Spread Of Buddhism Dbq Essay

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

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.

While Buddhism spread through China following the fall of the Han dynasty, many defended its emergence and criticised its absence before Han China fell in 220 C.E. When there was no imperial force to enforce the rules, Buddhism spread; however, after the re emergence of a unified imperial structure in 570 C.E., Buddhism faced opposition.

As Buddhism spread from India to China, It caused a variety of diverse beliefs. Several views on Buddhism were strongly influential to the Chinese society. For example the Emperor's opinion that Buddhism would leave ruin, havoc and destroy the country in Document 6 is a strong authoritative source in the Chinese society. This leaves the people of China to decide between listening to their Emperor, or violate the statement he made making the influence of Buddhism corrupt. A positive viewpoint from a philosopher in Document 5 compares Buddhism to other existing beliefs trying to get the religion accepted into society. While there are positive and negative views on Buddhism during the first century C.E. Some sources remained indifferent and have no opinion on the issue and want to meld all religions into a remarkable society. While some praised Buddhism and support all that it stands for, others used the spread of this religion as a scapegoat, incriminated for political and economic problems. Therefore the spread of Buddhism and how it was preserved was based on point of view and powerful opinions in China.

There are multiple reasons why and how Buddhism spread in China. I feel that factors like, religion, politics, and social, played a major part in spreading Buddhism throughout China. The factors mentioned are usually a contributor in global changes and has definitely played its part in China’s adapting a new belief. Of course there were other reasons, like economic, that caused the people of China to gravitate to the Buddhist ways. People reconsidering their faith, due to many of life downfalls or the weight of participants in something that’s new, gained recognition and spread due to popular demand. During the political chaos from 221 to 589 that came with the collapse of the Han Dynasty, Buddhism started to become a strong existence in

Buddhism arrived in China by the first century C.E. by way of the Silk Road. Initially, the spread of Buddhism was met with positivity, but as the centuries passed, the Chinese began to view it in a negative light. Additionally, during a period of disunity and political instability, the Chinese peasants welcomed Buddhism, but as Buddhism became more popular, Chinese aristocracy and government saw it as a threat to their power and moved to discredit its movement. Documents 1, 2, and 5 positively supported the spread of Buddhism, and Documents 4 and 6 negatively viewed the spread of Buddhism. The change in attitude corresponding to the spread of Buddhism is presented with Documents 1, 2, and 3, which initially support Buddhism, and Documents 4, 5, and 6, which shows the changing opinions on Buddhism. It would be beneficial to see additional documents written by a peasant in order to show the contrast between elite responses and their motives for choosing a foreign religion over the traditional Confucianism. Another helpful document would be a response from a woman because it would be useful to know the reasons a woman in Chinese society would choose Buddhism and their perspective as opposed to the point of view of men.

Buddhism held a great appeal for the Wei rulers, as it gave their leadership a legitimate base in a multiethnic society. Buddhism was fostered as a state religion, and strong support provided to Buddhist merchants from foreign nations, thereby sponsoring the spread of Buddhism in China. Along its spread in China, modifications were made to Buddhist scripture and Buddha images by translators and artists to make them more appeal to the Chinese. It makes use of and adapts to local culture and thought, which allows Buddhism to be able to keep its main ideas, but can adapt in the way that it needs to gain followers. The integration of Chinese features into Buddha status provides an example of Buddhism’s merge with the Chinese culture.

The development of Buddhism across followed natural geographic divisions. Buddhist doctrine and culture spread mostly by the way of trade-routes. During its spread, Buddhism adapted and evolved within different cultures and their existing beliefs. It was one of the keys to the success of the religion. Certain aspects of Buddhism were harmonized with the pre-existing earlier practices, customs, mythologies and tradition. Spirits, deities and divinities from local mythologies and beliefs continue to coexist and were incorporated into the pantheon of the newly formed religion. For examples, in China Buddhism absorbed Taoist elements; in Japan, it

China is a highly populated country in East Asia which consists of many religions ever since the ancient times. The major religions in China are Buddhism, Taoism, Confucianism, Islam, and Christianity. People in China who are part of different confessional groups and culture are able to cope and live together because The Constitution in China allows people to freely practice any religion they believe in. In addition to that, the State Council also offers assistance to many religious groups. Chinese culture is broad and complex and is significantly influenced by Chinese religions. In China today, Buddhism and Taoism are most common and widespread. Buddhism is an old religion which was introduced in China 2,000 years ago. The religion consists of a few sects and is one of the driving forces of Chinese cultures. Likewise, Taoism is another well-known and widespread religion in China. Many other Chinese religions derive from Taoism. The religion was brought into China 1,700 years ago and is based on religious and philosophical teachings of particular historical Chinese doctrines. Buddhism and Taoism have a major impact on Chinese culture. Both share similarities, yet there are a different set of goals each possess.

“In many ways, while Confucianism might not, properly speaking, be considered a religion in the traditional sense, it nevertheless provided ideas that better “prepared” China and the Far East for the coming of Buddhism than Taoism.” According to this claim, Confucianism paved the way for the new and upcoming belief of Buddhism. But it also stated that Confucianism better prepared China and the Far East for Buddhism better than Taoism. This statement is essentially correct due to the shared similarities of Confucianism and Buddhism, as well as the stark differences between Taoism and Buddhism.

Throughout the history of Chinese civilization many religions participated in the shaping of China’s way of life. One in particular, Buddhism, created the bridge that expanded the ideas of meditation, monasticism, and magic. Buddhism is the belief that life is full of suffering cause of desire and in order to end suffering a person must go through an enlightenment state.

Approximately 350 million people in the world today are practicing Buddhist, making Buddhism the world’s fourth largest religion. However Buddhism has an influence even greater than the number of its adherents would indicate. From the time that its founder, Siddhartha Gautama, preached his first sermon 2500 years ago, Buddhism has spread from its homeland in India to China, Japan, Korea, Thailand, Tibet, and abroad. Although China is the largest country in the world to be officially atheist, a large majority of its populace adheres to Buddhist traditions and is even practicing Buddhists. They are noticeably influenced by the culture. In fact, all of the countries that came under the influence of Buddhism were enriched culturally and artistically. The image of the Buddha, which means “Enlightened One,” appears

3. Wisdom, peace and happiness, not salvation – Unlike other religions that highlight the concept of final judgment, Buddhists do not instill fear in people. Members of some religious organizations are fearful of not being saved when the fated day comes, so they follow the teachings of their religion, in hopes of securing a spot on the ‘to be saved’ list. In Buddhism, the goal is to achieve wisdom, peace and happiness. Whatever happens will happen, but if one has the wisdom, peace and happiness, there will never be any

Buddhism spread from India to China some 2,000 years ago. Chinese Buddhism may be categorized according to languages into three groups: Mandarin, Tibetan, and Bali. The Buddhist groups are the biggest religious communities in China (Wu, 2015).