The influence of Buddhism on the culture of China is great, in addition, this teaching has deep roots in various countries. But what is this influence and what does it bring to people? Do the inhabitants of the country understand the true values of this belief and do they live according to the advice of the great Buddha? Later in the article, we will look at what Buddhism looks like in China. And since this topic is very extensive and multifaceted, we have only to briefly outline the main provisions.
A bit about Buddhism
Before moving on to the main topic of the article, you should understand what Buddhism is. Undoubtedly, each of us has heard this word many times and has an approximate concept of what it is. But this knowledge can be scattered or even erroneous if it was scooped from unverified sources. It is for this that one should at least briefly learn the history and essence of Buddhism.
Where did Buddhism come about as a teaching? He appeared in the north of India, exactly where such ancient states as Magadha and Koshala were located. The origin of this religion occurred in the I millennium BC. e.
Unfortunately, the information of scientists is very scarce about this period, but even from the available data certain conclusions can be drawn. So, at the indicated time there is a crisis of the Vedic religion, and as we know, such situations always contribute to the emergence of something new, the emergence of alternative teachings. The creators of the new direction were ordinary travelers, wandering elders, shamans and monks. Among them was the leader of Buddhism Siddhartha Gautama, who is recognized as its founder.
In addition, at this time there was a political crisis. The rulers needed power, in addition to the army, which would help keep the people in obedience. Buddhism has become such a force. He is rightfully considered the royal religion. It is noted that it developed only in those states whose rulers shared Buddhist views.
The philosophy of ancient China: Buddhism, Taoism, Confucianism
The three named trends are fundamental in Chinese philosophy. The country's religious system is fully built on these three teachings, which are very similar to each other. Why three? The fact is that the territory of China is very large, and it was rather difficult to find a common language for different religious communities. That is why separate streams formed in different environs, but after a while they all transformed into one of the three named religions.
What do these currents have in common? An important feature is the absence of a deity to be worshiped. This is a very important point that distinguishes Buddhism from other religions of the world in which there is always a supreme God. Also, these teachings are characterized by a philosophical assessment of the world. In other words, here you will not find clear instructions, commandments or orders, because each person has freedom of choice. And the third important feature is that these three areas are equally aimed at developing human potential and self-improvement.
Confucianism, Taoism, Buddhism in China did not arise at the same time. The first mass religion was Buddhism, which totaled every year an increasing number of followers. It should be noted that Chinese Buddhism (Chan Buddhism) was somewhat different from the teaching that was popular in India. Taoism gradually came to replace it, which is still popular today. This teaching tells about the spiritual path and helps to find it correctly.
And the final thing was Confucianism, which was based on the assertion that the purpose of any person’s life is to create good for others, humanism and justice. Confucianism, Buddhism in China are most common. Even today, these two religions have the largest number of faithful followers in China.
The penetration of Buddhism in China
Buddhism in China was born gradually. The time of its formation fell on the turn of our era. True, there is evidence that Buddhist preachers appeared in China earlier, but there is no evidence for this.
It should be noted that the information of scholars is so diverse that some sources claim that Buddhism originated in China at a time when Taoism and Confucianism already existed there. This version also has no absolute evidence, but most scientists are inclined to it.
The fact is that Confucianism, Buddhism in China intertwined very closely. If the followers of the two movements did not distinguish between the tenets of religions, then perhaps they would merge in a single direction. A clear distinction occurred due to the fact that Buddhism in ancient China to some extent contradicted the norms of behavior in Confucianism.
Religion was brought to China by merchants who followed the Great Silk Road from other states. Around the second century AD, the court of the emperor also became interested in Buddhism.
But could the Chinese people so easily abandon their old, albeit similar, beliefs and accept a new teaching? The fact is that Buddhism was perceived by the Chinese as a kind of modification of Taoism, and not a completely new trend. Over time, Taoism and Buddhism are also very closely intertwined, and today these two movements have a lot of points of contact. The story of the penetration of the teachings of Buddha into China ends at the beginning of the second century, when the "Sutra 42 Articles" was created - a written statement of the foundations of the teachings.
Monk An Shigao
We know the founder of Buddhism, but who is considered the founder of this religion in China? Such a man really was and his name was An Shigao. He was a simple Parthian monk who came to the city of Luoyang. He was an educated man, and thanks to this he did a great job. Of course, he did not work on his own, but with a group of assistants. Together they translated about 30 Buddhist writings.
Why is this a huge job? The fact is that it is not difficult to translate a religious text, but not every translator can do it correctly, understand the author’s intention and convey precisely his point of view. An Shigao succeeded, and he created beautiful translations that fully reflected the essence of Buddhist teachings. In addition to him, other monks who translated the sutras also did this. After the first reliable translations appeared, an increasing number of people became interested in the new trend.
