Literati identity and the imagined 'other' : erotic stories of Buddhist monks in late Ming and early Qing China = 文人身份與他者想象 : 晚明和清初的"淫僧"故事

Abstract

The popularization of erotic stories of Buddhist monks in late Ming and early Qing China marks a new stage of literary development. Based on a close examination of the production and transmission of these stories, this thesis attempts to investigate how literati in these periods consolidate their identity by constructing monks as the lascivious ‘other’.

Most of the late Ming stories of lascivious monks derive from ancient stories and current affairs, while the early Qing stories are mostly adapted from those in the late Ming period. Previous scholarship tends to read erotic stories of monks as a reflection of the decline of the orthodox Buddhist religion in late Ming and early Qing China. However, the plagiarism and similar narrative patterns between these stories demonstrate that, to a large extent, they should be interpreted as a fantasy produced by literati.

Under the growing pressure to pass the civil service examinations during the late Ming period, literati not only assert their moral superiority in contrast to the images of licentious monks, but also relieve their anxiety caused by a lack of success in the civil service examinations through presenting themselves as victims in many stories about lascivious monks. Furthermore, due to the anxiety engendered by the turbulent environment and severe competition in the civil service examinations in early Qing China, literati treat lascivious monks and women as important vehicles for expressing self-doubt and establishing their identity.

The stigma attached to the stories about same-sex relationships between monks may reflect the desire of literati to protect their sexual privilege and claim their elite identity, rather than a critical stance toward homoerotic sensibilities in late Ming and early Qing China. Moreover, a large number of erotic stories of foreign monks in these periods are not directly relevant to the transmission of Tibetan Tantric Buddhism in China, but rather are used as a surface onto which literati project their anxiety about the need to define the social boundaries and maintain the social order.