DollyWootten0: typo fix

2026-03-01T23:05:32Z

typo fix

← Older revision		Revision as of 04:35, 2 March 2026
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			{{Short description\|School of Chinese Buddhism}}
	[[File:Yunnan xingjiao temple.jpg\|thumb\|200px\|The Xingjiao Temple in Shaxi is a [[Ming dynasty]] Buddhist temple of the [[Bai people]]]]		[[File:Yunnan xingjiao temple.jpg\|thumb\|200px\|The Xingjiao Temple in Shaxi is a [[Ming dynasty]] Buddhist temple of the [[Bai people]]]]
	{{Vajrayana}}		{{Vajrayana}}
	'''Azhaliism''' ({{zh\|c=阿吒力教\|p=Āzhālìjiào}}) is a [[Vajrayana]] [[Buddhism\|Buddhist]] religion practiced among the [[Bai people]] of [[Yunnan]], [[China]].{{sfnb\|Huang\|Zhang\|2013}}{{sfnb\|Wu\|2011\|441}} The name comes from lay tantric priests called ''azhali'' (Sanskrit: ''[[acharyas]]'') who are key figures in the religion, known for their use of spells and mantras.<ref>Orzech, Charles D. (general editor) (2011). Esoteric Buddhism and the Tantras in East Asia. Brill, page 381.</ref>		'''Azhaliism''' ({{zh\|c=阿吒力教\|p=Āzhālìjiào}}), also known as '''Dianmi''' or '''Baimi''', is a [[Vajrayana]] [[Buddhism\|Buddhist]] religion practiced among the [[Bai people]] of [[Yunnan]], [[China]].{{sfnb\|Huang\|Zhang\|2013}}{{sfnb\|Wu\|2011\|p=441}} The name comes from lay tantric priests called ''azhali'' (Sanskrit: ''[[acharyas]]'') who are key figures in the religion, known for their use of spells and mantras.<ref>Orzech, Charles D. (general editor) (2011). Esoteric Buddhism and the Tantras in East Asia. Brill, page 381.</ref>

	==~~Origin~~==		==History==
	The ~~tradition was founded by~~ an ~~Indian~~ [[acharya]] named Candragupta ~~who traveled~~ to the ~~kingdom~~ of [[~~Nanzhao~~]] (~~653–902~~) ~~from Tibet in 839~~.<ref>Hearn, Maxwell K. and Smith, Judith G. Arts of the Sung and Yuan: Papers prepared for an international symposium organized by the Metropolitan Museum of Art in conjunction with the exhibition Splendors of Imperial China: Treasures from the National Palace Museum, Teipei, page 239.</ref> It is a hybrid ~~tradition~~ showing Chinese, Tibetan and Burmese influences.<ref>Orzech, Charles D. (general editor) (2011). Esoteric Buddhism and the Tantras in East Asia. Brill, page 379.</ref> This tradition was also the major religion of the [[Dali Kingdom]] (937–1253).
			Azhali (Acharya) was a form of [[Tantric Buddhism]] that originated around 821-824 when a monk from India called Li Xian Maishun arrived in [[Nanzhao]] (653–902). More monks from India arrived in 825 and 828 and built a temple in [[Heqing County\|Heqing]].<ref>Howard, Angela F. "The Dhāraṇī pillar of Kunming, Yunnan: A legacy of esoteric Buddhism and burial rites of the Bai people in the kingdom of Dali, 937–1253", Artibus Asiae 57, 1997, pp. 33-72 (see pp. 43–44).</ref> In 839, an [[acharya]] named Candragupta entered Nanzhao. Quanfengyou appointed him as a state mentor and married his sister Yueying to Candragupta. It was said that he meditated in a thatched cottage of Fengding Mountain in the east of [[Heqing County\|Heqing]], and became an "enlightened God." He established an altar to propagate [[Tantra\|tantric]] doctrines in Changdong Mountain of [[Tengchong]]. Candragupta continued to propagate tantric doctrines, translated the tantric scripture ''The Rites of the Great Consecration'', and engaged in water conservancy projects. He left for his homeland later on and possibly went to Tibet to propagate his teachings. When he returned to Nanzhao, he built Wuwei Temple.<ref>India China Encyclopedia Vol. 1 (2014), p. 256</ref><ref>Hearn, Maxwell K. and Smith, Judith G. Arts of the Sung and Yuan: Papers prepared for an international symposium organized by the Metropolitan Museum of Art in conjunction with the exhibition Splendors of Imperial China: Treasures from the National Palace Museum, Teipei, page 239.</ref>