From that moment on, the chronicles of that time increasingly mentioned the great festivities held by Buddhist monasteries. The religious movement became more popular every year, and more and more foreign missionaries appeared in the state. But even despite the activation of all these processes, for a whole century the course was not recognized in China at the official level.
Time of Troubles
Buddhism in ancient China was well received, but time went on, people and power changed. A noticeable change occurred in the IV century, when this trend began to conquer the supreme rulers. Why has the new religion suddenly become so popular?
Features of Buddhism in China are that it comes in times of crisis, when people are unhappy and confused. So it happened this time. The time of troubles began in the state. Buddhist sermons were attended by many people, because these speeches reassured people and brought peace, not anger and aggression. In addition, such detached moods were very popular among aristocratic society.
The aristocrats of South China loved to shut themselves off from the events, and ordinary people adopted this ability, only in a slightly different form. It was during the crisis that people wanted to plunge into their inner world, find themselves real and understand others. This is what the characteristics of Buddhism in China consist of - he gave his followers answers to all exciting questions. The answers were unobtrusive, everyone freely chose their own path.
Judging by reliable sources, it can be said that at that time, Buddhism of a transitional type flourished in the country, in which considerable attention was paid to meditation. It is because of this that for some time the people perceived the new trend as a modification of the already known Taoism.
This state of affairs led to the creation of a certain myth among the people, which claimed that Lao Tzu left his native land and went to India, where he became a Buddha teacher. This legend has no evidence, but Taoists often used it in their polemical speeches with Buddhists. For this reason, in the first translations, a lot of words are borrowed from the Taoist religion. At this stage, Buddhism in China is characterized by the fact that a specific Chinese Buddhist canon is formed, which includes Chinese translations, Sanskrit texts and works from India.
It should be noted the monk Daoan, who made the greatest contribution to the development of Buddhism in China. He was engaged in missionary and commentary activities, created a monastery charter, and also introduced the cult of Maitreya Buddha. It was Daoan who began to add the prefix "Shi" to the names of all Buddhist monks (due to the fact that Gautama Buddha came from the Shakya tribe). The disciple of this monk actively argued and defended the thesis that religion was not subject to the governor, and it was he who created the cult of Amitabha, who became the most famous and popular deity in the Far East.
Kumarajiva
At a certain time, it was believed that China was the center of Buddhism. Such an opinion existed at a time when the state was the subject of attack for a number of nomadic tribes. Religion only benefited from the fact that so many ethnic groups were mixed in China. The tribes who arrived favorably perceived the new belief, since it reminded them of magic and shamanism.
Kumarajiva is a famous monk preacher in northern China. It is worth noting that it was in this part of the state that religion developed under very strict control by the emperor. It was Kumarajiva who laid the fundamental foundations of the Buddhist school in China. He was also involved in translating original texts and preaching. In the V-VI centuries, a clear distinction of religion began among the branches (this process began Kumarajiva). The process of “Indianization” and the adoption of genuine Buddhist concepts took place actively. The followers were divided, which led to the emergence of 6 different schools. Thus, Chan Buddhism was finally formed in China.
Each school was grouped around its follower, as well as around certain texts (Chinese or original Buddhist). It was the disciple of the monk Kumarajivi who created the doctrine that the spirit of Buddha is present in all living things, and also that one can be saved with the help of “sudden enlightenment”.
Liang Dynasty
The influence of Taoism and Buddhism on the culture of China has done its job. Already in the VI century, Buddhism became the official religion and the mainstream. However, as we already know, this could not happen without the support of the supreme authority. Who contributed to this? Emperor Wu Di of the Liang Dynasty raised Buddhism to a new level. He carried out some notable reforms. Buddhist monasteries became large owners of land, they began to bring income to the imperial court.
If you ask what kind of Buddhism is in China, then no one will give you a definite answer. It was during the emperor of the Liang dynasty that the so-called complex of three religions, or san jiao, was formed. Each teaching of this three harmoniously complemented the other. Buddhist teachings were believed to reflect the inner and innermost wisdom of Chinese sages. Also at this time, Buddhism got its niche, which took its rightful place in the rituals of the Chinese people - we are talking about funeral rites.
This stage was characterized by the fact that the Chinese began to celebrate the day of remembrance of the departed with prayers and to celebrate the birthday of Buddha. The cult, which boiled down to the release of living creatures, was gaining more and more popularity. This cult arose from the doctrine that all living things have a part of Buddha in themselves.
