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. Furthermore, Zhi Dun, Chinese scholar, author, and confidant of Chinese aristocrats and high officials, thoroughly believed that …show more content…
Document 1 speaks directly from the Buddhist culture, citing “The Four Noble Truths” and lying down the basic principles of achieving physical and spiritual enlightenment. The document displays the basic ideals that all Buddhists, in and out of China, believed. Furthermore, Zong Mi, a leading Buddhist scholar, compares the Buddha to the Chinese sages, Confucius and Laozi, as all deserving of respect since they all lead to the creation of an orderly society. However, Zong Mi’s position as a Buddhist scholar gives him bias towards wanting to defend