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Confucianism and its influence upon Chinese society
Confucianism and its influence upon Chinese society
The journey to the west confucianism
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Buddhist popularity towards the Chinese grew following the collapse of the Han Dynasty in 220 C.E. It’s influence continued to expand for several centuries. Between 220 C.E. and 570 C.E., China experienced a period of political instability and disunity. During this time, many of the Chinese, specifically scholars, sought for peace in Buddhism and approved of Buddhism. On the other hand, the strict confucianists and the government fought to end Buddhism and make people go against it.
Good things will happen if you accept and follow Buddhism. With that having said, many of the Chinese people tried Buddhism as a new religion when their government was weakening. Buddhism was the answer to their problems and the escape to inner freedom. According to Buddhist tradition, “The Four Noble Truths” are steps of achieving enlightenment. “The Four Noble Truths are the Noble Truth of Sorrow, Arising of Sorrow, Stopping of Sorrow, and the Way that Leads to the Stopping of Sorrow. ”(Doc 1: Buddha). “Whosoever in China… serves the Buddha and correctly… makes a vow to be reborn without ever abandoning his sincere intention… behold Buddha… enlightened in his spirit… he will enter Nirvana.”( Doc 2: Zhi Dun), a Chinese scholar on trying to convince Chinese aristocrats that Buddhism is a good religion and that Buddhism would make a bad life better.
Chinese scholars were positive towards Buddhism and pro-Buddha. In the document of “The Disposition of Error”, an anonymous Chinese scholar answers the challenges to Buddhism in China in an argument about converting to Buddhism between Confucianists and Buddhists. A confused strict Confucianist ask if Buddhism was so great why wasn’t it recorded? “If Buddhism is the greatest and most venerable of ways...
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China DBQ documents
DBQ Historical backgrounds
Doc 1-Source: According to Buddhist tradition, "The Four Noble Truths", the first sermon preached by Buddha (563 B.C.E.-483 B.C.E.), India, fifth century B.C.E
Doc 2-Source: Zhi Dun, Chinese scholar, author, and confidant of Chinese aristocrats and high officials during the period when northern China was invaded by central Asian steppe nomads, circa 350 C.E.
Doc 3-Source: Anonymous Chinese scholar, "The Disposition of Error," China, circa 500 C.E.
Doc 4-Source: Han Yu, leading Confucian scholar and official at the Tang imperial court, "Memorial on Buddhism," 819 C.E.
Doc 5-Source: Zong Mi, a leading Buddhist scholar, favored by the Tang imperial household, essay. "On the Nature of Man," early ninth century C.E.
Doc 6-Source: Tang Emperor Wu, Edict on Buddhism, 845 C.E.
Since the introduction of Buddhism into China, it was not well received by the population as its foreign beliefs clashed with pre-existent principals of Confucianism and Taoism. On top of that, it was alienated by the Confucianism-based government in the late Han Dynasty. All in all, Buddhism was not a common nor a popular religion throughout China at first. Nevertheless, this all changed after the rise of the Tang Dynasty. There is no doubt that Buddhism and the Tang administration under Wu’s reign formed a critical symbiotic relationship with one another. Buddhism played a pivotal role in justifying Empress Wu’s rule. She enthroned herself as the monarch of China, an extraordinarily difficult achievement for a woman in a male-dominant society, by associating herself with Buddhism: proclaiming herself as the Maitreya and that she will bring an utopian era for the Chinese. (Smarr, 17 Feb. 2012) At the same time, Buddhism benefitted handsomely from government support, as monasteries are exempted from tax and that they are financially supported by the state, as seen in A Pilgrim’s Visit to the Five Terraces Mountains, which ultimately resulted in the substantial growth in attraction of Buddhist converts and Buddhism itself. Wu’s extensive support of the religion with ostentatious gifts and donations contributed to the rapid proliferation of Buddhism. Evidently, the mutually benefitting relationship between Buddhism and the state are crucial to each other’s survival during Wu’s sovereignty, but to what extent did her financial support (donations to monasteries) of Buddhism bettered the government overall?
However, the trend toward supporting Taoism provided a reactionary means in which Emperor Wuzong and court officials, such as Han Yu, were able to invert this form o cultural tolerance to a more xenophobic governmental movement to remove Buddhism from China. In the writings of Han Yu, it is apparent that the weakness of Chinese Emperors tended to be directly related to the practice of Buddhism by elites. More so, Chinese government officials began to become hostile to Buddhist, which set the Great Anti-Buddhist Persecution into motion as a formal movement action against non-Taoists throughout the
Yu, Han. “Memorial on Buddhism”. Making of the Modern World 12: Classical & Medieval Tradition. Trans. Richard F. Burton. Ed. Janet Smarr. La Jolla: University Readers, 2012. 111-112. Print.
