Question:
2.How did Buddhism find its way to China? Why do you think this outside belief was so readily accepted into Chinese society? How was Buddhism integrated into China?
Answer:
Hello Class,
I chose number two for this discussion post.
Buddhism originated in India and eventually spread across the eastern hemisphere. It was brought to china by merchants (or what some people would say monks). They brought their religion, lifestyle, and things to trade in China and Southeast Asia. It seemed like people took a liking to this new religion and appreciated what it is about. Most would say Buddhism is more relaxed and not so strict as Confucianism was. The warring state period was going on at the time Buddhism made it’s way to china and it brought a sense of togetherness and helped the Chinese get through those wars. During the wars the Silk Road Trade routes provided new avenues to spread Buddhism and the more it was shared the more people were able to change the beliefs to fit them. Buddhism seemed pretty straight forward and if you followed it the rest was customizable to you. I think it was so readily accepted because it was hard times and having something to believe in and having some hope is better than nothing, so I think people were ready to listen to just about anything. One of the Emperors in rule during the Han Dynasty was curious about the Buddha and sent people to go to India and learn about it, so it could be brought back to China. Emperor Ming Ti wanted to bring back the teachings and scripture from Buddhism and incorporate things into their society. The Chinese created a whole new version of Buddhism and that is why you can see mnay different statues of the Buddha with or without clothes smiling or not smiling.
O’Connor, B. 2020. Why do Belief Systems Spread? How China Made Buddhism its Own.https://www.khanacademy.org/humanities/whp-origins/era-3-cities-societies-and-empires-6000-bce-to-700-c-e/35-development-of-belief-systems-betaa/a/read-why-do-belief-systems-spread-how-china-made-buddhism-its-own-beta
– Cynthia