Buddhism in China Essay examples - 815 Words

Buddhism in China Between the third and ninth centuries C.E. China underwent a number of changes in its cultural makeup. Foremost amongst them was the adoption of Buddhist religious practices. I must stress that this was not a formal or universal change in religion but a slow integration of a system that permitted adaptation of its own form to promote acceptance as long as the fundamental theories and practices remained the same, unlike most religions. Buddhism worked its way into the court and decision makers of the Chinese state and that was the major sticking point for the religion in China. For Buddhism to be accepted the Emperor would have to condone it and at least offer his acceptance of it. Without imperial†¦show more content†¦The emperor of China was, throughout the course of Buddhism’s introduction to China, reluctant to accept it as an officially sanctioned religion as the tenants of the religion have the ability to be taken as believing in the reducing of the power of the head of state to a subservient position to the religion. This was a major problem as the pre-existing religion, Confucism, had as one of its tenants strict loyalty to the emperor. This loyalty aspect of Confucism granted the emperor a divine claim of authorization for his power and use of it. The main sticking point that Buddhism had to get past to be openly accepted in China was the emperor. He controlled the flow of information from outside sources into the areas where people would be willing to accept new thoughts and beliefs. The court officials were similar in position towards Buddhism as the emperor was due to the close relationship between his power and theirs. However, as the people whom implement the policies of the emperor they are also very important to the spread of the religion. In their capacity they have the ability to hinder the spread and to wrongfully use their power to arrest and cripple the religion. This hindering may be against the emperors wishes but with such a vast political structure theShow MoreRelatedSpread of Buddhism in China834 Words   |  3 Pages 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 positivelyRead MoreThe Architecture Of China And Buddhism Essay1252 Words   |  6 PagesAbstract Since China is increasingly making progress and has been changed to one of the powerful countries in economy and architecture, in order to get familiar with this country, Chinese people and the reason of this improvement, we have to investigate in their past. Architecture in China has always had special specifications both in the past and present, it contains special geometric shapes, specified colors and outward gable roofs. These specifications have made the architecture of China particularRead MoreThe Spread Of Buddhism And China1761 Words   |  8 PagesBy 100 C.E., Buddhism founded in India in the 6th century B.C.E was brought to China, gradually winning converts following the collapse of the Han dynasty in 220 C.E., but responses to the spread of Buddhism in China differed. 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People reconsidering their faith, due to many of life downfalls orRead MoreInvestigate the impact Buddhism had on Human Rights in China Essay2603 Words   |  11 PagesThis essay will investigate the impact that Buddhism had on Human rights in China. Discussion will centre on the history of Buddhism in China and the Cultural Revolution. Considering how Marxist ideology implemented changes to the religion of Buddhism and the social conditions in this country, using politics has the base to build this essay to analyse the impact of communism on religion ,regarding Tibet. The paper will then discus the post communist society up until the present day using human rightRead MoreThe Response to the Spread of Buddhism in China Differed According to Ones Social Position594 Words   |  3 PagesThe response to the spread of Buddhism in China differed according to one’s social position. Confucian scholars and the emperor attacked Buddhism as an outlandish, barbaric belief. â€Å"The Memorial of Buddhism† written by Han Yu, a Confucian scholar, opposes Buddhism when the emperor decides to bring â€Å"the finger bone of Buddha† into the Chinese palace. He shows the unjust actions of the emperor by referring back to Confucian teachings such as keeping â€Å"[ghosts and spirits] at a distance†. The scholarRead MoreBuddhism : The Popularity Of Buddhism1306 Words   |  6 PagesBuddhism Culture in China Instructor Dr. Jack Name: Zhoudongxue Zhang Student #: 100311725 Date: 26/11/2015 The Popularity of Buddhism in China Buddhism is one of the most popular religions in the world. The Pew Research Center reports that nearly 488 million people practice Buddhism, which represents 7% to 8% of the world’s entire population. Buddhism is mainly practiced in the Asia-Pacific region with approximately 481,290,000 Buddhists, which means 99% of Buddhists live in Asia-Pacific