Buddhism in China and its influence on the culture of the country

2024 Author: Miguel Ramacey | [email protected]. Last modified: 2023-12-17 06:11

The influence of Buddhism on the culture of China is great, moreover, 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 real values of the named 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 will only have to briefly outline the main points.

A little 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 idea of what it is. But this knowledge can be scattered or even erroneous if drawn from unverified sources. It is for this that one should at least briefly learn the history and essence of Buddhism.

Where did Buddhism originate 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 1st 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.

Besides, there was a political crisis at that time. The rulers needed strength, in addition to the army, which would help keep the people in obedience. Buddhism became such a force. It is rightfully considered the royal religion. It is noted that it developed only in those states whose rulers shared Buddhist views.

Philosophy of Ancient China: Buddhism, Taoism, Confucianism

Three named currents are fundamental in the philosophy of China. The religious system of the country is completely 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 for different religious communities to find a common language. That is why separate currents were formed in different neighborhoods, 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 worshipped. 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, becauseEvery person has freedom of choice. And the third important feature is that these three areas are equally aimed at the development of human potential and self-improvement.

Confucianism, Taoism, Buddhism in China did not originate simultaneously. The first mass religion was Buddhism, which had an increasing number of followers every year. At the same time, it should be noted that Chinese Buddhism (Chan Buddhism) was somewhat different from the teaching that was popular in India. It was gradually replaced by Taoism, which is still popular today. This teaching tells about the spiritual path and helps to find it correctly.

And the final one was Confucianism, which was based on the assertion that the purpose of the life of any person is to create good for others, humanism and justice. Confucianism and Buddhism are the most widespread in China. Even today, these two religions have the largest number of faithful followers in China.

Buddhism enters China

Buddhism in China was born gradually. The time of its formation fell on the turn of our era. True, there is evidence that says that Buddhist preachers appeared in China earlier, but there is no evidence for this.

It should be noted that the information of scientists is so different that some sources claim that Buddhism originated in China at a time when Taoism and Confucianism already existed there. This version also does not have absolute evidence, but the majority is inclined to it.scientists.

The fact is that Confucianism and Buddhism in China were very closely intertwined. If the followers of the two currents did not distinguish between the postulates of religions, then perhaps they would have merged into a single direction. The clear distinction was due to the fact that Buddhism in ancient China to some extent contradicted the norms of behavior in Confucianism.

The merchants who followed the Great Silk Road from other states brought religion to China. Around the second century AD, the emperor's court also began to take an interest in Buddhism.

But could the Chinese people really just abandon the 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 have also become very closely intertwined, and today these two currents have a lot of points of contact. The history of the penetration of the Buddha's teaching into China ends at the beginning of the second century, when the "Sutra of 42 Articles" was created - a written statement of the foundations of the teaching.

Monk An Shigao

We know the founder of Buddhism, but who is considered the founder of this religion in China? There really was such a person 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 by himself, but with a group of assistants. Together they translated about 30 Buddhist works.

Why is this hugeWork? The fact is that it is not difficult to translate a religious text, but to do it correctly, to understand the author's intention and convey exactly his point of view - this is not every translator can do. An Shigao succeeded, and he created excellent translations that fully reflected the essence of Buddhist teachings. In addition to him, other monks who translated the sutras also did this. After the appearance of the first reliable translations, an increasing number of people became interested in the new trend.

From that moment on, the chronicles of that time increasingly mentioned the great festivals 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 intensification of all these processes, for another century the current 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 4th century, when this current began to conquer the supreme rulers. Why did the new religion suddenly become so popular?

Features of Buddhism in China are that it comes in times of crisis, when people are dissatisfied and confused. It happened this time as well. The time of turmoil began in the state. Many people attended Buddhist sermons, because these speeches calmed people and brought peace, not anger and aggression. In addition, such aloof moods were quite popular among the aristocratic society.

The aristocrats of South China lovedfenced off from ongoing 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 their true self and understand those around them. This is the peculiarity of Buddhism in China - he gave his followers answers to all their questions. The answers were unobtrusive, everyone freely chose their own path.

Judging by reliable sources, we can say that at that time a transitional type of Buddhism flourished in the country, in which considerable attention was paid to meditation. It was 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 said that Lao Tzu left his native land and went to India, where he became a teacher of the Buddha. 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 certain Chinese Buddhist canon is taking shape, which includes Chinese translations, texts from Sanskrit and writings from India.

