| Summary: | This thesis explores the cult of Mount T'ai in the Ming dynasty (1368-1644)
by examining its beliefs, practices and historical developments. The first chapter
introduces the religious environment of the Ming by addressing the historical
background of the founder of the Ming, Ming T'ai-tsu (r. 1368-1398), and his
policy toward popular religions. T'ai-tsu's background influenced his views about
religion, and his attitudes were followed, to some extent, by his descendants,
later emperors. The last part provides a summary of the environment of ordinary
people's religions and their religious practices.
Since the Mount T'ai cult had existed long before the Ming, chapter two
summarizes this cult prior to the Ming by discussing its early history and the early
history of the role of Mount T'ai in beliefs about afterlife.
Chapter three examines the cult of Mount T'ai in the Ming from three
perspectives: as a state cult, a popular cult, and as the most popular cult of the
goddess of Mount T'ai during the Ming. This chapter suggests that the
development of these cults was closely linked to the ongoing changes in popular
culture and the the attitudes of the state toward religions.
Chapter four turns to religious and social activities related to Mount T'ai. In
analyzing the incense tax, which was levied on pilgrims and visitors entering
Mount T'ai, the pilgrimage trade, and the attitudes of the Ming elites toward
popular beliefs about Mount T'ai, I suggest that religious activities were an area
where people of all social classes, including the educated level, routinely came
into contact.
Chapter five discusses two seventeenth century religious texts about
Mount T'ai: Lina-vina T'ai-shan niang-niana pao-chuan (The precious volume of our efficacious Lady of Mount T'ai) and T'ai-shan tung-yueh shih-wang paochuan
(The precious volume of the Ten Kings of the eastern peak Mount T'ai).
This chapter explores these two books in terms of their connections to three
teachings (Buddhism, Taoism, and Confucianism), sectarianism, and the
attitudes of the religious groups toward the state. The concluding comments
characterize the interactions between popular religions, the state, and society.
The cult of Mount T'ai developed in a context of socio-religious culture through a
process of mutual enrichment.
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