Introduction. The Pilgrimage Of Faxian And Xuanzang To

As a Chinese scholar, he was probably looking for an end to suffering when China was invaded by nomads. His point of view is significant because he implies that Buddhism gives a chance for everyone to reach nirvana. In a state of political chaos, this greatly comforted and hugely appealed to the Chinese. An additional document by a Chinese Buddhist follower during the nomadic invasions would be helpful because it would show how Buddhism provided a distraction and relief in political disunity.

Buddhism originated in India in fifth century BCE. In Buddha’s first sermon, he states that sorrow arises from craving and in order to stop the craving, one must follow the “Noble Truth of the Way” (Document 1). Later around 350 CE, China was invaded by central Asian steppe nomads. During this time, Zhi Dun, a Chinese scholar and author and friend of Chinese governmental officials, wrote that anyone who follows Buddha teachings and the path of Buddhism, he or she will be “enlightened in his spirit, and then he [or she] will reach Nirvana.” In Zhi Dun’s perspective, he believes that Buddhism will calm down China through its peaceful method of meditation. Due to invasions, disunity was present in the society (Document 2). As a result, many Chinese scholars saw Buddhism established order and control and found it as a way of reviving China. An anonymous Chinese scholar, who published the Disposition of Error in 500 CE, stated that he who follows the Way will gain “goodness and wisdom” in place of “worldly pleasures” (Document 3). While Confucianism was based on the idea of creating a better world, Buddhism focused more on acquiring more knowledge and being good to oneself. The monks who reach enlightenment give up their worldly views because they want peace in the world over their own desire of a wife and

In document 5, Zong Mi, Buddhist scholar, talks about the similarities of the 3 traditions of Confucius, Laozi, and Buddha. He stresses the importance of all philosophies as being that of creating an orderly society with respect. It is interesting that a Buddhist scholar is favored by the Tang imperial household in the early ninth century since after 845 CE Buddhism was denounced in the empire. However, Buddhist scholars were very common at this time as many credited the survival of the area to the religion. The scholar, being favored by the royalty, probably tried to greatly influence them to accept and encourage Buddhism. Moreover, Zong Mi finds the commonalities of doing good deeds, punishing the wrong, and rewarding the right to further highlight that the essence of all the teachings is the same. As shown in document one Buddhism provides a clear path to attaining peace in the world and within

In classical India, the religion of Buddhism was formed in reaction to the strict ways of Hinduism. Many people, mainly lower class, converted to seek a better life and be enlightened more efficiently. This new religion made its way to China where much of its population converted through trade and missionaries. The conversion of Buddhism in China caused many effects of the spread of Buddhism because of its influential impacts from 300 to 900 CE which are influencing the government, caused some people to reject it, and mainly was a unifying force for China. An effect the spread of Buddhism is the influence of its morals on China’s government in 300-900 CE (Doc’s 1, 7). On some occasions Chinese people vehemently rejected Buddhism and rather practice more Chinese driven religion (Doc’s 5, 7). The most impactful effect of the spread of Buddhism is its ability to unite the Chinese in the way of

“It is often said that, aside from the impact of Marxism on twentieth-century China, the only other time when the Chinese looked beyond their own borders for intellectual sustenance was during the period when Buddhism was absorbed from India” (LaFleur 23). Why did this religion appeal to the Chinese when they disregarded so many other external influences? After all, being tied to the rest of the world by the Silk Road meant they were constantly inundated with novel concepts from far and wide. The answer must lie in how Buddhism interacted with the other faiths already established in the country, namely Confucianism and Daoism (sometimes spelled Taoism). While at first glance it may appear that Confucian China would be the last place

In this paper it will discuss the influence of the Buddha and how Buddhism came to America and the impact it had upon its arrival. How the American culture westernized Buddhism in their own way and how it looks today. It will also cover the difference of ethnic Buddhism and convert Buddhism in America. More specifically the objective of this paper is to explain descriptively and analytically and go over the historical time line of