It should be noted monk Daoan, who made the greatest contribution to the development of Buddhism in China. He was engaged in missionary and commentary activities, created a monastic 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 thatGautama Buddha came from the Shakya tribe). The student of this monk actively argued and defended the thesis that religion was not subject to the ruler, 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 is the center of Buddhism. Such an opinion existed in those days when the state became the subject of attack for a number of nomadic tribes. Religion only benefited from the fact that so many ethnic groups mixed up in China. The tribes who arrived favorably perceived the new belief, as 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 from 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 5th-6th centuries, a clear demarcation of religion into branches began (this process was started by Kumarajiva). There was an active process of "Indianization" and the adoption of genuine Buddhist concepts. The followers were divided, which gave rise to 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 the Buddha is present in all living things, as well as that one canbe saved by "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 becomes the official religion and the dominant trend. However, as we already know, this could not happen without the support of the supreme power. Who contributed to this? Buddhism was raised to a new level by Emperor Wudi of the Liang Dynasty. He made 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, no one will give you a definite answer. It was during the time of the emperor of the Liang Dynasty that the so-called complex of three religions, or san jiao, was formed. Each teaching from this trio harmoniously complemented the other. It was believed that the Buddhist teaching reflects the inner and hidden wisdom of the Chinese sages. Also at this time, Buddhism received 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 Dead with prayers and celebrate the birthday of the Buddha. The cult, which boiled down to the liberation of living creatures, was gaining more and more distribution. This cult originated from the teaching that all living things have a part of the Buddha in them.

Buddhist schools

The spread of Buddhism in China happened quite quickly. In a short time, certain schools of Chan Buddhism managed to form, which had a significant impact on the traditions of the Far East. All schools canconditionally divided into three groups: schools of treatises, sutras and dhyanas.

The school of treatises was based on Indian teachings. The followers of this trend 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.

The school of sutras was based around one main text, which was chosen by the leader. It was this scripture that all disciples followed, and it was in it that they found the highest expression of the wisdom of the Buddha. As we have already understood, the sutra schools were based on a specific doctrinal-religious text. Despite this, the followers were also engaged in the consideration of many theoretical and philosophical issues. They also developed complex systems that are difficult to attribute to a specific Indian text.

The dhyana school is a school of practitioners. Here the followers practiced 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. Also included here is the school of monastic spells and the 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 the Buddhist monks, a hugethe number of monasteries, temples, cave and rock complexes. They were distinguished by architectural splendor.

The structure of these times is characterized by elegance and openwork, which shows the non-conservative character of Buddhists. New religious buildings literally updated the old and ugly buildings in China. They stand out with multi-tiered roofs that symbolize heaven. All constructed buildings and underground complexes are the most valuable historical monument. Frescoes, bas-reliefs and characteristic rounded sculpture fit very organically into the architectural ensemble.

Round buildings have been popular in China for a long time, but during the time of the Buddhist monks, they spread in huge numbers. Today, literally in every Chinese temple you can find sculptural images dating back to Indochinese culture. Along with religion, a new animal also came to the country, which can often be found on various sculptural works - the lion. Before the penetration of Gautama's beliefs, this animal was practically unknown to the Chinese people.

It was Buddhism that instilled in Chinese culture a kind of love for fiction, which was completely uncommon there before. Short stories eventually became the most expensive type of fiction for a Chinese person. At the same time, the emergence of fiction in China led to the creation of larger genres such as the classical novel.

It is Chan Buddhism that occupies an important place in the formation of Chinese painting. ForThe presence of the Buddha in everything that exists played a special role for the artists of the Sung school, due to which their paintings did not have linear perspectives. Monasteries have become a rich source of information, since it was here that 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 woodcuts, that is, typography by multiplying text by means of matrices (boards with mirror hieroglyphs).

Chinese oral culture has grown a lot thanks to Buddhist legends and myths. Philosophy and mythology are closely intertwined in the minds of people, which even gave rise to some binding to real historical events. Buddhist ideas about sudden enlightenment and intuition had a great influence on the philosophical thought of China.

Surprisingly, even China's famous tea tradition also originates in a Buddhist monastery. It is believed that the art of tea drinking originated when the monks were looking for a way to meditate and not fall asleep. For this, a he althy and invigorating drink was invented - tea. According to legend, one monk fell asleep during meditation, and to prevent this from happening again, he cut off his eyelashes. Fallen eyelashes gave rise to the 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 startingSince 2011, the activities of Buddhists in China have been under strict control. This is due to the fact that the modern Chinese government, since 1991, has been pursuing a tough policy. The government itself dictates the rules for how Buddhism should develop in China.

In particular, the monks had to renounce the 14th Dalai Lama in order to study communist texts. The natural reaction of Buddhists to this is understandable. Buddhism in China does not have the opportunity to develop and find new followers. Such a policy of the state led to repeated cases of arrest and arbitrariness. Unfortunately, today China does not accept Buddhism in its natural form. Perhaps in the future the situation will improve, because historically the Buddhist outlook on life is very close to the Chinese people.

Summing up some results, it should be said that the philosophy of Ancient China perceives Buddhism as something similar and native. It is simply unthinkable to imagine the religious and philosophical ideas of this country without Buddhist thoughts. Words such as "China", "religion", "Buddhism" are historically linked and inseparable.