Buddhism schools
The spread of Buddhism in China occurred quite quickly. In a short time, certain schools of Chan Buddhism had time to form, which had a significant impact on the traditions of the Far East. All schools can be divided into three groups: schools of treatises, sutras and dhyana.
The school of treatises was based on Indian teachings. The followers of this direction were more concerned with philosophical issues than with the dissemination of their teachings. Ordinary people and monks who belonged to this school wrote philosophical treatises, and also studied materials that were written in ancient times. Another area of their activity was the translation of scriptures from Indian into Chinese.
A school of sutras was based around one main text chosen by the leader. It was this scripture that all the disciples followed, and it was in it that they found the highest expression of Buddha’s wisdom. As we already understood, the schools of sutras were based on a specific doctrinal religious text. Despite this, the followers also dealt with many theoretical and philosophical questions. They also developed complex systems that are difficult to attribute to a specific Indian text.
Dhyana School is a school of practitioners. Here the followers were engaged in yoga, meditation, prayers and trained psychotechnics. They carried their knowledge to the people, taught them simple ways to control their energy and direct it in the right direction. It also includes a school of monastic spells and a school of monastic discipline.
Buddhism and culture
There is no doubt that Buddhism plays a significant role in Chinese culture. The influence of this religion is most clearly seen in the literature, architecture and art of the country. During the time of Buddhist monks, a huge number of monasteries, temples, cave and rock complexes were built. They were distinguished by architectural splendor.
The structure of these times is characterized by elegance and delicacy, which shows the non-conservative nature of Buddhists. New religious buildings literally updated the old and ugly buildings of China. They stand out with multi-tiered roofs that symbolize the sky. All constructed buildings and underground complexes are a valuable historical memorial. Frescoes, bas-reliefs and a characteristic rounded sculpture fit very naturally into the architectural ensemble.
Rounded buildings have been popular in China for a long time, but during the time of Buddhist monks they spread in huge numbers. Today, literally in every Chinese temple you can find sculptural images dating back to Indo-Chinese culture. Along with religion, a new animal also came to the country, which very often can be found in various sculptural works - the lion. Until the penetration of Gautama's belief, this animal was practically unknown to the Chinese people.
It was Buddhism that instilled in Chinese culture a certain love of fiction, which until then had not been spread there at all. Novels eventually became the most expensive type of fiction for Chinese people. At the same time, the emergence of fiction in China led to the creation of larger genres, such as the classic novel.
It is Chan Buddhism that occupies an important place in the formation of Chinese painting. For artists of the Suna school, the presence of the Buddha in all things played a special role, due to which their paintings did not have linear perspectives. The monasteries became a rich source of information, since it was here that the great monks, artists, poets and philosophers gathered, thought and wrote their works. These people came precisely to the monastery in order to renounce the outside world and follow their inner creative path. It is worth noting that the Chinese monks were the first to invent xylography, that is, printing using the reproduction of text through matrices (boards with mirror characters).
Chinese oral culture has greatly expanded thanks to Buddhist legends and myths. Philosophy and mythology are closely intertwined in the minds of people, which even gave rise to some kind of attachment to real historical events. Buddhist ideas about sudden enlightenment and intuition had a great influence on the philosophical thought of China.
Surprisingly, even the well-known tea tradition of China also originates in a Buddhist monastery. It is believed that the art of tea drinking arose precisely when the monks were looking for a way to meditate and not fall asleep. For this, a healthy and invigorating drink, tea, was invented. According to legend, one monk fell asleep during meditation, and to prevent this from happening again, he cut off his eyelashes. Fallen eyelashes sprouted tea bush.
Present
Is there Buddhism in China today ? It is difficult to answer this question briefly . The thing is that historical circumstances have developed in such a way that since 2011, the activities of Buddhists in the PRC are under strict control. This is due to the fact that the modern Chinese government, since 1991, has a tough policy. The government itself dictates the rules of how Buddhism should develop in China.
In particular, the monks had to renounce the Dalai Lama XIV in order to study the communist texts. The natural reaction of the Buddhists to this is understandable. Buddhism in China does not have the opportunity to develop and find new followers. Such a state policy has led to repeated cases of arrest and arbitrariness. Unfortunately, today the PRC does not accept Buddhism in its natural form. Perhaps in the future the situation will improve, because historically the Chinese people are very close to the Buddhist view of life.
Summing up some results, it should be said that the philosophy of Ancient China perceives Buddhism as something similar and native. To present the religious and philosophical ideas of this country without Buddhist thoughts is simply unthinkable. Words such as "China", "religion", "Buddhism" are historically connected and inseparable.