On December 4, 2025, the "Buddhist Teaching Workshop," hosted by the Center for Buddhist Studies at Fo Guang University, invited Associate Professor Pei-ying Lin from National Chengchi University to deliver a keynote speech titled "Japanese Prince Shōtoku and the Transmission Network of Tang Dynasty East Asian Buddhism". Approaching the subject from multiple perspectives—including art history, religious narratives, textual evolution, and cross-cultural interaction—the lecture led the audience to re-examine Prince Shōtoku's historical positioning within Japanese Buddhism and how he became a crucial node connecting the cultural exchanges between China, Korea, and Japan.
Professor Lin pointed out that the introduction of Buddhism to Japan was not the contribution of a single figure but a continuous flow involving multiple routes across centuries. Although Prince Shōtoku is often portrayed as the "Father of Japanese Buddhism," this narrative shares a similar constructive function with the story of Emperor Ming of Han dreaming of a golden man : both serve the need to reinforce the state's Buddhist orthodoxy and establish a sacred link between the imperial family and the Dharma. These narratives reflect social psychology and highlight the reconstruction of Buddhist identity across different eras.
The lecture also specifically analyzed the legend that "Prince Shōtoku was the eighth reincarnation of Tiantai Master Huisi". This imagination first appeared in Du Fei’s Biography of the Dharma Gate of Meditation Master Nanyue Si and was later continuously expanded in a series of texts from the 8th to 9th centuries by important authors such as Situo. It ultimately became a significant lineage narrative for the establishment of Buddhism in Japan. The value of these legends lies not necessarily in historical fact , but in how they were used to strengthen sectarian genealogies , support political authority, and respond to the needs of religious institutionalization at the time.
Using the famous legend of the "Old Beggar at Mount Kataoka" as an example, Professor Lin demonstrated how narratives were constantly rewritten by later generations. The original story merely described the Prince giving alms to a beggar who subsequently vanished. However, Saichō’s disciple Kōjō added a key element: the beggar identifies himself as Bodhidharma, symbolizing the eastward transmission of Chan (Zen) teachings.
Another highlight of the lecture was the discussion on the authenticity of the "Tōhon miei" (Imperial Portrait in Tang Style). Although the Tōhon miei has long been regarded as the earliest portrait of Prince Shōtoku , University of Tokyo scholar Imaeda Aishin pointed out that "this portrait is in fact not of Prince Shōtoku, but an image of a Tang person" , and it may have originated from Paekche-lineage artisans.
Through cross-cultural examination, Professor Lin emphasized that many important monks, attendants, and artisans around Prince Shōtoku came from the Korean Peninsula. Paekche artisans not only participated in the construction of Hōryūji Temple , but their metal and wood carving techniques also directly influenced early Japanese Buddhist art. At the same time, communities of Korean descendants strengthened their sense of belonging in Japanese society through religious narratives—for example, the founding story of Shitennōji (Four Heavenly Kings Temple) presents the profound religious and cultural interaction between Japan and Paekche.
The lecture also cited numerous Tang Dynasty murals, including the "Envoys" from Prince Zhanghuai's tomb , murals from the Mogao Caves , and the "Wooden Strip with Tower and Landscape" (Rōkaku sansuizu mokkan) from the Shōsōin Treasure House. Through a comparison of Japanese and Tang painting costumes , Professor Lin noted: "The flow of East Asian culture was by no means unidirectional. Japanese imagination regarding China and Korea often contained ambiguous 'gray spaces,' yet they demanded a clear definition for their own culture". This illustrates that images are not merely artistic works but microcosms of politics, culture, and identity.
In concluding the lecture, Professor Lin summarized that the image and legend of Prince Shōtoku is a process of continuous construction. It reflects the needs for identity recognition, sectarian competition, discourses on cultural origins, and the complex cultural interactions among Japan, Korea, and China within the development of Japanese Buddhism. The value of historical narratives lies not only in their "authenticity" but in the socio-cultural logic of "why they were narrated in such a way".
Professor Lin pointed out that the introduction of Buddhism to Japan was not the contribution of a single figure but a continuous flow involving multiple routes across centuries. Although Prince Shōtoku is often portrayed as the "Father of Japanese Buddhism," this narrative shares a similar constructive function with the story of Emperor Ming of Han dreaming of a golden man : both serve the need to reinforce the state's Buddhist orthodoxy and establish a sacred link between the imperial family and the Dharma. These narratives reflect social psychology and highlight the reconstruction of Buddhist identity across different eras.
The lecture also specifically analyzed the legend that "Prince Shōtoku was the eighth reincarnation of Tiantai Master Huisi". This imagination first appeared in Du Fei’s Biography of the Dharma Gate of Meditation Master Nanyue Si and was later continuously expanded in a series of texts from the 8th to 9th centuries by important authors such as Situo. It ultimately became a significant lineage narrative for the establishment of Buddhism in Japan. The value of these legends lies not necessarily in historical fact , but in how they were used to strengthen sectarian genealogies , support political authority, and respond to the needs of religious institutionalization at the time.
Using the famous legend of the "Old Beggar at Mount Kataoka" as an example, Professor Lin demonstrated how narratives were constantly rewritten by later generations. The original story merely described the Prince giving alms to a beggar who subsequently vanished. However, Saichō’s disciple Kōjō added a key element: the beggar identifies himself as Bodhidharma, symbolizing the eastward transmission of Chan (Zen) teachings.
Another highlight of the lecture was the discussion on the authenticity of the "Tōhon miei" (Imperial Portrait in Tang Style). Although the Tōhon miei has long been regarded as the earliest portrait of Prince Shōtoku , University of Tokyo scholar Imaeda Aishin pointed out that "this portrait is in fact not of Prince Shōtoku, but an image of a Tang person" , and it may have originated from Paekche-lineage artisans.
Through cross-cultural examination, Professor Lin emphasized that many important monks, attendants, and artisans around Prince Shōtoku came from the Korean Peninsula. Paekche artisans not only participated in the construction of Hōryūji Temple , but their metal and wood carving techniques also directly influenced early Japanese Buddhist art. At the same time, communities of Korean descendants strengthened their sense of belonging in Japanese society through religious narratives—for example, the founding story of Shitennōji (Four Heavenly Kings Temple) presents the profound religious and cultural interaction between Japan and Paekche.
The lecture also cited numerous Tang Dynasty murals, including the "Envoys" from Prince Zhanghuai's tomb , murals from the Mogao Caves , and the "Wooden Strip with Tower and Landscape" (Rōkaku sansuizu mokkan) from the Shōsōin Treasure House. Through a comparison of Japanese and Tang painting costumes , Professor Lin noted: "The flow of East Asian culture was by no means unidirectional. Japanese imagination regarding China and Korea often contained ambiguous 'gray spaces,' yet they demanded a clear definition for their own culture". This illustrates that images are not merely artistic works but microcosms of politics, culture, and identity.
In concluding the lecture, Professor Lin summarized that the image and legend of Prince Shōtoku is a process of continuous construction. It reflects the needs for identity recognition, sectarian competition, discourses on cultural origins, and the complex cultural interactions among Japan, Korea, and China within the development of Japanese Buddhism. The value of historical narratives lies not only in their "authenticity" but in the socio-cultural logic of "why they were narrated in such a way".