The Dynamics of Chinese Buddhism in the Ming and Qing

Social Network Analysis Based on a Combined Dataset

Abstract

The revival of Buddhism during the late Ming and early Qing has long captivated scholarly interest. Recently, a significant methodological advancement has emerged through the application of social network analysis, leveraging the extensive “Historical Social Network of Chinese Buddhism” dataset. This paper seeks to further refine scholarly understanding of this revitalisation by incorporating monks of the Vinaya tradition, largely absent from the original dataset. To achieve this, it proposes an innovative approach that integrates period-specific data from the original dataset with newly collected data. The analysis corroborates scholarly emphasis on the centrality of Chan master Miyun Yuanwu 密雲圓悟 (1567–1642) in the late Ming, employing both degree and betweenness centrality. However, the integration of the Vinaya segment reconfigures the arrange-ment of Chan lineages vis-à-vis the High Qing imperial cluster, providing new perspectives on the early Qing and eighteenth century, particularly emphasising the role of Vinaya monks who served as Mount Baohua (Baohua shan 寶華山) abbots. These findings underscore the significance of the Vinaya tradition through quantitative metrics, enhancing scholarly understanding of the history of the Buddhist community during this period. 

近期，明末清初佛教復興研究通過社會網路分析取得了重大突破。本文旨在將律宗僧人納入社會網路分析，為此提出了一種創新方法：將原始資料庫中的特定時期資料與新收集的資料相結合，以分析並驗證學界關於晚明禪師密雲圓悟（1567–1642年）居於核心地位的觀點。然而，在納入律宗資料後，基於盛清帝室群集的網路結構，禪宗法派的網路結構也隨之被重新繪製。這不僅為清初和康乾盛世提供了新的解讀視角，還揭示了律宗重鎮寶華山住持的深遠影響。這些研究結果通過量化分析，突顯了律宗在該時期佛教社群歷史中的重要性，並進一步加深了學界對這一歷史階段的理解。