He left his brother and took a long journey to Chang’an to learn more about Buddhism. He stopped at many different monasteries across China. He felt like all the teachings were the same from his own monastery but their doctrines were different. Xuanzang felt confused by some of the things he had learned. This caused him to travel west to bring back books from the center of Buddhism, which is India. Throughout his journey he faced many hardships that would try to prevent him from what he was trying to do. His biggest hardship would be that he was making an illegal journey. Xuangzang traveled by night with help by other Buddhist monks. He did eventually get caught; however he got caught by another Buddhist who allowed him to continue on his journey. In the next fourteen years he became a teacher every place he went. He settled in a monastery located in the eastern Ganges valley, during that time he studied and copied scriptures and listened to oral teachings. He stayed there for five years. He then continued his journey and went elsewhere. Overall he traveled 15,000 miles within the areas of Buddhism. Xuangzang was asked by an emperor to become a high official but he declined several times and would rather stay a Buddhist monk. Xuanzang then went back home to find out his brother was still a practicing Buddhism. In Gordon’s When Asia Was The World, “Xuanzang spent the rest of his life supervising a team of translators and

Buddhism was a powerful force in politics and in everyday life. It was a tool of the ruling class to appease the people in times of hardship - such as the political disunity in between dynasties. However, when the times changed, Buddhism was also blamed for much of the trouble, and for edging out the much more strict doctrine of Confucianism. Most of the documents presented indicated a spread nonetheless of Buddhism among the people. Additional documents needed to further evaluate the response to Buddhism should be from a source of a slightly lower class, such as a merchant, or a view from a convert to Buddhism - since most views seem to be from Confucian

Many people converted to Buddhism because it provided a message of hope and salvation in times of need. Rejected in India because of its lack of a hierarchal system, Buddhism quickly spread throughout China during the Han dynasty. Many common people gravitated towards the new religion and its philosophy on escaping suffering through meditation and prayer (Document 1). By the start of the Tang

Wu Zhao, the first female emperor of China, rose to power during the Tang Dynasty and her active role with Buddhism fabricated a perpetual impact in the Chinese society as a whole. There is no doubt that Buddhism and the Tang administration, under Wu’s reign, formed a symbiotic relationship with one another. She is considered to be one of the most prominent advocators of the religion during the era. Her efforts to spread of Buddhism and the monetary support help Buddhism to expand throughout the people significantly, which provide the religion another source of financial income to spread even further. Regardless of Empress Wu’s intention, she has furnished the religion in numerous ways, but what did she receive in return? This proposes

In document one, the author mentions the strong use of the Four Noble Truths preached by the Buddha in the 5th century. The author’s point of view expresses that the Four Noble Truths were to encourage the spread Buddhism, making it easier for people trying to convert to Buddhism. The Four Noble Truths preached by the Buddha, expressed the basic ideas of Buddhism starting with the goal of Buddhism being to eliminate sorrow. By eliminating the sorrow in your life, your path to enlightenment is strongly increased. Document one was intended for Buddhists to follow. Document two also expresses the positive outlook on the spread of Buddhism in China. The document’s author, Zhi Dun, Chinese scholar and confident of Chinese aristocrats, favored Buddhism. His overall point of view was that in order to be in the presense of the Buddha, one should follow all of the rules mentioned within the document, in other words, by doing all things upheld by the Buddha, one will reach Nirvana and will behold the Buddha and be enlightened in his spirit. He supported the spread of Buddhism because it provided people in China with a positive outlook on life during a dark disunified time in

Chapter one Monasteries and Monarchs: Xuanzang, 618-632 ce, covered many topics that we have discussed in class from religion, to hardships for those traveling the silk road. In class, we have talked about the Chinese Buddhist monk named Xuanzang and his journey to the west as well.

Fa-hsien and his companions left his homeland to travel to India in search of rules of Buddhist discipline. In chapter two, he described his arrival in the kingdom of Shen-shen, where he first encounters the discipline of self-denial. The citizens of Shen-shen, including their King and priests followed the “rules of India” (Fa-hsien 2). In an effort to resist worldly temptation and comfort, they separated themselves from the comfort of family and friends in order to focus on Buddhist teachings.

A Buddhist monk, Xuan Zang traveled to India to search for Buddhist scriptures. The Tang Dynasty era was the time period in which Buddhism expanded and began to spread its influence across all of China. Around one hundred Chinese monks traveled to India to deepen their understanding of the new religion. The Journey to the West, first published anonymously in 1592, fuses all these monks into one figure of Tang Sanzang. The stories in the novel, apart from the fact that Tang Sanzang traveled across China to obtain sacred Buddhist texts, are pure fiction to fully embrace the culture of Mahayana

Must say, reappearing the Buddhas is an extremely huge project for them. Zhang with his team has been driving 10,000 km from Beijing and passing through conflict zones. On this trip, revisiting The Silk Road and experiencing the cultures of the Middle East were the main purpose.