Buddhism in China: Timeline, Origins & Persecution - StudySmarter Ji Zhe, Gareth Fisher, Andr Lalibert (2020). The spread of Buddhism into Central Asia is still not completely understood. This awakening can happen gradually or in a flash of insight (as emphasized by the St and Rinzai schools, respectively). Stanford, CA: Stanford University Press, 1959. For the purposes of this review, however, Chinese Buddhism is restricted primarily to its traditional definition as regarding those developments pertaining to Chinese-language sources, practices, and so forth, of Han Chinese ethnicity. Confucianism is focused on ethics and maintaining harmony and social order in society. p. 221. [31] When the Yuan dynasty was overthrown and the Ming dynasty was established, the Tibetan lamas were expelled from the court, and this form of Buddhism was denounced as not being an orthodox path. Their collective knowledge gained through trying to improve human longevity made a huge contribution to health sciences. This is why Confucianism is considered a philosophy rather than a religion, even though it is often lumped in with other major religions. If you have questions about licensing content on this page, please contact ngimagecollection@natgeo.com for more information and to obtain a license. [2] According to Chn-fang Y, the most popular Chinese Buddhist ritual that is most widely performed today is the Great Compassion Repentance associated with Guanyin and the Great Compassion Dharani.[51]. Thimphu [Bhutan], July 15 (ANI): The Lotus-Born Guru, also known as Guru Rinpoche, is said to have introduced Buddhism to Bhutan back in the 8th century as his narrative is deeply interwoven with Bhutan's identity, giving rise to compelling literary symbolism, according to Bhutan Live. Buddhist missionaries traveled both the land-based Central Asian Silk Road and the sea-based routes.A large number of Chinese people embraced Buddhism during the . [31] A common perception was that this patronage of lamas caused corrupt forms of tantra to become widespread. Despite their differences, Taoist and Confucian ideas are not completely at odds with each other, so Chinese society was able to absorb concepts from both traditions. Concepts Buddhist texts Practices Nirva Traditions Buddhism by country Religion portal v t e Buddhist expansion, from Buddhist heartland in northern India (dark orange) starting 5th century BC, to Buddhist majority realm (orange), and historical extent of Buddhism influences (yellow). Buddhist Art and Architecture in Sri Lanka and Southeast A Buddhist Interreligious and Intrareligious Dialogue. [41] Buddhist clergy were attacked, disrobed, arrested, and sent to camps. Buddhism offered the Chinese new ideas such as karma , reincarnation, hell, monks, and monasteries. The most prestigious monasteries have support from rich elites, and the smallest are usually in small villages. (2002). The Five Dynasties and Ten Kingdoms period (907960/979), an era of great political upheaval and civil war, also negatively impacted Chinese Buddhism. Historical development India Expansion of Buddhism The Buddha was a charismatic leader who founded a distinctive religious community based on his unique teachings. Pure Land eventually would become the dominant form of Buddhism in East Asia. In Wong Tai Sin Temple in Hong Kong, hopeful Taoist devotees light incense sticks for luck the day before a major horse race. The Han Dynasty fell in 220, beginning a period of social and political chaos. Some of the members of that community were, like the Buddha himself, wandering ascetics. Fluctuating borders impacting Chinas territorial expanse have also affected the ethnic makeup of the Chinese nation and the types of Buddhism practiced in China. Another common feature of Chinese religion is multiple religious belonging. One of the key forces of Buddhism's success was Daoism. Buddhism in China: Introduction, Influence & Places for Buddhism "[2], Another common structure is a pagoda, which may contain Buddhist relics and statues or images of Buddhas and bodhisattvas. Because of the temporal expanse and wide range of phenomena that this bibliography on Chinese Buddhism covers, both the scope of topics and numbers of citations have been limited. [43][44][45] This was a period which saw the restoration of damaged Buddhist temples like Guoqing Temple and Guanghua Temple, as well as the return of monastic ordination and Buddhist institutions. This suppression dealt a crippling blow to Chinese Buddhism and marked the beginning of a long decline. Indian, Southeast Asian, Tibetan, Early Chinese, Delhi: Motilal Banarsidass. [2], According to Mario Poceski, for the vast majority of ordinary Chinese Buddhists, "prevalent expressions of Buddhist piety were (and still are) channeled via a variety of popular modes of worship and ritual observance. The Rights Holder for media is the person or group credited. The elite of Chinese society freely associated with the growing number of Buddhist monks and scholars. While religious rituals were mentioned alongside all of the other rituals a person was expected to perform, Confucius did not focus on spiritual concerns like the afterlife, gods and goddesses, or mysticism. Buddhist temples, monasteries, and art were systematically destroyed and Buddhist lay believers ceased any public displays of their religion. [61], Buddhist monasticism is an important part of Chinese Buddhism. [84], The following holiday dates given are based on the Chinese