Dbq Buddhism In China Analysis

763 Words4 Pages
Buddhism is a major religion, playing a large part in Chinese history. It was founded in the sixth century B.C.E. by the Buddha, and once brought to China in the first century B.C.E. was very popular (historical background). Many people converted from the main philosophical system at the time, Confucianism, to Buddhism. However, there was mixed reaction to this religion's influence in China. Some converted to Buddhism and appreciated this new form of thinking and enlightenment, while others denounced it, saying that it completely changed China's culture and way of life. Buddhism grew after the Han Dynasty fell in 220 C.E. The statement "Whosoever in China...serves the Buddha...will behold the Buddha and be enlightened in his spirit, and then he will enter Nirvana." (doc.2) was written after the Han Dynasty fell, where there was no unifying political system in place, and when northern China was in the process of being invaded. This…show more content…
If there was a chart or document showing how many Buddhist monks there were in China compared with the total population at certain intervals from about the first century to the tenth century C.E., it would help show the extent of Emperor Wu's claims in Document 6 about vital occupations being lost due to the growing number of monks. In addition, a foreign trader or traveler visiting during the Tang Dynasty would be able to write about how exquisite and prosperous Tang China really was, and whether the problems described in Documents 4 and 6 were truly present. China was a Confucian state when Buddhism first made its appearance in the area in the first century C.E. Many people converted immediately and praised the simple way of life and new way of thinking, while others viewed this simple lifestyle as non-Chinese and stayed with Confucianism. Whether good or bad, Buddhism had a prominent effect on the development of

More about Dbq Buddhism In China Analysis

Open Document