Recommended: Comparison with christianity and confucianism
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.
Politically, both governments were corrupt. Not always in the same ways, but in the ways that they were similar, it was bloody and dark. In the Han Dynasty and the Roman Empire, political figures were power hungry and ruthless to get what they wanted. In the Roman Empire, General Marius was elected consul 7 times in a row. General Marius was a valuable general but not a noble politician.
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.
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.
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.
Following the fall of the Han dynasty came the decline of practicers of the Confucian philosophy because of the downfall of the elite class and a centralized government. Buddhism, a religion with it’s roots from north India, has found its presence in China during the time when trade, along the silk roads, was crucial in all parts of Eurasia. Although the spread of Buddhism in China was greeted with devotion from new converts who supported the religion by spreading it and combining their cultures with the religion, it also was rejected by the ruling elite who opposed the spread of the religion that impacted China for the next following centuries.
Rome and Han China, ancient history’s most remarkable civilizations, have many more profound ideals to teach people today than just their world-famous astounding engineering or fascinating cultures. The values of ancient Rome were simplicity, frugality, honesty, austerity and patriotism (PSR 47). Simplicity is the state of being uncomplicated. Careful and reasonable use of resources defines frugality. Honesty means to be sincere and truthful as well as fair in conduct.
Rome (750 BC – AD 500) and China (350 BC – AD 600) experienced conflicts not only in the physical sense, such as in wars, but also in political struggles, religion, and power. Although each civilization had similarities, like structured governments in the form of emperors and dynasties, they also had differences, like in the way they wrote laws and dealt with handing out those rules. Religion was still going through changes of rules, while certain countries starting grasping ideas of new ones. War kept on brewing up between common enemies, causing battles against who should take over certain land parts. Finally, politics, with ever popular emperors and empresses coming about while other major ones dying off, causing civil confusion and conflictions.
Other religions such as Islam and Confucianism were flourishing around this time as well. Buddhism arriving in China resulted in various responses, some were positive and accepted the religion, but after a while
The Dissemination of Buddhism into China was a direct result of Buddhist Monks and Missionaries
In ancient china there were two widely different philosophes being so excepted within the same culture. The two philosophes were Confucianism and Legalism. Confucianism was during 55 B, in China. Legalism was during 475-221 BC, also in China. Confucianism is a belief or an idea.
Between foundation establishment of Egyptian and Chinese religion, there are a variety of differences such as beliefs and rituals. However despite their contrast, there is also known similarities of the two civilization’s religion discovered through the evolution of time. In comparison both civilizations were dependent upon the religious moral values implemented by a their divine being, bodily preservation, and the belief of Afterlife immortality. Both Egyptians and the Chinese believed equally as modern day Christians that there’s an afterlife for the deceased.
In the Tang dynasty, the social structure was rigid. It consisted of 50 to 60 million people divided into eight social classes. The social classes were emperor, aristocracy, bureaucracy, eunuch, peasants, artisans, traders, and slaves. Though women were not in the social order for a long time, it was still possible. Women in the era of the Tang dynasty had more freedom then they had in preceding eras.
CONFUCIOUS THE FOUNDER OF CHINA’S GREATEST TRADITIONS AND BELIEFS The one man who shaped and changed China wasn’t a famous emperor who fought a war or commanded an army. Instead he was a great philosopher and teacher whose ethics were handed down for centuries. His name is Confucius and he helped construct Chinas unique family structure and culture.
Taoism Taoism is an indigenous chinese religion and a philosophy which has roots from ancient shamanism. It has lived through centuries in China as a religion aside Confucianism and Buddhism and as a philosophy aside Confucianism. As a philosophy it is mainly the opposite of Confucianism, because Confucianism praised laws and order but Taoism is more about people having minimal restrictions in order to live happily. The Taoist religion was created from the Taoist philosophy and as a philosophy and religion it has had a huge influence in China and in eastern Asia. Although, as a religion it would outline all the seven dimensions it is debatable if it is more of a philosophy.
