The religion of Buddhism first appeared in India during the sixth century B.C.E and its teachings migrated to China by the first century C.E., gradually winning over the Chinese people following the collapse of the Han dynasty in 220 C.E. Buddhist influence continued its expansion in China for several centuries. Throughout Chinese history, China reacted to the spread of Buddhism within its empire in several ways: some valued its policies for their implications in Chinese culture, others condemned Buddhist ideals for not being original to the empire, while many remained indifferent towards Buddhism and its spread. Support for the spread of Buddhism became most evident among Chinese scholars. An anonymous scholar believed that the old Confucian philosophies of China were nothing in comparison to the greatness of Buddhism, even going as far as to compare the sages to the Buddha as swallows to a phoenix (document 3). Additionally, he admires the dedication that the Buddhist monks showed; the monks enjoyed the act of living and inaction, freeing themselves from worldly pleasure.
Buddhism influenced the people, majority of them changing their lifestyles of the monks. Although most of the people converted to Buddhism, some resented it. China had gone through a tough struggle in both politics and the people. In Document 6 an emperor talks about how Buddhism is posing the people of China by making them forsake their lords and steal their wealth. The emperor goes farther by saying how monks rob people from food and clothes by not working.
In the first document the Buddha puts importance on the steps to talking about the ending of suffering. This is why so many people decided to join the religion of the Buddha, many people who were poor were struggling because many lives were lost as the nation of China had unstable governmental leaders. Then again, this is why a lot of the wealthy people could not relate to Buddhism, they were not struggling and have an extravagant lifestyle (Document 6). Zhi Dun, who was pro Buddhist spoke about how the understanding and the acceptance of the Buddhist is important in China because the people in China who are wealthy don’t understand what it means to be a Buddha because they are lost in their wealthy life style. During upsetting eras, for example the time period after the Han yu’s fall, people would join Buddhism to be able to believe that they had the potential of a release from the physical world and escape to a better place where they could find enlighten (Document 4).
In the time of the Enlightenment Period many changes were happening in society. In the late 17th and 18th century people called The Philosophers, met in French salons and English drawing rooms to discuss what they believed in. They made many great things happen and strived their best to make what they believed in something possible. The Enlightenment Philosophers imagined they could change the ways of society in many ways. They concluded that they could improve the laws, rights of women, religious rights, and also economic rights.
Most of the civilization was uninterested in the religion, as seen in Document 1. The Asian monk and scholar wrote about how they saw it as equal to other religions, yet were incurious about it. The Qin monk is trying to persuade others to convert to buddhism, so when they die they will reach Nirvana and it will ‘Free them from all fear and keep them from falling into the evil paths of existence. Buddhism first became popular, when Kumarajiva himself translated these Buddhist texts into Chinese. This made the texts available to all, and laid the foundation for the acceptance of Buddhism.
Our society would not be what it is today if it wasn't for the three French philosophers for the individual freedom, freedom in government, religion, economy, and gender equality. John Locke, Voltaire, and Adam Smith were four of the many great philosophers, who changed our society and the shaped the capitalistic democratic world that we live in today. These philosophers lived in a time of bright and amazing new ideas, known as the Age of Enlightenment or the Age of Reason. Here are the main ideas of Enlightenment. John Locke (1632-1704) was one of the three main French philosophers.
Buddhism, being founded by Buddha, spread through many trade routes religious missionaries sent by Ashoka. Through these Missionaries, Buddhism was able to reach many places, with one of these places being China. When Buddhism first arrived to China, it was met with mixed reactions which soon define Buddhism rough transition and diffusion into Chinese custom. Buddhism's advancement into China was a direct result of Buddhist monks emphasizing the spiritual benefits of Buddhism. In response to this; Buddhism was accepted by some while Confucian scholars and other high officials rejected it because they believed it was detrimental to China.
