How Did Buddhism Influence Ancient Chinese Culture

China was affected tremendously by the spread of Buddhism from 300 to 900 C.E. Buddhism itself was spread to China around 100 C.E by Indian missionaries, and after taking hold during the Era of Division (300s-500s), it became a household religion (particularly the Mahayana and Chan variations . Buddhism’s popularity rose consistently from the late Han dynasty through it’s peak during Empress Wu’s rule in the late 600s and early 700s. But, the religion’s popularity fell sharply during Emperor Wuzong’s reign as the persecution of Buddhism grew common (CONTEXT). The spread of Buddhism affected all classes and people of China in different ways; Chinese peasants were able to worship this religion regardless of education or social position (though

China is a very influential world power and has been for many years. The Classical and Post-Classical years in China were a time of achievement and advancement, especially in the religious movement. Post-Classical and Classical China were very important historical periods, and their religions, and the effect of them on the world around them highlighted that importance.

The response to the spread of Buddhism in China differed according to one’s social position.

When Buddhism first spread into China, it was met with mixed responses. Many people either accepted it and converted to Buddhism or respected the new religion while maintaining their own beliefs. However, many people openly proclaimed their hate towards Buddhism.

DBQ: Buddhism in China After the fall of the Han dynasty, many Chinese people converted to Buddhism. They seeked a simpler way of life among all of the chaos and political instability going on at the time. This led to a drop in productivity in China, as many Buddhists spent their time meditating. The rise in Buddhism among the lower class led to a hate for the religion by the upper-class. While some people saw Buddhism as a new form of thinking in China’s evolving social landscape, many others saw it as a threat to the traditional Chinese way of life, as they were reluctant to change.

Introduced by a mission from Korea in 552 C.E., Buddhism has long been a central theme in Japanese artwork. Since the king of Paekche, a kingdom in the South East of the Korean peninsula, first gave the Japanese emperor a bronze Buddha statue, the Buddhist art forms that were periodically introduced from China and Korea were tempered in the crucible of local custom and usage, to yield a rich tradition of religious art.

Initially, Chinese accepted the views and practice of Buddhism, but after the restoration of the imperial structure in accordance with documents 4 and 6 the Chinese responded negatively to the Buddhism. Han Yu who was a Confucian scholar and official at the Tang imperial court highly disdained Buddhism he states that Buddha was incapable of speaking the Chinese language and that the man belonged to the barbarians and he should not be worthy of worshiping. “Your servant begs to leave to say that Buddhism is no more than a cult of the barbarian people spread to China. It did not exist here in ancient times. ”(Doc.

right is what appears to be a lion. In Chinese culture, lions are a symbol of strength and

Buddhism for centuries, has long been influencing the population all over the world, specifically in China . Buddhism first came to China as a result of merchant traders from India. From there it spread within the merchant community. It mainly expanded because it gave people a sense of hope and faith with the chaos they were experiencing from the collapse of the Han Dynasty. It also spread because it covered what Confucianism lacked; a more spiritual and emotional approach that appealed to many people of different classes. It is because of this that Buddhism spread and was able to influence and greatly affect China during the period of 300-900 CE. Buddhism influenced philosophy and moral teachings, kept the Chinese society peaceful and orderly, as well as affecting the overall economy. Buddhism had strong religious teachings that appealed to the lower class with the idea of afterlife and nirvana as well as an emphasis on following your own path that transformed Chinese beliefs causing a large portion of the population to convert (doc’s 1,4). Buddhism kept the Chinese society orderly by reminding all of Buddha’s life and teachings with statues and the influence it had on monks to spread charity and missionary work (doc’s 2,3,6). Buddhism also had an effect on the economy of China. As it spread from other regions, it caused more farmers and silk producers to convert and spread the religion as monks and nuns. (doc 7,5).

Shang bronzes motifs varies from animal figures with recognizable real-life model to stylized animal figures stem from legend and myths. The meaning of those bronze motifs has long been seen as one of the major enigmas existed in the realm of ancient China studies. From as early as the Song Dynasty, antiquarians and scholars have been devoted to decode and analyze the potential functions of Shang bronze decor.

based on the style of stone statues. The figures of Buddhist art of Sui Dynasty have broader

Buddhism began to dominate Japanese culture during the Heian period from 794 C.E. to 1185 C.E. and affected both spiritual and political issues in Japan. For example, every time an emperor died during this period, the capital would have to move, as the people were superstitious. This period is also marked by Chinese influence with the adoption of Buddhism in Japan and ideally planned cities. The Head of the Buddha was made during the twelfth century and The Head of the Bodhisattva was made circa 1053 C.E. These two pieces fit into this time period stylistically, as they relate to Buddhist ideals during the Heian period. These sculptures demonstrate their nature through their subject matters, their location of display, their form, style,

Eventually all of this change brought along new art. At this time the Japanese had taken a liking to chinese art and became very popular among the culture. The Japanese would show their love for the Buddha in ways that included art, “The earliest paintings had a Buddhist theme and were displayed in the temples along the Buddhist

Early chinese civilization was very well in control of Asia and assumed the role of ‘big brother” to its neighboring Asian countries of Japan, Vietnam, and Korea. Japan, Korea, and Vietnam were absolutely affected by China, being affected by Chinese religion, government, and sky’s the limit from there. Even if you look at current day Asia, those countries still possess a lot of Chinese influence.

Qing ruler burnt the Shaolin temple down, destroying there sacred texts.the Shaolin temple was rebuilt and destroyed over and over in the following centuries. At the brink of extinction, a few surviving monks continued to practice kung-fu behind closed doors. ant the end of the Qing Dynasty a few Shaolin monks went to Shingou Si, where they worked to preserve kung-fu. Among these monks were Zhan Ju, Zhan Mo, and Ji Qing. A few years later there was a renewed interest and acceptance of kung-fu, and it remains to this day(shaolin