Confucian Agency in the Visual Integration of the Three Teachings during the Late Ming
Macquarie University, Australia
Abstract
This essay explores the perspectives and roles of the literati in the movement for the integration of the three teachings during the mid-to-late Ming period (1368-1644), utilizing a series of images as a basis for analysis. Initially, it analysed two types of images, 'The Three Teachings (三教圖)' images and 'Three Laughers at Tiger Gorge (虎溪三笑圖)', to clarify the attitudes and practices of literati towards the three doctrines before the Ming 明 dynasty. Subsequently, it also examines the transformation of literati attitudes toward three doctrines in the mid-to-late Ming period, particularly in relation to the popularity of these images. Moreover, the exploration of three teachings-themed woodblock prints and the reasons for their emergence provides a more convincing view of literati attitudes than research on paper images, as the wide participation of literati gradually emerged in the mid-to-late Ming. This research is dedicated to exploring the role of the literati in the development of the integration of the three teachings and reveals how the factors influencing social mobility and their impact on society evolved during the mid-and late Ming era.
Keywords:
Three teaching-themed images; the integration of the three teachings; the religious beliefs of literati during the Ming dynasty; the life of literati in the Ming dynasty; religious practicesCopyright Notice & License:
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