Zhan Ru 湛如 is a Professor in Peking University’s School of Foreign Languages. Additionally, he is a vice president of the Buddhist Association of China and vice president of the Peking University Orientalism Research Institute. His areas of research include: Buddhist and Buddhist literature, the Indian Ministry of Buddhism, Dunhuang Buddhism, Buddhist system.
關鍵詞
Buddhism and technological innovation; horological instruments; Yixing=一行(683–727); precepts; calendrical science
摘要
This study focuses on the reasons for the Tang dynasty monk Yixing’s 一行 (683–727) participation in calendar formulation, examining the many changes that Buddhism brought to China from a social perspective. It is argued that on both doctrinal and practical levels, Buddhism played a significant role in promoting science and technology to an unprecedented height of development in medieval China, or even the whole of East Asia, before it ceded its influence to other religions in modern times.
目次
Abstract 232 Introduction 233 Monk and Calendrical Astronomy 234 The Precepts and Calendrical Calculation 238 Observing the Precepts and Telling Time with Clepsydras 244 Conclusion 250 Bibliography 251
