Perfuming and Divine Scents in the Soteriology of Medieval Buddhism and Daoism

Abstract

The olfactory sense and experience are considered a conduit between spirituality and the divine realm in Daoism. The ceremonial use of incense in Daoism (shixiang (sic)(sic)) has been explored from various theological perspectives and described by numerous liturgists. Despite its importance, several questions about the development and history of Daoist olfactory culture remain unresolved. This paper examines medieval religious dialogs concerning divine smells and smoke before and during the Tang dynasty, a period marked by the interaction and mutual influence of Daoism and Buddhism in China. I argue that medieval Daoism enhanced its soteriology by adopting the concept of v & amacr;san & amacr; (xun (sic)) from Buddhism, particularly Yog & acirc;c & amacr;ra. Xuan Zang's (sic)(sic) translation corpus of Vasubandhu, Cheng Weishi Lun (sic)(sic)(sic)(sic), along with the treatises of two Tang Daoist liturgists Zhu Faman's (sic)(sic)(sic) and Du Guangting's (sic)(sic)(sic), reveal a shared belief that sacred smells transform the perfumed at a profound level, embedding the divine essence within them. The Yog & acirc;c & amacr;ra concept of v & amacr;san & amacr;, elucidated by Xuan Zang, was readily incorporated into Tang Daoism due to their shared soteriological interests. Tang Daoism was in the process of codifying its rituals for self-purification and collective salvation, thereby enhancing the significance of incense through its dynamic absorption of v & amacr;san & amacr;. The olfactory practices in medieval Daoism demonstrate that East Asian medieval soteriology promoted universalism through the ritual interactions between Buddhism and Daoism.