Author Affiliations: Sheng Yen Education Foundation Postdoctoral Fellow in Chinese Buddhism at the University of British Columbia
關鍵詞
Yixing; Amoghavajra; Śubhakarasiṃha; Navagraha; Astronomy; Astrology; Chinese calendar
摘要
This study reviews the Chinese Buddhist approach to astronomy and calendars during the first millennium CE. I demonstrate that although Indian astronomical and calendrical concepts were often translated into Chinese Buddhist literature, few of these conventions were ever actually implemented in China. I also demonstrate that the Chinese sangha relied upon secular and/or Indian astronomical materials in translation. I highlight the eighth-century monk Yixing as a unique example of a Chinese Buddhist monk who also acted as a court astronomer, but I argue that despite his identity as a monk, his career as an astronomer was actually separate from his activities within Buddhism. Finally, with additional reference to Amoghavajra, I argue that Buddhism as an institution in China did not facilitate developments in astronomy or calendrical science, but rather it took a deferential attitude toward these fields.
目次
Introduction Historical Background Astronomy and Calendrical Science in the Chinese Sangha The Remarkable Career of Yixing in Astronomy Amoghavajra and Astrology Chinese Buddhism and Horoscopy Conclusion Compliance with Ethical Standards References
