< Issue No. 20 (2025/2026)
Buddhist Education Foundation of Canada Annual Article Awardees
Reimagining Individual Karma and Collective Family Destiny in Yuan Drama: A Buddhist-Confucian Synthesis in A Slave to Money Buys a Creditor as His Enemy
Zhang, Qian, University of Calgary
Abstract
This article examines how Yuan dramatist Zheng Tingyu, in his play A Slave to Money Buys a Creditor as His Enemy, adapted Buddhist concepts such as karma and "blessing power" (fuli,) within zaju to reinforce Confucian ideals of collective family responsibility. Through a close analysis of the play's performative dimensions, this study argues that its portrayal of karmic retribution reflects not a new synthesis but a creative continuation of narrative traditions dating back to Tang-era pienwen. By situating the play within Yuan zaju—a genre aimed at diverse public audiences—the article highlights how Zheng Tingyu used drama to dramatize moral tensions between individual ambition and familial duty during a period of Confucian marginalization under Mongol rule.