This essay will focus mostly on the Tang dynastic empire (618–907 CE), a “second
wave” empire as defined in the Introduction to this volume, and its relations with
Buddhism, although it will be necessary to say something about earlier Chinese dynasties
and about other religions. As we shall see, an awareness of history permeates
the relationship between the Tang imperium and the Buddhist establishment;
both parties were well informed as to what had happened between them before
and tried to act accordingly. I will first give an overview of the normative state
of relations between the Tang imperial government and the Buddhist church
and supply some background on the historical context in which those relations occurred.
I will then indicate what I see as the recurrent problems and potential benefits
of the relationship (an issue common to empires and religions, as noted in the
Introduction), mostly from the perspective of the Tang rulers. Then, I will examine
the strategies adopted by the state