Although she was forced to become a nun the second time, the two experiences of being a nun made Wu Zetian have an indissoluble bond with Buddhism.
And when Wu Zetian defied the public's disapproval and became emperor as a woman, she became even more dependent on the support of Buddhism.
There were three major theoretical systems that controlled people's thoughts in the Tang Dynasty, namely Confucianism, Taoism, and Buddhism. If Wu Zetian wanted to be the emperor, she had to choose from these three. Traditional Confucian classics did not allow women to participate in state affairs. For example, "The Book of History. Mu Shi" wrote: "A hen does not crow in the morning. When a hen crows in the morning, it means the family is in trouble." Another example is "The False Confucius Biography" which wrote: "If a female crows for a male, the family will be destroyed. If a woman takes over state affairs, the country will be destroyed."
Taoism has a deep connection with the Li Tang royal family. The Tang royal family even worshipped Lao Tzu of Taoism as their ancestor, so the only ideological system Wu Ze could choose was Buddhism.
Wu Zetian used Buddhism because Buddhism had three advantages that could support Wu Zetian. First, the theory of equality of all beings, the difference between men and women is not as strong as Confucianism; second, Buddhism cares about people's hearts, so it controls people's thoughts; third, Wu Zetian had a religious background as a nun. Similarly, Buddhism was squeezed by Taoism at the time, and it also needed to find a patron among high-level political decision-makers. Therefore, Buddhism helped Wu Zetian become emperor, and Buddhism also found a patron.
Wu Zetian’s connection with Buddhism means mutual benefit and win-win situation!
Wu Zetian's connection with Buddhism led to Buddhism recognizing her as the incarnation of Bodhisattva. For Wu Zetian, this meant that she had found a powerful theoretical weapon that could not only help her establish her rule, but also help her stabilize her rule.
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