While Buddhism began as a method to provide stability to lower-class Chinese citizens, Buddhism ultimately caused division between social classes in China. As Chinese dynasties regained stability, leaders questioned the role of Buddhism in China leading to an inevitable rejection of Buddhist ideas by the Tang Emporer.
Buddhism played a significant role in China during the post-classical era. Buddhism had begun to spread from India to China during the Han but was widely spread during the Sui and Tang Dynasties. Although many people accepted Buddhism, others scrutinized Buddhism which ultimately led to a division throughout China. Buddhism under the Sui Dynasty had lots of imperial support. Under the Sui emperors, Buddhism also became more integrated into Chinese culture and society however Confucian scholars and officials criticized Buddhism for being a foreign religion not derived from the Chinese. After the fall of the Sui, The Tang Dynasty was a period of significant growth and development for Buddhism in China although there remained controversies surrounding the religion. One of the main
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Document 1 describes “The Four Noble Truths” which were preached by the Buddha. The document shows the steps necessary to obtain enlightenment which appealed to lower-class citizens. Document 1 also shows a connection between Daoism and Buddhism by referring to “the Way” which is the Daoist path to enlightenment while Nirvana is the Buddhist path to enlightenment. Document 2 shows the instability and lack of structure in China following the fall of the Han dynasty. Zhi Dun was a Buddhist and a Chinese scholar who is guiding Chinese aristocrats and high officials indicating doubt within Confucianism. Buddhism offered a comforting and stable option for all including aristocrats and upper-class citizens in times of