Why did ancient literati call laymen?

A layman is a person who practices at home (outside the temple).

Vulgar: Sanskrit Grha-pati, which means parents, heads of households, elders, or people with property or' families'. Initially, it refers to the third commercial working class in India, Vishya Vaisya, a rich person or a respected and virtuous person. However, in today's Buddhist society in China, all Buddhists who believe in Buddhism at home have been generally called laymen.

The word "lay man" is not exclusive to Buddhism. In China's Book of Rites, the word "golden belt for lay people" has been used, which refers to Chu Shi, a Taoist priest with the meaning of a hermit.

In India, lay people were not created by Buddhism. In Sanskrit, laity is called "Jia". Whether you believe in Buddhism or not, anyone who stays at home can be called a layman.

The origin of Buddhism honoring believers at home as laity may come from the Vimalakīrti Sutra. There are four honorifics for Vimalakīrti: Convenient products are called elders, Manjusri products are called master laymen, and Bodhisattvas are called laymen. According to the explanations of masters such as Roche, Wise Man and Xuanzang, Vimalakīrti is a lifelong bodhisattva in the oriental Akong Buddhist country, which shows that all beings are at home. Therefore, using the word "lay man" to refer to Buddhists at home also means being respected as a great bodhisattva.

Thus, a real lay man should be a Mahayana Bodhisattva, not Chu Shi or a hermit with a gray breath.

However, in Long Agama, only the third of the four classes is called laity, and the minister who mainly occupies (goods) by the wheel king is called laity's treasure, so laity is equivalent to businessman, manager or industrialist.

In China, the word "lay man" originated from the jade algae in the Book of Rites. In Han Feizi's book, it also refers to laymen such as Ren Ti and Shihua, all of whom are skilled in art and do not seek official positions. Later, China and Japan often referred to Taoist priests as laity in general, not according to the original intention of Confucian classics, such as the first volume of Leng Yan Classic, the seventh volume of critical romance, and the third volume of Ancestral Fate.

During the Tang and Song Dynasties, Buddhism prevailed in China, and Taoist priests also claimed to be laymen, which had a great influence on middle and upper-class intellectuals, so many people took the name of "laymen". For example, Li Bai, who believes in Taoism, is a "violet layman"; Bai Juyi calls himself "Xiangshan laity"; Su Shi was named "Dongpo layman" and Fan Chengda was named "Shihu layman"; Li Qingzhao named herself "Yi 'an Jushi".

The origin of laity:

It is said that when Sakyamuni preached near Liuguyuan, Yeshe, the son of Borneo elder Julius, fled to Liuguyuan late at night because he was tired of luxurious life, and asked Sakyamuni to help him out of his misery. When Sakyamuni heard that Ye She's distress was similar to that when he was a prince, and he was tired of his present life, he was very sympathetic and accepted him as an apprentice. At this time, Jerchel's father Julia went to the Buddha to find his son. The Buddha told him Buddhism: Wealth is unreliable, and the most precious thing in life is consciousness. Inspired by the Buddha, Julia also wanted to become a monk, but she was afraid that no one would care about her business at home. The Buddha taught that you don't have to be a monk to believe in Buddha. Therefore, Li Jia was accepted as the first Buddhist disciple who practiced at home, called Youposai, which means a layman who practiced at home. After Julia became an "excellent woman", she invited the Buddha to give lectures at her home. When Sakyamuni was at his home in Julija, he preached Buddhism to Yesheh's mother, who was willing to be Sakyamuni's faithful daughter and live a Buddhist family life. Therefore, the Buddha accepted her as the first excellent girl, which means faithful girl and lay woman in Chinese. The Buddha said that the excellent women who practice at home are just like other disciples of the Buddha if they abide by the 50% principle of not killing, stealing, being immoral, lying and not drinking.

A layman in history

Violet-Li Bai (a great poet in Tang Dynasty)

Bai Juyi, a Buddhist in Xiangshan (a great poet in Tang Dynasty)

Si Kongtu (a poet in Tang Dynasty) is an insulting layman.

Floating Ming, vulgar (respected by Liang Shanhui in the Northern and Southern Dynasties)

Li Yu (Queen of Southern Tang Dynasty), a layman in Lianfeng

Chen Nian, a Buddhist in Longqiu (a poet in the Northern Song Dynasty)

Endless lay man-Zhang Shangying (Northern Song Dynasty star)

Gu Xi laity-Li Zhiyi (Northern Song Dynasty writer)

Huang Tingjian, a layman in the valley (a writer in the Northern Song Dynasty)

Intermediate laity-Wang Anshi (Northern Song Dynasty writer)

Fan Zhongyan, a layman —— Fan Zhongyan (political commentator in Northern Song Dynasty)

Xie Chuan laity Su Guo (Northern Song Dynasty writer)

Cuiwei Jushi-Xue (calligrapher of Northern Song Dynasty)

A Buddhist-Xia Zheng (Northern Song Dynasty writer)

Mi Fei (a calligrapher in the Northern Song Dynasty), a layman of the Lumen.

