The Timeless Principle of "Harmonizing All Nations"
Hu Chenfei, Southwest University of Political Science and Law
"The Record of the Buddhist Monasteries of Luoyang," completed in 547 AD during the Eastern Wei Dynasty's fifth year of the Wu Ding era, is deemed by the "Siku Quanshu Tiyao" to be on par with Li Daoyuan's "Commentary on the Water Classic." Author Yang Xuanzhi uses the rise and fall of Luoyang's Buddhist monasteries as a narrative thread to recount the prosperous era of the Northern Wei Dynasty under Emperor Xiaowen, who relocated the capital to Luoyang for four decades. Spanning five volumes, this work vividly reconstructs the entirety of the Northern Wei period, often filling in the gaps left by official histories. It is not only an exemplary document on Buddhist history and geography but also a significant testament to the Sinicization of the Xianbei people, the integration of various ethnicities, and early cultural exchanges between China and countries in Central Asia and South Asia along the Silk Road. The book underscores the ancient Chinese wisdom that underpins the governance philosophy of "harmonizing all nations."
The Northern Wei, as a minority-led dynasty, contended with the Southern Dynasties while simultaneously pursuing Sinicization policies and relocating the capital to Luoyang, gradually transforming their identity and achieving Sinicization. In this endeavor of ethnic amalgamation and cross-regional interaction, the Northern Wei regime maintained a pursuit of internal cohesion for unity, leveraging the continuity of Han culture to establish and solidify its authoritative political stance, culminating in the flourishing era of Luoyang, where neighbors from all directions coexisted harmoniously. "The Record of the Buddhist Monasteries of Luoyang" emphasizes the preservation and reinforcement of Luoyang's royal legitimacy rooted in Han culture, indicating that "internal cohesion" is the cornerstone of "harmonizing all nations."
"The Record of the Buddhist Monasteries of Luoyang" highlights the royal legitimacy centered on Han culture while also showcasing the inclusive prosperity of Luoyang, a melting pot of diverse cultures. During the Northern Wei period, Luoyang was a collective entity of cultural synthesis, where Central Plains culture, nomadic grassland culture, and Buddhist culture, among others, clashed, interacted, and merged within the city's confines. This tolerance and integration of foreign peoples and heterogeneous cultures under a unified political framework are what truly established the ideal era of "harmonizing all nations."
If the Northern Wei Luoyang depicted in "The Record of the Buddhist Monasteries of Luoyang" created an era of "harmonizing all nations" with an inclusive and tolerant stance, then the continuous self-renewal within its society and culture, as portrayed in the book, is the lifeblood that sustains the vitality of the era of "harmonizing all nations."
The Chinese nation has long cherished the value of "harmony," with Confucius elevating the concept to a political standard for managing relations between ethnic groups and nations. The Northern Wei, as documented in "The Record of the Buddhist Monasteries of Luoyang," continued this political standard, with its rulers adeptly utilizing Buddhist beliefs to exemplify the fundamental approach of "harmonizing all nations" through mutual communication, visits, respect, assistance, and benefits, embodying the wisdom of "harmony."
The principles of "harmonizing all nations" as interpreted in "The Record of the Buddhist Monasteries of Luoyang" serve as an insightful commentary on the enduring vitality of Chinese culture. The Northern Wei Dynasty's steadfast adherence to internal cohesion and the philosophy of moderation and inclusiveness not only vividly embodies the concept and wisdom of "harmonizing myriad nations" within Chinese culture but also offers us valuable reflections for building a "community with a shared future for mankind" in the present day. The tradition of China sharing its successful experiences with the world is both ancient and ever-evolving; as said by President Xi Jinping, the future China is poised to embrace the world with an even more open posture and contribute to it with a more vibrant civilization.
Published on November 21, 2024