With the Shaolin monastery in China and the Enryakuji in Japan playing important roles amongst the Buddhist monasteries and becoming deeply involved in the secular world, we see a lot of similarities and differences about the relationship between the religious and secular worlds in China and Japan. We also see that Daoism and Shinto religions shaped the monasteries evolvement over the centuries.
Focusing first on the Shaolin monastery and how it became the famous Buddhist temple in the world and it’s not because of religion or its art treasures. We find out that neither the contribution to Chinese Buddhist evolution nor the art treasures that have been gathered together in the 15 thousand year history . Even the legends connecting the monastery with the mythic founder of Chan Buddhism/Zen, Bodhidharma, isn’t even the reason for the legend of the Shaolin monastery . A closer look shows us that the Shaolin monastery is famous around the world because of the connection and bond it has with Chinese martial arts .
The Shaolin martial arts evolved over 15 thousand years . Their martial arts brought other aspects of the Buddhist religion . By the time the Ming era came around, Shaolin monks finally had chosen their weapon of choice for a Buddhist emblem, which was the staff . The decision to choose the staff was more than likely related to the staffs’ role in monastic life . Shahar states that those who trained with a monastic environment came to regard their martial practice as a religious discipline .
As far as how Daoism shaped the monastery, we see that in the late Ming and early Qing eras, there was a synthesis of fighting, healing, and religious self-cultivation . Shahar says how it all starts with daoyin. Daoyin calisthenics...
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...tion of Buddhism, which is shown by statues of the Four Deva Kings and Fudō Myōō, who are both shown with spears and swords in Japanese temples . Since Buddhism was made as a protector of the state in Japan, violence could be justified in defending not only the faith itself but also the court and the ruling family . You see the similarities with weapons, yet the choice of weapon was different. The choice of swords over the staff is an example of this.
In conclusion, you see the differences and similarities, but at the end of the day, the Shaolin monastery in China and the Enryakuji in Japan, were both unique and played a vital part in their own history, along with that of their country’s government and overall history. The one way I look at things is the Shaolin monastery has always kept its roots close, while the Enryakuji has veered off in different directions.
...ore than communities occupied for monks and a stop for merchants, “monasteries [are now] engaged in banking or money-lending activities, and many others maintained schools that provided a basic education for local populations” (T.E. 295). With the favor of the people and in combination with Wu and her state’s endorsement, Buddhism and monasteries flourished and becomes an integral part of the Chinese culture by providing education and economic service to return the favor, thus strengthening the symbiotic role between government and religion. Monasteries’ “engage[ment] in banking [and] money-lending activities” is a sign that monasteries no longer just serve a monotonous purpose, but that it now plays an integrated role with the Chinese culture and economy as it is a pivotal point in gradual building the robust Chinese economy in the mutually benefitting relationship.
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.
It may be difficult to imagine how the Chinese revolution, the Buddha, and a princess shaped the path of Tibetan Buddhism into the Hawaiian islands, particularly in the island of Kauai. This essay will illustrate how my experience at a Buddhist burial ground in Kauai had its roots in Beijing, Lhasa, and Lumbini. I will argue that the presence of Tibetan Buddhism on the island of Kauai was primarily driven by the Communist revolution in China in 1949 and their reannexation of Tibet in 1959. This paper will show how the Buddhism came to Tibet from India on the Middle Ages and moved to the United States in the 1950s and 1960s. The story of how Tibetan Buddhism got to Hawaii is followed by an analytical description of a Tibetan Buddhist burial mound in Kauai.
In China, the citizens' inclination of Buddhism varied from that of other states. There was a plethora of mental outlooks on how Buddhism was changing the Chinese society as it expanded from India, where it was founded in the sixth century BCE. The responses are organized depending on their acceptance, rejection, or encouragement of a combination of Buddhism with other religions. These categories are illustrated by the following documents; the acceptance by documents two and five, the rejection by documents four, six, and three, and last, the encouragement by documents two, five, and three. Additional documentations that would be helpful in classifying the reactions of the Chinese people would be a testimony or statement of a Chinese woman, or group of women, and of peasants. These would be helpful as we'd be able to examine exactly how the Chinese were affected by Buddhism's grasp. We would be able to see how Buddhism affected their daily lives and what they thought about the sudden religion.
customs and traditions hidden in the roots of the Japanese empire. The Tang Dynasty displayed a
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...
