#69 - S&N 13: The Ransom Of The Boddhisatva Emperor

Buddhism has taken Southern China by storm, but few more than its emperor, Wu of Liang. He’ll try to talk a monk out of setting himself on fire, have an awkward chat with the founder of Zen Buddhism, and even enter a monastery and refuse to leave, prompting his whole court to “ransom” him back by bribing the monks to kick him out. All of this while civil war ripples through Northern Wei. Time Period Covered: 517-535 CE Notable Figures: Emperor Wu of Liang (née Xiao Yan) Consort Ding Lingguang Crowned Prince Xiao Tong Crowned Prince Xiao Gang Marquis Xiao Zhengde Monk Daodu Monk Boddhidharma Sources Used: Burning for the Buddha by James A. Benn Zizhi Tongjian by Sima Guang Blue Cliff Record (BiYan Lu) by Yuanwu Keqin Textual History of the Mahāyāna-mahāparinirvāna-sūtra by Stephen Hodge