			In 851, an inscription in [[Jianchuan]] dedicated images to [[Maitreya]] and [[Amitabha]].{{sfn\|Bryson\|2016\|p=32}} The Nanzhao king Quanfengyou commissioned Chinese architects from the [[Tang dynasty]] to build the [[Three Pagodas]].{{sfn\|Bryson\|2016\|p=32}} The last king of Nanzhao established Buddhism as the official state religion.<ref>{{cite web \|url=http://www.dali.gov.cn/DefaultStyle/DefaultStyle_NewPage.aspx?PageId=81594 \|title=Nanzhao State and Dali State \|publisher=City of Dali \|url-status=dead \|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20060903232637/http://www.dali.gov.cn/DefaultStyle/DefaultStyle_NewPage.aspx?PageId=81594 \|archive-date=2006-09-03 }}</ref> In the ''Nanzhao Tushu juan'', the Nanzhao Buddhist elite are depicted with light skin whereas the people who oppose Buddhism are depicted as short and dark skinned.{{sfn\|Bryson\|2016\|p=35}}

			{{blockquote\|The Three Pagoda Temple 三塔寺 controlled the Ranggong Chapel 讓公庵, which the Gao family constructed during the Nanzhao kingdom period. Friends of the famous Neo-Confucian scholar Li Yuanyang 李元陽 (1497–1580) supported the chapel by donating funds to buy farm land for its maintenance as late as the Jiajing reign period (1522–1566). According to tradition, seven holy monks 聖僧 constructed Biaoleng Temple during the Nanzhao kingdom period. A stele dated 1430 (Xuande 5) records that Zhao Yanzhen 趙彥貞 from a local family of officials renovated Longhua Temple (flourished during the Nanzhao to Dali kingdom periods) after its destruction by the Ming army.{{sfn\|Huang\|2020\|p=55}}\|Jianxiong Ma}}

			Azhali is considered a sect of Tantrism or esoteric Buddhism with hybrid traditions showing Chinese, Tibetan and Burmese influences.<ref>Orzech, Charles D. (general editor) (2011). Esoteric Buddhism and the Tantras in East Asia. Brill, page 379.</ref> This tradition was also the major religion of the [[Dali Kingdom]] (937–1253). Acharya itself means guru or teacher in [[Sanskrit]]. According to Azhali practices among the Bai people, acharyas were allowed to marry and have children. The position of acharya was hereditary. The acharyas became state mentors in Nanzhao and held great influence until the [[Mongol conquest of China]] in the 13th century, during which the acharyas called upon various peoples to resist the Mongol rulers and later the Chinese during the [[Ming conquest of Yunnan]]. [[Zhu Yuanzhang]] banned the dissemination of Azhali Buddhism for a time before setting up an office to administer the religion.<ref>India China Encyclopedia Vol. 1 (2014), p. 151</ref>

			The area had a strong connection with Tantric Buddhism, which has survived to this day<ref>Megan Bryson, "Baijie and the Bai: Gender and Ethnic Religion in Dali, Yunnan", ''Asian Ethnology'' 72, 2013, pp. 3-31</ref> at Jianchuan and neighboring areas. The worship of [[Guanyin]] and [[Mahākāla]] is very different from other forms of [[Chinese Buddhism]].<ref>Megan Bryson, "Mahākāla worship in the Dali kingdom (937-1253) – A study and translation of the ''Dahei tianshen daochang yi''", ''Journal of the International Association of Buddhist Studies'' 35, 2012, pp. 3-69</ref> Nanzhao likely had strong religious connections with the [[Pagan Kingdom]] in what is today Myanmar, as well as Tibet and Bengal (see [[Pala Empire]]).<ref>Thant Myint-U, Where China Meets India: Burma and the New Crossroads of Asia, Part 3</ref>

