology of Tang and Song Tales, including The World Inside a Pillow, The Governor of Nanke (or An Account of the Governor of the Southern Branch), An Account of Xie Xiaoe, The Tale of Li Zhangwu, and The Tale of Miss Liu. Through this analysis, the study preliminarily explores the Buddhist cultural connotations contained within these works. The significance of this research lies in revealing the profound influence of Buddhist culture in Tang Dynasty literature, promoting a deeper understanding of the stylistic features, literary motifs, and character outcomes of Tang chuanqi, providing valuable insights for contemporary literary creation.