The Buddhist brought with them the concept of multiple gods and Buddha’s “spiritual state to provide the power for humans to make the transition into death and the afterlife successfully” (Corduan, 2012, p.410). Confucianism brought the obedience of the child to the parent into Chinese mainstream life, plus the “social stratification and codes governing dress, actions and communication” (Corduan, 2012, p.409). Taoism introduced the balance of forces in harmony in spirits in the form of yin and yang, thus creating that balance of nature and humans (Corduan, 2012). Christianity influenced Chinese life both socially and economically by introducing the concepts of “love for one’s neighbor, self-discipline, and trust” (Lu, 2014, p.2) as both essential and beneficial (Lu, 2014). All of these together with the traditional Chinese religion, give the Chinese culture it’s popular religion
It is said that history is shaped by the lives of great men. Great men are leaders. They bring about change; they improve the lives of others; they introduce new ideas, models, and theories to society. Most of the world's religions were founded, developed, or discovered by great men. Two particular religions - Christianity and Buddhism - developed in different parts of the world, under different circumstances, and in different social atmospheres. But each religion is based upon the teachings of a great man. When one compares the life of Buddha with the life of Jesus, one finds that the two share many things in common. This essay aims to compare and contrast the lives of Buddha1 and Jesus in two key areas: conception and birth. In these two areas, one finds that the Buddha and Jesus share many similarities.
Shahar, Meir. "Epigraphy, Buddhist Historiography, and Fighting Monks: The Case of The Shaolin Monastery." Asia Major 13.2 (2000): 15-36. JSTOR. Web. 5 Mar. 2014.
Buddhism was a powerful force both in politics and in everyday life. It was a tad of the ruling class to appease the people in times of hardship, especially during the political disunity between dynasties. However, as times changed, Buddhism was blamed for much of the trouble in society and for edging out the much more strict doctrine of Confucianism. Even though most of these documents seem to come from Confucian scholars, the documents indicate a spread, nonetheless, of Buddhism among the people.
Buddhism saw its initial, but slow rise under the Han Dynasty, which lasted from 206 BCE to 220 CE; however, the religion spread rapidly towards the end of the Han amidst political chaos and hesitance in Confucian principles. During the postclassical era, Buddhism’s spread in China was caused by the prospect of Nirvana, while it also gave way to both negative and positive responses.
Although Siddhartha Gotama spread the religion of Buddhism in India, his teaching had a great impact on other countries. Buddhist first made their way to China via the silk route; this was a network of caravan tracts that linked China to the rest of central Asia to the Mediterranean region. Buddhist monks also made their way into China with Buddhist scriptures and Buddhist art in their possession. This is the first time that Buddhism made a substantial impact on the Chinese. Quickly many Chinese began to convert to the new religion that was brought into china. In fact, Buddhism would become a central aspect to culture of the Chinese. Buddhism had a great impact on the Chinese, philosophers, and Chinese emperors. Additionally, Buddhism had a great influence on Chinese art, and Buddhism was the greatest foreign influence on the artwork of the Chinese. Chinese artist would mix their traditions, with other popular Buddhist art forms from places, such as India. The arrival of Buddhism in China greatly influenced the art of China for many dynasties.
Chinese artwork is a form that contains and demonstrates many different meanings and morals that can be linked back to not only religion, but the overall meaning of life. This paper will discuss the sculpture titled Seated Buddha and how it represents peace, enlightenment, and the overall importance of how these two components influence the mindset of the people involved in the Buddhist religion. The Seated Buddha was created between the 5th and 6th century in China. The artist of this piece is unknown, but this does not hinder us at all from seeing what the artist was trying to portray through the different aspects that they included in the Seated Buddha sculpture. This piece is crafted from stone and a chisel was then used to create the
Monumental inscribed sutras are unique feature of Northern Qi. During this period, Buddhism was state sponsored religion, therefore there is a very close relationship between caves of Xiangtangshan and ruling elite. In fact, these cave groups were commissioned by the court. As it can be read on the stele standing on the temple site, “...In the reign of Emperor Wenxuan of the Northern Qi...caves were excavated and Buddhist images carved”. Interestingly enough, the choice of Vimalakirti sutra, that was carved at the full length and occupied the entire space of the cave. This particular sutra was very popular and it reflected the belief that enlightenment can be achieved even by lay people. Therefore, not only monks, but ruling elite and the Emperor
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