THE CANTON CONFERENCE (1667-1668): ITS CONTENT AND SINIFICANCE

ABSTRACT

BUDDHISM WAS FOUNDED BY SHAKYAMUNI, AND THIS RELIGION HAS APPEARED IN OPPOSITION TO  BRAHMANISM'S CASTE SYSTEM SINCE ITS INCEPTION. SHAKYAMUNI EMPHASIZED THE IMPORTANT  CONCEPT OF “ALL BEINGS ARE EQUAL” FROM THE VERY BEGINNING. BUDDHISM SPREAD FROM INDIA TO  OTHER REGIONS, AND WAS INTRODUCED TO CHINA THROUGH CENTRAL ASIA. IN CHINA, BUDDHISM  MERGED THE TWO NATIVE CULTURES OF CONFUCIANISM AND TAOISM AND FINALLY PRODUCED THE SOCALLED CHINESE BUDDHISM. BUDDHISM AND ITS VALUE OF EQUALITY WERE ALSO DEVELOPED AND  EXTENDED IN CHINA, AND FINALLY SPREAD TO JAPAN. AFTER BUDDHISM WAS SPREAD TO JAPAN, IT  DEVELOPED RAPIDLY DUE TO OFFICIAL SUPPORT. DIFFERENT BUDDHIST SECTS HAVE ESTABLISHED THEIR OWN  TEMPLES IN JAPAN, AND AMONG THEM, ZEN BUDDHISM HAS THE GREATEST INFLUENCE AMONG ALL SOCIAL CLASSES IN THIS COUNTRY. LATER, AFTER YEARS OF DEVELOPMENT, ZEN BUDDHISM PENETRATED INTO MANY ASPECTS OF JAPANESE CULTURE, SUCH AS RELIGION, AESTHETICS, GARDEN DESIGN, SAMURAI SPIRIT  AND TEA CEREMONY. WITH THE SPREAD OF ZEN BUDDHISM, THE CORE VALUE OF BUDDHISM WHICH IS  “BUDDHIST CONCEPT OF EQUALITY” WAS ALSO SPREAD TO JAPAN. THE TEA CEREMONY IS PRECISELY THE  PLACE WHERE THIS VALUE OF EQUALITY CAN BE DETECTED. THIS DISSERTATION EXPLAINS THE MANY  PROCESSES THAT REFLECT THIS VALUE NO MATTER INSIDE OR OUTSIDE THE TEA ROOM, AND ARGUES THAT THE  SPIRIT OF THE TEA CEREMONY IS TO PURSUE THE VALUE OF EQUALITY