Serving the Dead as Serving the Living: Examining the Concept of Burial and Life Consciousness in Medieval China
In the minds of ancient people, tombs and burials were where the lives of this world ended and another type of life began. By incorporating the concepts of life found in Confucianism, Taoism, Buddhism, and the widespread belief in ghosts and immortals, burial ceremonies evolved during the Wei and Ji...
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| Format: | Article |
| Language: | English |
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MDPI AG
2023-09-01
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| Series: | Literature |
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| Online Access: | https://www.mdpi.com/2410-9789/3/3/24 |
| _version_ | 1797579154895405056 |
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| author | Wei Wang |
| author_facet | Wei Wang |
| author_sort | Wei Wang |
| collection | DOAJ |
| description | In the minds of ancient people, tombs and burials were where the lives of this world ended and another type of life began. By incorporating the concepts of life found in Confucianism, Taoism, Buddhism, and the widespread belief in ghosts and immortals, burial ceremonies evolved during the Wei and Jin 魏晋 dynasties (220–420) into an integrated and unified notion of burial. The funeral ritual’s imaginative and fanciful depictions of the hereafter express sentimental devotion to life and contemplation of death. The burial ceremony and tomb architecture change in accordance with how the concepts of sacrifice and ghosts develop. The features of people’s belief in ghosts and immortality are reflected in particular burial practices. The popularity of necromancy burials and ghost marriages during the Middle Ages (third to sixth centuries) bring to light the binary antagonism between the soul and the body in burial, as well as the emphasis on spiritual freedom and physical immortality in the life philosophy. |
| first_indexed | 2024-03-10T22:31:53Z |
| format | Article |
| id | doaj.art-449e5cecd6ff453f8f15e873c48be05b |
| institution | Directory Open Access Journal |
| issn | 2410-9789 |
| language | English |
| last_indexed | 2024-03-10T22:31:53Z |
| publishDate | 2023-09-01 |
| publisher | MDPI AG |
| record_format | Article |
| series | Literature |
| spelling | doaj.art-449e5cecd6ff453f8f15e873c48be05b2023-11-19T11:38:39ZengMDPI AGLiterature2410-97892023-09-013335737510.3390/literature3030024Serving the Dead as Serving the Living: Examining the Concept of Burial and Life Consciousness in Medieval ChinaWei Wang0School of Chinese Language and Literature, Shaanxi Normal University, Xi’an 710062, ChinaIn the minds of ancient people, tombs and burials were where the lives of this world ended and another type of life began. By incorporating the concepts of life found in Confucianism, Taoism, Buddhism, and the widespread belief in ghosts and immortals, burial ceremonies evolved during the Wei and Jin 魏晋 dynasties (220–420) into an integrated and unified notion of burial. The funeral ritual’s imaginative and fanciful depictions of the hereafter express sentimental devotion to life and contemplation of death. The burial ceremony and tomb architecture change in accordance with how the concepts of sacrifice and ghosts develop. The features of people’s belief in ghosts and immortality are reflected in particular burial practices. The popularity of necromancy burials and ghost marriages during the Middle Ages (third to sixth centuries) bring to light the binary antagonism between the soul and the body in burial, as well as the emphasis on spiritual freedom and physical immortality in the life philosophy.https://www.mdpi.com/2410-9789/3/3/24burial conceptlife consciousnesssoul and figure conceptcultural belief |
| spellingShingle | Wei Wang Serving the Dead as Serving the Living: Examining the Concept of Burial and Life Consciousness in Medieval China Literature burial concept life consciousness soul and figure concept cultural belief |
| title | Serving the Dead as Serving the Living: Examining the Concept of Burial and Life Consciousness in Medieval China |
| title_full | Serving the Dead as Serving the Living: Examining the Concept of Burial and Life Consciousness in Medieval China |
| title_fullStr | Serving the Dead as Serving the Living: Examining the Concept of Burial and Life Consciousness in Medieval China |
| title_full_unstemmed | Serving the Dead as Serving the Living: Examining the Concept of Burial and Life Consciousness in Medieval China |
| title_short | Serving the Dead as Serving the Living: Examining the Concept of Burial and Life Consciousness in Medieval China |
| title_sort | serving the dead as serving the living examining the concept of burial and life consciousness in medieval china |
| topic | burial concept life consciousness soul and figure concept cultural belief |
| url | https://www.mdpi.com/2410-9789/3/3/24 |
| work_keys_str_mv | AT weiwang servingthedeadasservingthelivingexaminingtheconceptofburialandlifeconsciousnessinmedievalchina |