ipl-logo

Femininity In Guanyin During The Ming Dynasty

577 Words3 Pages

In ancient times, lay buddhist women engaged in religious poractices and a cult called Guabyin during the Ming and Qing Dynasties. Guanyin was the most popular Chinese goddess of their age, and reproducing her image was a way to salvation. However, other cultures that practiced Buddism like Indian culture represented the deity as a male, but this was later changed during the Ming Dynasty. The above image, banner of Guanyin demonstrates some of the features of the deity that both the chinese and Asian cultures ascribed to the gioddess of compassion and care. In the above image, a conflict emerges in telling the masculinity or feminiity of the god. From her physical characteristics, the artists stresses on the facial expressions to bring out her femininity and demonstrate the transition witnessed between Chinese and Indian buddhists. Looking at the facial characteristics, it is easy to concur the banner of guanyin is a goddess. However, other body characteristics contradict its femininity portrayed by her facial characteristics. A closer observation of the image reveals the image of the goddess has masculine characteristics. The muscular arms and the protruding chest support this proposition. Moreover, the masculine nature of her legs also put her femininity into question, and it is not surprising it …show more content…

Originally, the ealiest Buddhist adherents were the Indians. However, buddhism declined in India and many countries in East Asia adopted its practices, but with multiple changes. This was an attempt to nurture their unique cultural identity different from Indian culture. For instance, changing the masculine Indian god to a feminine goddess was a significant change that chracterized buddhism in China and India demonstrated by the image above. Moreover, the conflict in determining the gender of the god demonstrates a struggle between buddhist adherents in China and

Show More
Related
665 Words | 3 Pages

For many centuries, a religion and philosophy founded in India (c.525 B.C.) by Siddhartha Gautama flourished along the Silk Road as it impacted the way of living. The transformation of the religion, Buddhism, varied in different ideas and was heavily influenced by its teachings throughout Asia. After the collapse of the Han Dynasty, principles of the Buddha offered great comfort to China and changed the views of the world (Docs 1 & 5). In other areas such as Indonesia and Pakistan, architecture was also transformed into a form of Buddhism as other cultures were mixed into structures and items (Docs 2, 4 & 7). Moreover, the teachings of the Buddha also changes to a sense of practice towards education and empowerment throughout the Asian continent

Read More
1819 Words | 8 Pages

Buddhism in China DBQ A little before the Tang dynasty there was the Han dynasty where Confucianism was a staple of daily life and government. When the Han dynasty dissolved and the Tang dynasty took authority. Buddhism began to spread widely all over China. Buddhism was met with all types of responses: some saw buddhism as a threat to Confucian family values, while some saw Buddhism as a way to disregard worldly pleasures and luxuries that would only bring them harm, and lastly some mixed on the concept of Buddhism had an issue with the ascetic lifestyle led by its followers. One of the responses to Buddhism in China was that it was thought that Buddhism was a threat to Confucian family values.

Read More
489 Words | 2 Pages

DBQ Different people in China had different views on the spread of Buddhism. Buddhism was a religion, created in India (6th century B.C.E) and spread to China (1st Century). After Buddhism, China started to experience political problems. Many people believed this was caused by Buddhism. Some people sided with the belief and praised Buddha saying he has much to offer, while others repelled it for the effect of the ideas on China.

Read More
687 Words | 3 Pages

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.

Read More
1154 Words | 5 Pages

DBQ 2004: Responses to Buddhism in China In Tang China, Buddhism was seen by some as a peaceful and honorable religion that would improve China, while others met it with scorn, denouncing it as an evil faith that threatened traditional Chinese or Confucianism values. Some Chinese scholars and officials praised Buddhism for its focus on peace, enlightenment and the curbing of the desires in an effort to reduce suffering in the world.

Read More
1088 Words | 5 Pages

to 600 C.E. After the collapse of the Han dynasty this religion became more popular among the elite and poor classes. The reason for such a welcoming support of Buddhism was because of the fall of the Han dynasty. This religion offered as comfort and a haven for those who were suffering during this time. Buddhism arrived in China because of missionaries from India and the Silk Road and became a dominant religion. Scholars began to add Beliefs of Buddhism to the philosophies of Confucianism and Daoism.

