The Dream Of Emperor Ming

During the Han Dynasty, Buddha’s teachings were introduced to China by Central-Asian traders and received little support from the Han dynasty rulers. However, after the collapse of the Han Dynasty, the country was fragmented. While northern China was dominated by invaders from the borderland and steppes, southern China was ruled by continuous “Chinese” dynasties. As a result, Buddhism appealed to people who felt baffled by the loss of an anticipated and durable society. Subsequently, in 581 CE, Sui emperor Wendi reunified China with this new religion and gained state support, therefore further spreading Buddhism. It was not until the Tang Dynasty did the Chinese rulers realize the threat Buddhism had posed on them. Consequently, during the

Emperor of China; Self Portrait of K’ang-hsi should not be read as a textbook or as a completely true historical

from India, wrote the Sutra of Forty-two Sayings for the Chinese Emperor Ming-Di in 67 A.D.

In The Death of Duke Ching of Chin, the author provides readers with an enthralling anecdote of the death of Duke Ching in 581 B.C.. The narrator describes the death prophecy of Duke Ching with as much detail as the life he had lived as a ruler. The author’s detailed description of the dream experienced by Duke Ching presents the themes, symbolizing significant aspects that would lead to his death. An ogre came to him in his dream, seeking revenge for the death of its grandsons. The shaman’s prophecy said that he would die before the time of the new grain. He then fell extremely ill and was diagnosed with a disease that is situated above the diaphragm and below the heart. He dreamt about his illness in the form of the two little boys and the physician confirmed it. The presence of the day ping-wu symbolizes the false prophecy the duke believed he had been told too by the shaman, and sentenced him to death. The duke started to eat the grain, however, his stomach swell up and he went for the privy. Fatefully, he fell down the hole and died.

some of the pots, in the three dynasties for daily activities. Also it was a general

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

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

The Han dynasty was a golden era for China. It saw the greatest land confiscation of the nation’s history and economic success. In this paper I will be focusing on the structure of the national government, the monopolizing of iron and salt, the Yumen Pass and the Yellow Turban rebellion. Join me as we take a trip back in time to visit a time in Chinas history that is highly revered.

Classic of the Yellow Emperor. The Yellow Emperor Huangdi is one of China’s most ancient

Wu Zhao belonged to the Tang Empire, which according to the author which “…was a true empire, encompassing many lands, many peoples, and many ideologies. Multi ethnic and cosmopolitan, Tang China was perfectly suited for the ascent of a historical anomaly like Wu Zhao…” (Rothschild, 2008, p. 11) In a sense, there was a conflict of traditional Confucian values which promoted a patriarchal society and the liberal Steppe culture which gave women more freedom and rights. China at that time was a cocktail of these cultures which led to a significant impact on the lifestyle and values of peoples in that era. Women were bold and tough, and unlike earlier societies, were no longer confined socially and sexually (Rothschild, 2008, p. 12). While did not exist a perfect equality between men and women, women of that era were allowed to live without hiding under the dominance of the male Yang. As the author talks of the Silk Road, it is mentioned that,”…In this free-wheeling milieu, women donned men’s attire and rode horses…” (Rothschild, 2008, p. 15) .This “cosmopolitan” (Rothschild, 2008, p. 16) society was the foundation for the Tang Empire. Another important factor was the prevalence of Buddhism as a religion of the masses. Buddhism, in itself, helped united much of Asia, and was a common platform for men and women, unlike in Confucianism where

was the emperor that cared most about his appearance to other. Wenwang also learned to read and right at the age of three. He was considered one of the wisest emperors ever. Wenwang married Tai Si and had 10 sons. Wenwang also lived for over 96 years. At one point, the King before Wen imprisoned him because he thought Wen was a threat to his spot as king. King Wen was buried in Zhouling town, some people believe that this is not his final resting place. Wenwang reigned from 1097 BC to 1046 BC. He was one that got credit for overthrowing the Shang Dynasty, with the assistance of Jiang Ziya.

     Confucius’s counsel and guidance recorded in The Analects instilled wisdom when they were first recorded and continue to provide a thought provoking analysis of life and the checkpoints that guide it. The Master’s commentary on restraint, diligence, decency, and citizenship are well intended and relevant. Politics and the role of government also come under scrutiny as Confucius offers his insights in bettering the organization of power. His proverb-like admonitions use clear examples of everyday life allowing them to be understood and easily digested. Confucius’s own eagerness and willingness to share goodness he experienced makes it easier to apply and practice in one’s own life.

If I were a Ming emperor, I would not have closed the boarders to the outside world.

In many cultures, heroes have been recorded in tales for thousands of years. In China, one of the Great Classic Novels, The Journey to the West, was written by Wu Cheng’en in the 16th century during the late Ming dynasty (1590-1644) when capitalism began to develop. The book describes a Buddhist monk Tripitaka and his four disciples: Monkey, Pigsy, Sandy and White horse, and how they battled with different demons on the way to the west in order to get Buddhist scriptures. In the novel, Monkey had its own name called Sun Wukong. The first name Wukong had a Buddhist meaning which is “Aware of Vacuity.”

The Chinese Empire was large and controlled most of Asia at one point in time. One of the dynasties that ruled the empire was the Ming Family. Ruling from 1368-1644, almost three hundred years, the Ming Dynasty impacted Chinese history very much.