ABSTRACT The Tang state under Emperor Daizong 代宗 was afflicted with acute financial depletion caused by prolonged warfare. In this time of hardship, the court provided institutional support to a series of costly Buddhist projects directed by Bukong 不空 in the name of state protection. This invited intense criticism from traditional historians, not only for the drain on national resources but also for the corruption done to governmental ethics. Why did a time that should have been the worst for massive religious booms turn out to be the best? This question deserves explanation, yet seems to have evaded scholarly efforts. This article shows that the ceremony of chanting the new Renwang jing 仁王經 in 765 ce is the key to answering this question. The unusual events during this ceremony, which was held for divine protection of the Tang against the ongoing Tibetans’ invasion, inspired a prevailing discourse of divine intervention. The widened and enhanced belief must be recognized. Even more important might be the political significance that emerged to address Daizong’s constant concern. The subsequently increased investment can be understood as efforts to reenact the divine intervention and refresh its discourse, so as to reutilize political value.

中文翻译：

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奇迹和军事功绩：国家赞助不空佛教企业

摘要代宗皇帝代宗统治下的唐朝因长期战争而遭受严重的财政枯竭。在这个艰难的时刻，法院为Bukong不空以国家保护的名义指导的一系列昂贵的佛教项目提供了机构支持。这引起了传统历史学家的强烈批评，不仅是在浪费国家资源方面，而且是在破坏政府道德方面。为什么大规模宗教繁荣本来应该是最糟糕的时期却变成了最好的时期？这个问题值得解释，但似乎在学术上回避。本文表明，在765 ce举行新的仁王经仁王经诵读仪式是回答这个问题的关键。仪式上的不寻常事件 为保护唐朝免受藏人不断入侵而举行的盛会，激发了盛行占卜活动的讨论。必须认识到扩大和增强的信念。更重要的可能是解决戴宗不断关注的政治意义。随后增加的投资可以理解为重新制定神圣干预并更新其话语以重新利用政治价值的努力。