Read More
762 Words | 4 Pages

The perception of Buddhism varied greatly from the collapse of the Han Dynasty to the formation of the Tang Dynasty in China. At the same time, the perception towards Christianity in the Roman Empire was undergoing similar changes. Emperors saw the religion as a threat, lower classmen saw it as a path to salvation, while scholars, as a whole, were indecisive. Those in power perceived Buddhism as a strain on China’s society and economy as well as a threat to their rule.

Read More
1110 Words | 5 Pages

Because the Chinese during the Tang dynasty liked to create statues, they created a statue of Buddha, which represents the blend of cultures with the religion because of the Chinese’s devotion to the religion. Zong Mi, a leading Buddhist scholar, described that “Confucius, Laozi and the Buddha were perfect sages.” and states that their teachings were similar and that “...they must be observed with respect.” (Doc 6). Confucianism, founded by Confucius, and Daoism (Taoism) founded by Laozi are philosophies that were all founded in China and was very popular to Chinese people. With the spread of Buddhism in China, Zong Mi wanted to compare the three philosophies together to where they blend with one another, so that Buddhism would be a religion that can be accepted into the Chinese

Read More
466 Words | 2 Pages

Jaleen Carroll A1 11/17/17 Free Response Essay There are many major religions in the world, one of them being Buddhism. Buddhism is a religion founded in India around the fifth century C.E. Throughout time, it made its way to China. While in China, Buddhism was viewed by the people in many ways, both positive and negative.

Read More
1037 Words | 5 Pages

To begin with, as stated before Buddhism was quite popular amongst the people of China. This is evident in the caves at Longmen, near Luoyang

Read More
964 Words | 4 Pages

The introduction of Buddhism to China started off well, most openly accepted the foreign religion and it continued to thrive for centuries. Until the lack of an empire and laws plagued individuals minds. Other religions with a strong imperial structure, such as Confucianism, rose to support the growing number of negative minds. Buddhism was spread by Buddhist missionaries from India into China during the Han Dynasty (206 BC-220 AD). It was, at first, confined to only the higher status individuals, like aristocrats and Chinese royalty.

Read More
712 Words | 3 Pages

Almost everyone knows that the Pennsylvania State Budget is long pasted overdue. It has been early five months of no progress whatsoever. Usually around this time college students are just worried about going home for Thanksgiving break and getting through finals week so that they can go home for winter break. However, college students are starting to feel the burdens of the state budget not being approved. Since the state budget is not approved yet college students are not getting their PHEEA state grants to help them pay for their college education.

Read More
822 Words | 4 Pages

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

Read More
1192 Words | 5 Pages

Women in the Song Dynasty This part will evoke women’s life and rights in the Northern Song Dynasty. The Song Dynasty is often seen as the start of the decline of women status in the Chinese society: a revival of Confucianism led women political role to be reduced, as well as their public appearance compared to Tang Dynasty. The practice of foot binding also started in the Song Dynasty. However, women also enjoyed new and reinforced property rights, and social mobility and political influence were not completely impossible to achieve. Indeed, there are several examples of some lower class women managing to get considerable power by providing pleasure to the higher spheres of the Imperial Court.

Read More
1381 Words | 6 Pages

The international relations schools of thought known as Realism and Idealism identify specific and similar characteristics of actors in the conceptual development of their theories. While many of these characteristics can be generalized as being synonymous with the two theories, both theories make a separate distinction in what specifically constitutes an actor. In Realism, the term “actor” refers directly and solely to the state: a combination of government, leaders, decision-makers, etc, that act as a unitary entity to promote the interests of the state. Idealists, however, expand on what constitutes an actor to include both the state and people. Not only do the principles of Idealism assert that the state and people should be considered actors, in fact, both they must be viewed as actors.

Read More

More about Femininity In Guanyin During The Ming Dynasty

Related Topics

Open Document