Walking into the Hall of the Buddhas, there was a sense of peace and guidance lingering inside me. The seated Bodhisattva, of the Northern Wei dynasty (386-534), CA.480, from the Yungang, Cave xv, Shani Province, made of sandstone, guarded the entrance. At first, I thought it was a time to be disciplined, but the transcending smile from the statue was a delicate fixed gesture that offered a feeling of welcome. It was not a place to confess your wrongdoings; neither was it a place for me to say, “Buddha I have sinned.” It was a room to purify the mind, the mind that we take for granted without giving it harmony. There was a large mural decorating the main wall called “The Paradise of Bhaishajyaguru”(916-1125). I sat down wandering if the artist of the portrait knew that his work would one day be shared on this side of the world, in my time. Much like Jesus Christ and his followers, the mural is a painting of healers and saviors. It was a large figure of the Buddha of medicine, (Bhaishajyaquru) surrounded by followers of Bodhisattvas, Avalokiteshvara, and Mahosthamaprapta with twelve guardian generals who have pledged to disseminate the Buddha’s teaching (Tradition of Liao 916-1125, Metropolitan Museum wall plaque).
people were content and happy (Han Yu 111). Han Yu presents a background of China without Buddhism to compare how Buddhism destructed China and left it in ruins. This demonstrates his ambition to rid Buddhism in China, for he depicts how stable ...
of acceptance of Buddhism within China, one must look at each class individually and see
24 Amore, Roy C. and Julia Ching. The Buddhist Tradition. In Willard G. Oxtoby, Ed. World Religions: Eastern Traditions. P. 221
During the Warring States period China was going through chaos. The teachings of Confucianism and Daoism were welcomed by society to bring order, stability and liberate people from the misery and oppression. The rulers were greedy and desirous of political power and their own agendas; however they were looking for a new way to unite their people. It is often said that Confucianism and Daoism are the yang and yin, respectively, of Chinese religion. That is, they are not rivals so much as complementary traditions, working together to produce an overall balance in the lives of the Chinese. This is not true because the two religious philosophies were different from one another. Confucius believed that the traditions and virtues that were studied and taught in the old days by the Ancients was the best way to organize society (trickle-down approach). Also followers of Confucius believed in education, a moral force and human goodness to advance and progress within society. Daoism on the other hand relies on human nature and a balance of good and evil (Yin-Yang) to bring about social order. It neglects education, virtue and cultural norms because it is said that people are born faultless.
Regarding religion, Chinese culture saw the emergence of Confucianism and Buddhism as the major influence. Confucianism stressed filial piety which meant respecting elders and superiors, ruling righteously, and obeying commands and orders. Confucianism was introduced by the Chinese thinker Confucius. Buddhism was brought to China, but originated in India and was founded by Siddhartha Gautama. Followers of Buddhism worshipped Buddh...
"Heilbrunn Timeline of Art History." Altarpiece Dedicated to Buddha Maitreya (Mile) [China] (38.158.1a-n). N.p., n.d. Web. 15 May 2014.
Pilgrim, PJ, “The Origin of the World,” Buddhist Answers: The Buddha, His Identity, Purpose, and Teachings (2005). http://www. parami. org/buddhistanswers/origin_of_the_world. htm
“The whole character of Chinese popular religion flows in the direction of plethora of rituals and obligations without much discernable doctrinal underpinning” (Corduan, 2012, p.410). The Chinese popular religion has gravitated away the gods of Buddha and Daoism and captured the philosophy of luck and materialism (Corduan, 2012), while it “is less concerned with philosophical issues and
Xuanzang was a highly educated Buddhist monk from China, who in 629 C.E. made the long and treacherous journey along the Silk Road to India. His main objectives in his sixteen years away from home were fundamentally religious; he only wanted to study more complete scriptures to answer questions he had, which he deemed unsolvable in his own country. It is important to understand Xuanzang’s own position within the Chinese society and the type of situation it was in: Chinese Buddhists had many disagreements
Nivison, David S. The Ways of Confucianism: Investigations in Chinese Philosophy. Ed. Bryan W. Van Norden. Chicago and La Salle, IL: Open Court, 1996.
Goodrich, L. Carrington (1959). A Short History Of The Chinese People. New York: Harper &