calendar system, so that 8.4 means the Eighth day of the fourth month in Chinese calendar and so on. Zen teaches that enlightenment is achieved through the profound realization that one is already an enlightened being. In spite of questions regarding Buddhisms place in Chinas cultural identity, the religion has manifested an enduring resilience and has continued to thrive. Buddhism - National Geographic Society In larger monasteries or temples, a number of ancillary halls also house the images of lesser Buddhist divinities, giving residents and visitors alike a wide choice of objects of worship and supplication. These included texts such as the youlu (recorded sayings) of famous teachers, which were oriented primarily toward monks, as well as more literary creations such as Journey to the West (written in the 16th century) and Dream of the Red Chamber (18th century). When Was Buddhism Introduced To China - Bible Hint Buddhism. The original architecture was magnificent, but partly destroyed in history. In the first century A.D., the human image of one Buddha came to dominate the artistic scene, and one of the first sites at which this occurred was along India's northwestern frontier. Chinese Buddhism contains a wide array of religious practices and observances. Buddhism flourished in parts of Central Asia until the 11th century, particularly under the patronage of the Uighur Turks. [38] This era also saw the arrival of Christian missionaries to China, a right which had been granted to Western powers after the Opium Wars. Early Buddhist Philosophy (Abhidharma/Abhidhamma), Early Modern European Encounters with Buddhism, Feminist Approaches to the Study of Buddhism, Intersections Between Buddhism and Hinduism in Thailand, Mongolia, Buddhist Art and Architecture in, New Religions in Japan (Shinshky), Buddhism and, Psychology and Psychotherapy, Buddhism in, South and Southeast Asia, Devats, Nats, And Phii In, Three Turnings of the Wheel of Doctrine (Dharma-Cakra), West (North America and Europe), Buddhism in the. [2] That being said, there are still disagreements and doctrinal debates within the community.[2]. [2] For example, according to master Zhiyi's "eight teachings and five periods" classification, the final and supreme teaching of the Buddha is found in the Lotus Sutra and the Nirvana Sutra. Princeton, NJ: Princeton University Press, 1964. New York: Kodansha America, 1985. Gernet, Jacques. At that time, people regarded it as a kind of alchemy, or as a popular belief or witchcraft at that time. After the Han period, Buddhist monks were often used by non-Chinese emperors in the north of China for their political-military counsel and their skill in magic. Yet, Buddhism slowly spread. [2], The ancient idea of the compatibility of the Three Teachings (Confucianism, Buddhism, and Taoism) is common in China and is expressed in the phrase the three teachings harmonious as one (; Snjio Hy). Buddhism You should read enough of the materials presented in this section concerning the tradition of Buddhism in order to understand how this tradition displays the characteristics or elements that make a tradition one that would be termed a "religion. https://www.learnreligions.com/buddhism-in-china-the-first-thousand-years-450147 (accessed July 17, 2023). In contrast to Confucianism, Taoism is mainly concerned with the spiritual elements of life, including the nature of the universe. Buddhist Theories of Causality (karma, prattyasamutpda, China, Esoteric Buddhism in, (Zhenyan and Mijiao), Chinese Buddhist Publishing and Print Culture, 1900-1950. She is the author of "Rethinking Religion" and has covered religion for The Guardian, Tricycle.org, and other outlets. [2] These organizations also became influential back in Mainland China after the end of the Cultural Revolution. Buddha presented the Four Noble Truths as guiding principles: there is suffering in life; the cause of suffering is desire; ending desire means ending suffering; and following a controlled and moderate lifestyle will end desire, and therefore end suffering. Section 4. Provides a quick overview suitable for general readers. Works like Gregory and Getz 1999, a series of articles devoted to various aspects of Buddhism in the Song dynasty (9601279), have successfully challenged the suppositions assumed in Chens work regarding the alleged decline of Buddhism in China, even postulating that if any period deserved the sobriquet of golden age, it might be the Song dynasty rather than the Tang, but a general overview of Chinese Buddhism reflecting such perspectives has yet to be written. In this case, an argument could be made that Chinese Buddhism includes representation from each of Buddhisms major vehicles (or yanas): Theravada, Mahayana, and Tantrayana. It was founded by Siddhartha Gautama, also called the Buddha, who lived in India around the sixth century B.C.E. According to tradition, Buddhism was introduced into China after the Han emperor Mingdi (reigned 57/5875/76 ce) dreamed of a flying golden deity in what was interpreted as a vision of the Buddha. In: Pacific World Journal, Third Series, Number 3, 241275. Copy this link, or click below to email it to a friend. Buddhism first reached China from India roughly 2,000 years ago during the Han Dynasty. All rights reserved. O'Brien, Barbara. Chinese Buddhism focuses on studying Mahayana sutras and Mahyna treatises and draws its main doctrines from these sources. Buddhism in China | Encyclopedia.com Chinese Buddhism also