Buddhism is an ancient religion that originated from India and gradually traveled to China through cultural diffusion . Many of the Chinese people liked Buddhism, which was also referred to as a “barbaric religion” according to the traditionalist. The Chinese saw their society as sophisticated and superior to any of the new ideas coming from the advance trade routes throughout their country known as the Silk roads. Due to the fall of the Han Dynasty and it’s chaos that it created, Buddhism was a peaceful distraction that gave people optimism when their government failed because of corruption and political disunity. Before Buddhism religions such as Daoism and Confucianism were popular in China, because of Buddhism, followers of the traditional
Christianity is a very important religion that is practiced by almost a third of the world’s population today. So why was this religion able to grow so much during ancient times? Inspired by Jesus Christ over two thousand years ago, Christianity faced several barriers along its road to prevalence in the world. During his lifetime, Jesus preached the Word of God until Roman officials felt threatened and eventually crucified him. After his death, however, Jesus’ apostles kept up his legacy and continued to preach God’s Word.
In Ancient China, three philosophies/religions were prominent. Out of those three, Buddhism was the most powerful. The religion was growing powerful and it was hard for the government to keep under control. So, they created a new religion in the Tang dynasty. The Tang used Buddhism, Daoism, and Confucianism and converged them together to create Neo-Confucianism.
That reputation was an outcome of a long conflict between China and the Tibetan peoples. Buddhism was introduced to China in the first century BCE and it had periods of decline and revival since then. Buddhism was also the religion of the people in the Tibet, yet the two types of doctrine were different. During the Ching Dynasty (1644-1911) the emperors were taught by the Dalai Lamas of the Tibet, and that gave a lot of pride to the people of the Tibet. After the British invasion of the Tibet, in 1904 the dispute was settled down between them, and the British gave the Chinese a full control of the Tibet
Many wars at the end of the Han dynasty created great stress amongst the Chinese people. To escape the turmoil of the outside world, the Chinese turned to the newest religion: Daoism. Three reasons why Daoism took such a strong hold in Chinese society were: the superstitious beliefs of the Han rulers, the already prevalent fascination with immortality, and the grueling life for citizens during the warring period of the Han Dynasty.6 While Daoism would remain popular for hundreds of years, Chinese society would eventually shift to a more rational society rather than a spiritual one. This would lead to many citizens preferring Confucianism in the mid-17thth century. After the Chinese Revolution in 1949, Daoism would be greatly discouraged for a few decades until the CCP caved and recognized it as one of the five official religions of
The rise and spread of Buddhism within Asia during the 600–400 b.c.e is a perfect example of how faith/religion was used to impact political, economical and cultural factors that eventually lead to conquest. An initial example of this can be seen within the social ranking of the late Vedic Indian society - ranked in order of purity, not wealth or power. “Brahmin priests at the top, then warriors, then farmers and merchants (“the People”), and finally dependent laborers. Brahmins were the purest because they conducted Vedic rituals; the warrior category included the kings who sponsored the rituals. The farmers and merchants were supposed to farm the land and tend the herds.
Buddhism: Philosophy or Religion? For many years, Buddhists have lived without even knowing that their own religion is actually a philosophy or a religion. In today’s society, there are still so many arguments and debates going on among people about the matter that Buddhism is a philosophy or a religion as numerous people said that both doesn’t fit neatly into either category. Some people said that Buddhism is a philosophy although, some even said that it is a religion. So, is Buddhism a philosophy or a religion?
As my Buddhist practice has evolved, the path’s alchemy of quiet awareness has triggered deep structural changes in my character and priorities, culminating in a growing imperative to transition my life towards a career that can be directly, tangibly beneficial to people and society. I have found immense joy and stillness in the Buddhadhamma, and I’ve strived to artistically express these qualities through art and music. While these modes of expression are able to capture and contextualize concepts and experiences that may otherwise be ineffable, I feel I could make a deeper, more meaningful impact by focusing my energies on sharing dhamma with those in greatest need: the sick, the dying, the troubled, the persecuted. My meditation practice is an exercise in patience and exploration, allowing me to honestly confront my inner obstacles: self-doubt, insecurities, persistent regrets, anxiety’s rigid grip.