	==Deities==		==Deities==
	[[File:Guanyin, Dali Kingdom (12th Century), Freer Gallery of Art, Washington, DC (6265051772).jpg\|thumb\|~~[[Acuoye Guanyin]]~~, [[Dali Kingdom]]]]		[[File:Guanyin, Dali Kingdom (12th Century), Freer Gallery of Art, Washington, DC (6265051772).jpg\|thumb\|{{ill\|Avalokitesvara\|lt=\|zh\|阿嵯耶观音}}, [[Dali Kingdom]]]]
	Key deities in this tradition include [[Mahakala]] (known locally as 'Black Sky god') and ~~Acuoye~~ [[Guanyin]]. The Shibaoshan (Stone Treasure Mountain) grottoes, about {{convert\|10\|km}} north of [[Shaxi, Yunnan]], are examples of the art of this Vajrayana tradition.<ref>Esoteric Buddhism in the Dali region, http://www.shaxichina.com/pray/buddhism-in-shaxi.htm {{Webarchive\|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20170905100426/http://www.shaxichina.com/pray/buddhism-in-shaxi.htm \|date=2017-09-05 }}</ref>		Key deities in this tradition include [[Mahakala]] (known locally as 'Black Sky god') and Acharya [[Guanyin\|Lokeshvara]]. The Shibaoshan (Stone Treasure Mountain) grottoes, about {{convert\|10\|km}} north of [[Shaxi, Yunnan]], are examples of the art of this Vajrayana tradition.<ref name = "shaxin">Esoteric Buddhism in the Dali region, http://www.shaxichina.com/pray/buddhism-in-shaxi.htm {{Webarchive\|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20170905100426/http://www.shaxichina.com/pray/buddhism-in-shaxi.htm \|date=2017-09-05 }}</ref>

	==Modern era==		==Modern era==
	The tradition faced several challenges during Yuan and Qing rule (such as being banned in 1507 and competition from Han Buddhist schools like [[Chan Buddhism\|Chan]]) but it continues as a living religion today.<ref>Esoteric Buddhism in the Dali region, http://www.shaxichina.com/pray/buddhism-in-shaxi.htm {{Webarchive\|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20170905100426/http://www.shaxichina.com/pray/buddhism-in-shaxi.htm \|date=~~2017-09-05 }}<~~/~~ref~~>		The tradition faced several challenges during Yuan and Qing rule (such as being banned in 1507 and competition from Han Buddhist schools like [[Chan Buddhism\|Chan]]) but it continues as a living religion today.<ref name = "shaxin"/>

	==See also==		==See also==
	* [[Benzhuism]]		* [[Benzhuism]]
			* [[Chinese Buddhism]]
			* [[Chinese folk religion]]
	* [[Chongsheng Temple (Yunnan)]]		* [[Chongsheng Temple (Yunnan)]]
	* [[Vajrayana]]		* [[Vajrayana]]

	==Citations==		==Citations==
	~~===References===~~
	{{reflist}}		{{reflist}}

	===~~Sources~~===		==Bibliography==
	* {{cite journal\| last1 = Huang \| first1 = Zhengliang \| last2 = Zhang \| first2 = Xilu \| title = Research Review of Bai Esoteric Buddhist Azhali Religion Since the 20th Century \| journal = Journal of Dali University \| date = 2013 \| url = http://en.cnki.com.cn/Article_en/CJFDTotal-DLSZ201307000.htm \| ~~ref~~ = ~~none~~}}		*{{citation\|last=Bryson\|first=Megan\|year=2013\|title=Baijie and the Bai}}
			*{{citation\|last=Bryson\|first=Megan\|year=2016\|title=Goddess on the Frontier: Religion, Ethnicity, and Gender in Southwest China\|publisher=Stanford University Press}}
			* {{cite journal\| last1 = Huang \| first1 = Zhengliang \| last2 = Zhang \| first2 = Xilu \| title = Research Review of Bai Esoteric Buddhist Azhali Religion Since the 20th Century \| journal = Journal of Dali University \| date = 2013 \| url = http://en.cnki.com.cn/Article_en/CJFDTotal-DLSZ201307000.htm }}
			*{{citation\|last=Huang\|first=Caiwen\|year=2020\|title=The Lancang Guard and the Construction of Ming society in northwest Yunnan}}
	* {{cite book \| last = Wu \| first = Jiang \| year = 2011 \| title = Enlightenment in Dispute: The Reinvention of Chan Buddhism in Seventeenth-Century China \| publisher = Oxford University Press \| location = USA \| url = https://books.google.com/books?id=d7Dg5N4tSWgC \| ISBN = 0199895562 }}		* {{cite book \| last = Wu \| first = Jiang \| year = 2011 \| title = Enlightenment in Dispute: The Reinvention of Chan Buddhism in Seventeenth-Century China \| publisher = Oxford University Press \| location = USA \| url = https://books.google.com/books?id=d7Dg5N4tSWgC \| ISBN = 0199895562 }}

