Lay socio-religious associations in early medieval China

This dissertation investigates the grass-roots movement of making joint commissions among the common people in early medieval China. Stone inscriptions associated with various lay socio-religious groups from the second century to the seventh century C.E. are the primary vehicles for the study of this subject. By reading through these primary sources, I argue that the widespread lay Buddhist societies have an indigenous Chinese root. In the second century C.E., the commoners were already actively involved in religious or sacrificial events held among their communities. When the teachings of Buddhism, Daoism, and other beliefs were disseminating in early medieval China, the need for making joint commissions and establishing religious societies among the local communities persisted. Although the teachings and the iconography of these beliefs vary, the practices and the format of these joint commissions were basically the same. Furthermore, these lay socio-religious societies and their local monasteries were closely connected and supported each other as patrons and religious teachers. Throughout this dissertation, I hope to shed some light on the social and religious life of the ordinary people, who are often neglected and overlooked in official historical documents