Clerics › Religious Figure

Zhao Guizhen

Late Tang Daoist master heavily favored by Emperor Wuzong who actively instigated the Huichang Buddhist persecution.

Also known as Daoist Zhao Guizhen · Youjie Daomen Weiyi

Zhao Guizhen (d. 846 CE) was a powerful Daoist cleric at the court of Emperor Wuzong. His ideological advocacy against the Buddhist monastic economy catalyzed the widespread Huichang Suppression of Buddhism.

Life and times

  1. 780 CEBornTang
  2. 845Huichang Secularization of BuddhismTook partState secularization of 40,000 temples and 260,000 monastics to restore imperial fiscal solvency.
    1. Wuzong's Huichang Secularization of BuddhismEmperor Wuzong suppressed Buddhism, confiscating monastic estates and returning 260,000 monks to secular tax rolls.
  3. 846 CEDied

Connections

  1. Shared events3
    1. Li Deyu787 CE–850 CE
    2. Ennin (Jikaku Daishi)794 CE–864 CE
    3. Li Yan814 CE–846 CE

Records

Zhao Guizhen named teacher of the Daoist order of the left and right streets

Huichang 4 (844 CE)

Emperor Wuzong of Tang once summoned the Daoist Zhao Guizhen and eighty others into the palace to hold a Golden Register ritual in the three halls. In the third month of Huichang 4 Zhao Guizhen was named teacher of the Daoist order of the left and right streets. The emperor, intent on studying immortality, took Zhao as his teacher, and at each audience Zhao denounced Buddhism.

References (1)