from China. (Document 6) Both Han Yu and Tang Emperor Wu concludes that Buddhism is evil and should be stopped.
Under the Tang dynasty from 618 C.E.
to 907 C.E. was when scholars, leaders, and Confucian supporters addressed the impact, mainly the negatives, that Buddhism had on China. Being a Confucian scholar and official at the Tang imperial court, Han Yu very much discouraged the Buddhism beliefs. In the “Memorial on Buddhism,” in 819 C.E., he talked about how he thinks Buddhism is evil and he then brings up that fact that acts done by Buddhists, contrast with Confucius’ sayings. (Document 7) The Tang Emperor Wu himself also finds Buddhism to be evil and he believes it should be abolished, so that it does not continue to ruin the Chinese culture. (Document 6) However, a Buddhist scholar named Zong Mi pointed out that even though Confucius, Laozi, and the Buddha approach their followers and teach them differently, in the end all three beliefs have the same purpose. Zong Mi’s purpose was to address the issue with people saying Buddhism has a negative impact on the society in China, so he makes a statement that includes the two beliefs that originated in China to show that Buddhism, along with the others, should be shown with respect. (Document 5) Therefore, later on under the rule of the Tang Dynasty, it appears that Buddhism had made major impacts on China allowing officials to speak up about their
opinions.