Abstract:
Against the background of the Sui Dynasty’s unification of China, this article show cooperation and competition between two forces: Sui political force led by Yang Guang and Buddhist force led by Zhiyi. The two forces continuously changed their strategy and relation with respect to the changing political background. The karma, the establishment of Tiantai Sect, Zhiyi’s status within Buddhism and early prestige of Yang Guang, all these factors contributed to the complicated relation. This is a classic successful case of paragenesis between politics and religions. Due to abundant historical materials of the time, the case is an important reference for studying how autocrat and ideology influence upon each other. Besides, towards complicated leaders like Yang Guang and Zhiyi, we need a deep look into their behaviors and roles.