developed various unique traditions of Buddhist thought and practice, including Tiantai, Huayan, Chan Buddhism, and Pure Land Buddhism. This rotund character remains a favorite subject of Chinese art. Many of these traditions were also later exported to other East Asian nations, like Japan, Korea, and Vietnam. By the 4th century, there were almost 2,000 monasteries in the south. Buddhism is a religion that was founded by Siddhartha Gautama ("The Buddha") more than 2,500 years ago in India. The same period is dealt with by Tsukamoto 1985. Chen, Kenneth K. S. The Chinese Transformation of Buddhism. The first sculpting of Longmen Grottoes can also be traced to Xiaowen's reign. In addition to these numerous biographies, there are accounts from Jesuit missionaries, such as Matteo Ricci, which provide extensive and revealing accounts to the degree Buddhism penetrated elite and popular culture in China. [65] Chinese Buddhist thinkers like Guifeng Zongmi argued that all three teachings should be followed and practiced since they all contain important truths (though he also considered Buddhism to reveal the highest truth).[66]. Still, some will suffice in providing a solid, basic orientation to the study of Chinese Buddhism, introducing major themes, figures, and developments. For purposes of this article, though, we'll compare north and south China. For those seeking more depth, Chen 1964 provides rich and detailed coverage. Because Confucian teachings were conservative and told people to maintain their role in social order, the philosophy was used by the state to keep the status quo from that time forward. There is also a modernist movement called Humanistic Buddhism (; rnjin fjio), which emphasizes humanism, charity, and other humanitarian practices that help improve social conditions. Maoist propaganda depicted Buddhism as one of the four olds, as a superstitious instrument of the ruling class and as counter-revolutionary. Sarah Appleton, National Geographic Society. Buddhism is practiced in many countries and cultures throughout the world. The practice of recitation of the Buddha's name is commonly done in a group setting, sometimes as part of an intensive nianfo recitation retreat, which can last for several days. Buddhism in Chinese Society: An Economic History from the Fifth to Tenth Centuries. The Buddha and Buddhism: China. - DRBU [28] It was during this time that the classic Five Houses of Chan developed. In the northern part of Chinese Turkistan, Buddhism spread from Kuqa (Kucha) to the kingdoms of Agnidesa (Karashahr), Gaochang (Torpan), and Bharuka (Aksu). They are often ritually carved and installed as part of a consecration ritual that may include chanting and scripture reading. However murky the details may be, it is clear that the trade routes that ran from northwestern India to northern China facilitated both the introduction of Buddhism to Central Asia and the maintenance, for many centuries, of a flourishing Buddhist culture there. He is also known for introducing the Madhyamaka school of Buddhist philosophy, which would later be called Sanlun (the "Three Treatise school"). Among the several other schools that emerged in China was a Vajrayana school calledMi-tsung, or "school of secrets.". [46] Monks who had fled overseas were also allowed back into the mainland. During this period several Chinese schools developed their own distinctive approaches and systematized the vast body of Buddhist texts and teachings. He was also renowned as a lecturer and commentator and was admired for his strict adherence to the precepts. The structure of Chinese society and its focus on rituals, familial respect and obligation, worship of ancestors, and self-discipline, remains greatly influenced by Confucius and his teachings. [55] Robert Gimello has also observed that in Chinese Buddhist communities, the esoteric practices of Cund enjoyed popularity among both the common people and the elite. Rothschild, N, Henry (2015). An example of this is the figure of Hanshan Deqing, one of the great reformers of Chinese Buddhism. Confucian China was not terribly friendly to Buddhism. Monks like Zhenchan () and Mengcan (), who were trained in the Chan and Huayan traditions, traveled widely throughout China as well as other countries, such as the United States, and lectured on both Chan and Huayan teachings. , active c.164186 CE), as well as the work of Dharmaraksa (3rd century).[11][12]. Buddhism | Definition, Beliefs, Origin, Systems, & Practice (1999). All Buddhist temples, texts, and art were to be destroyed, and the monks were to be executed. Humanistic Buddhism sought to move away from ritualistic and otherworldly obsessions to embrace more worldly pursuits like education and charitable work. [2] Acts of charity or social service () are also an important of part of Chinese Buddhist ethics. [63][64] Chinese Buddhism developed Chinese mythologies and philosophies which incorporated and accommodated Chinese religions. Buddhism and Buddhist Art | Essay | The Metropolitan Museum of Art It was probably introduced to China by Silk Road traders from the west in about the 1st century CE. To help the Chinese comprehend Buddhist concepts, Buddhists borrowed ideas from Daoism via the Chinese language. It was probably introduced to China by Silk Road traders from the west in about the 1st century CE. Retrieved from https://www.learnreligions.com/buddhism-in-china-the-first-thousand-years-450147.
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