			[[Category:Schools of Vajrayana Buddhism]]
	~~{{Mahayana-stub}}~~
	~~{{Buddhism-stub}}~~

	[[Category:Vajrayana ~~Buddhist schools~~]]
	[[Category:Bai people]]		[[Category:Bai people]]
			[[Category:Chinese Vajrayana Buddhism]]

>Dhammapala Tan: /* See also */ Added links

2021-04-21T11:14:34Z

See also: Added links

New page

[[File:Yunnan xingjiao temple.jpg|thumb|200px|The Xingjiao Temple in Shaxi is a [[Ming dynasty]] Buddhist temple of the [[Bai people]]]]
{{Vajrayana}}
'''Azhaliism''' ({{zh|c=阿吒力教|p=Āzhālìjiào}}) is a [[Vajrayana]] [[Buddhism|Buddhist]] religion practiced among the [[Bai people]] of [[Yunnan]], [[China]].{{sfnb|Huang|Zhang|2013}}{{sfnb|Wu|2011|441}} The name comes from lay tantric priests called ''azhali'' (Sanskrit: ''[[acharyas]]'') who are key figures in the religion, known for their use of spells and mantras.<ref>Orzech, Charles D. (general editor) (2011). Esoteric Buddhism and the Tantras in East Asia. Brill, page 381.</ref>

==Origin==
The tradition was founded by an Indian [[acharya]] named Candragupta who traveled to the kingdom of [[Nanzhao]] (653–902) from Tibet in 839.<ref>Hearn, Maxwell K. and Smith, Judith G. Arts of the Sung and Yuan: Papers prepared for an international symposium organized by the Metropolitan Museum of Art in conjunction with the exhibition Splendors of Imperial China: Treasures from the National Palace Museum, Teipei, page 239.</ref> It is a hybrid tradition showing Chinese, Tibetan and Burmese influences.<ref>Orzech, Charles D. (general editor) (2011). Esoteric Buddhism and the Tantras in East Asia. Brill, page 379.</ref> This tradition was also the major religion of the [[Dali Kingdom]] (937–1253).

==Deities==
[[File:Guanyin, Dali Kingdom (12th Century), Freer Gallery of Art, Washington, DC (6265051772).jpg|thumb|[[Acuoye Guanyin]], [[Dali Kingdom]]]]
Key deities in this tradition include [[Mahakala]] (known locally as 'Black Sky god') and Acuoye [[Guanyin]]. The Shibaoshan (Stone Treasure Mountain) grottoes, about {{convert|10|km}} north of [[Shaxi, Yunnan]], are examples of the art of this Vajrayana tradition.<ref>Esoteric Buddhism in the Dali region, http://www.shaxichina.com/pray/buddhism-in-shaxi.htm {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20170905100426/http://www.shaxichina.com/pray/buddhism-in-shaxi.htm |date=2017-09-05 }}</ref>

==Modern era==
The tradition faced several challenges during Yuan and Qing rule (such as being banned in 1507 and competition from Han Buddhist schools like [[Chan Buddhism|Chan]]) but it continues as a living religion today.<ref>Esoteric Buddhism in the Dali region, http://www.shaxichina.com/pray/buddhism-in-shaxi.htm {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20170905100426/http://www.shaxichina.com/pray/buddhism-in-shaxi.htm |date=2017-09-05 }}</ref>

==See also==
* [[Benzhuism]]
* [[Chongsheng Temple (Yunnan)]]
* [[Vajrayana]]

==Citations==
===References===
{{reflist}}

===Sources===
* {{cite journal| last1 = Huang | first1 = Zhengliang | last2 = Zhang | first2 = Xilu | title = Research Review of Bai Esoteric Buddhist Azhali Religion Since the 20th Century | journal = Journal of Dali University | date = 2013 | url = http://en.cnki.com.cn/Article_en/CJFDTotal-DLSZ201307000.htm | ref = none}}
* {{cite book | last = Wu | first = Jiang | year = 2011 | title = Enlightenment in Dispute: The Reinvention of Chan Buddhism in Seventeenth-Century China | publisher = Oxford University Press | location = USA | url = https://books.google.com/books?id=d7Dg5N4tSWgC | ISBN = 0199895562 }}

{{Mahayana-stub}}
{{Buddhism-stub}}

[[Category:Vajrayana Buddhist schools]]
[[Category:Bai people]]

Azhaliism - Revision history

DollyWootten0: typo fix

>Dhammapala Tan: /* See also */ Added links