Ye Wei, a Buddhist in Caotang (a poet in the Northern Song Dynasty)

Ouyang Xiu, laity June 1st (Northern Song Dynasty)

Dongpo layman Su Shi (Northern Song Dynasty writer)

Huaihai lay man-Qin Guan (poet of Northern Song Dynasty)

Chen Shidao, a Buddhist in Houshan (poetess of Northern Song Dynasty)

Xie Chuan laity Su Guo (Northern Song Dynasty writer)

Zhou Bangyan, a Muslim layman (a famous poet in the Northern Song Dynasty)

Yao Zeng (late Northern Song Dynasty and early Southern Song Dynasty)

Jia Xuan lay man-Xin Qiji (poet of Southern Song Dynasty)

Zhao, a layman (Southern Song Dynasty painter)

The laity in Jian Zhai —— Chen, a poet in Southern Song Dynasty

Luchuan laity-Zhang (poet of Southern Song Dynasty)

Ye Mengde, a Buddhist in Shilin (poet of Southern Song Dynasty)

Houcun Jushi Liu Kezhuang (Southern Song Dynasty writer)

Wang Yinglin (a scholar in Southern Song Dynasty) is a deep and peaceful layman.

Li Qingzhao, Yi Anju (poetess of Southern Song Dynasty)

Chashan layman-Once upon a time (poet of Southern Song Dynasty)

Luchuan laity-Zhang (poet of Southern Song Dynasty)

Layman Gardener —— Ji Gonggong (Southern Song Dynasty writer)

Shihu lay man-Fan Chengda (poet of Southern Song Dynasty)

Mao Yu (a poet in Southern Song Dynasty) was a layman at first.

Zhang Xiaoxiang, a layman in Yuhu Lake (poet of Southern Song Dynasty)

Zhu, a recluse poet (female poet of Southern Song Dynasty)

Houcun Jushi Liu Kezhuang (Southern Song Dynasty writer)

Wang Yinglin (a scholar in Southern Song Dynasty) is a deep and peaceful layman.

Liu Ying, a layman (Jin Wenren)

Ni Zan, a Buddhist in Yunlin (painter of Yuan Dynasty)

Zhan Ran lay man-Lu Ye Chucai (Yuan statesman and poet)

Lu (calligrapher of Yuan Dynasty) was a layman in Huanhu.

A simple and honest layman-Jue Yuan (a famous writer in Yuan Dynasty)

Hengshan Jushi Wen Zhiming (painter and writer in Ming Dynasty)

Song Lian (painter of Ming Dynasty)

Sage —— Painter Ding of Ming Dynasty

Meicun Jushi —— Wu Ye Wei (poet of Ming Dynasty)

Xu Wei (writer in late Ming Dynasty)

A lay man-Yuan Hongdao (writer of Ming Dynasty)

Li Panlong, a layman in Cang Ming Dynasty (a writer in Ming Dynasty)

Dong Qichang (a calligrapher in Ming and Qing Dynasties) is a Buddhist.

Tang Yin (painter and writer in Ming Dynasty)

Wang, a Buddhist who guards rocks (Ming essayist)

Li Zhi was a layman in Wenling (a writer in Ming Dynasty).

Lianxi lay man-Xuelun Road (Ming Sanqu)

Treat the layman cautiously-Li (Ming Dynasty writer and painter)

Zhang Dai, a Buddhist Diean (a writer in the late Ming and early Qing Dynasties)

Meixi laity-Qian Yong (writer of Ming and Qing Dynasties)

Liu Quan lay man-Pu Songling (writer in Qing Dynasty)

Shinoka Jushi Zhenlin (a writer in Qing Dynasty)

Hong (a writer and scholar in Qing Dynasty)

Famous Mountain and Vulgar —— Zhao Ziyong (writer in Qing Dynasty)

Song Wan lay man-Qian Zai (poet and painter in Qing Dynasty)

Banqiao laity-Zheng Banqiao (painter and writer in Qing Dynasty)

Cao Xueqin, a Buddhist in the Western Qin Dynasty (a writer in the Qing Dynasty)

Yuan Mei, a layman in the Garden (writer of Qing Dynasty)

Yong Zhengdi, a vulgar person, a bright layman.

Shinoka Jushi Zhenlin (a writer in Qing Dynasty)

Tian Ping layman-Zhang Zhao (calligrapher of Qing Dynasty)

Hong (a writer and scholar in Qing Dynasty)

Famous Mountain and Vulgar —— Zhao Ziyong (writer in Qing Dynasty)

The layman among reeds guards the people (painter in Qing Dynasty)

Qiao Shan's layman and Guan Bai's layman-Zhang Ying (painter in Qing Dynasty)

Wu Xizai (seal engraver in Qing Dynasty)

Weng Tonghe, a peaceful Buddhist (a scholar of Xianfeng for six years, an influential politician in modern history)

Yang, a Buddhist in the late Qing Dynasty, was a Buddhist in Renshan.

Dongzhou Jushi Ji Shao

Yang Yisun, a lay Taoist.

Dai, a layman in JD.COM.

Fan Huju-Zhou Xian

Suzuki Teitaro Daisetz (Japanese Buddhist scholar)

Zhang Zhidong (one of the representatives of Westernization School in Qing Dynasty)

Taiyan Jushi-Zhang (Master of Chinese Studies)

An Ming lay man-Shen Baofeng (songwriter, poet, scholar, social critic)

Yu Yue, Qu Yuan layman (master of Chinese studies)

Measuring and Keeping the Outsider —— Huang Kan (Master of Chinese Studies)

Zhao Beixin (contemporary China painter)

Cui Jianli (Yiran, contemporary China painter)

Li Yanxiao, a Buddhist in Dongling (writer, lawyer, photographer, photographer of Buddhist ancestral home/)

Kande Jushi-Zhou Shiquan (modern famous doctor)

Ruozhai layman-Zhang Yaohu (modern young calligrapher, writer and poet)