QIAN Qian-yi (1582—1664) and Buddhism

Drawing on the works of QIAN Qianyi and those of his associates, as well as temple record of his home district, I refute QIAN Zhongshu's too facile assertion that QIAN Qianyi became a devout Buddhist only during the last two decades of his life, and that his conversion was intended primarily to make amends for his having shamelessly surrendered to the Manchu dynasty. I will prove that, to the contrary, QIAN Qianyi's devotion to Buddhism was live long. First, he was introduced to Buddhism by his grand-mother and grand-uncle at a tender age. Further, most of his literati associates, both in his home district and the greater lower Yangtze, were devout Buddhists. As well, QIAN Qianyi once identified himself with an early Ming scholar of Buddhism and Confucianism, Song Lien, who made significant contributions to the founding of the Ming Dynasty. Indeed, QIAN Qianyi had, at one point of official career, aspired to be a high ranking minister during the reign of Emperor Zhongzhen so that he may use that position to propagate Buddhism. In conclusion, I suggest that any study of the relationships between literati and Buddhism in the late Ming and early Qing must take into consideration of the individual's family and lineage backgrounds, his network of associates, and his secular and ecclesiastic aspirations. In short, historical contexts remain essential.