Ever since Buddhism came to China two thousand years ago in the Han dynasty, it has continued to develop. In its contact with other religions there was both syncretism and conflict which has led to the formation of a religious tradition different to original Buddhism. At the same time Chna’s native Daoist religion with its many sects has developed in step with Buddhism such that the two religions have become inseparable. A key question that should not be overlooked which has been around since the fourth century is the debate over religious hermeneutics. This is also an issue which no foreign religion may avoid. By the Yuan dynasty the development of the relationship between Buddhism and Daoism was such that there were several large-scale discussions held, of which the most influential took place during the reign of Emperor Xian (Möngke Khan) (r. 1251-1259). Hence, this paper chooses the conflict between Buddhism and Daoism during the Mongol/Yuan dynasty. The focus is the Record of Debates on Authenticity in the Zhi Yuan Year (1294) of the Great Yuan (Dynasty) by the bhiksu Xiang Mai. It discusses how Buddhism saw Daoism and how, in the midst of conflict, we may understand a religion’s authority to interpret its own message.
