When Buddhism first began to spread into china, reactions were mixed. While many people supported the idea, others were neutral, and a large number opposed Buddhism’s growing popularity. The opinions on the spread were not always cultural; many had underlying political origins. Those that supported this idea were typically those left without rights by the old Confucian ideals or people who were looking for an alternate for Confucianism. Some reacted neutrally so as to gain the favor of both sides. On the flip side as Buddhism began to change Confucian values, the people in power turned strictly against the new belief system in an effort to keep ancient tradition. As Buddhism spread into China, it was highly accepted into an empire looking to have a fresh start and establish a new or different belief system(other than Confucianism) to govern the state through, and many peasants and women supported this because they found welcome in this religion, while many others supported it merely for political gain. Buddha preached of four noble truths, all of which took people and their sorrows and helped them reach enlightenment; he applied his preachings to any person, which lead to popularity and the spread of religion (Doc 1). Zhi Dun, a Buddhist scholar, promoted the practice of Buddhism, referring to enlightenment and Nirvana as examples of Buddhism’s power. Zhi Dun, being a follower of Buddha, his statement was meant to strengthen Buddhism’s following (Doc 2). Around 500 CE, an anonymous Chinese scholar said in “The Disposition of Error” that Confucianism could not provide the same things that Buddhism could, but also recognized that both belief systems had value; his reason behind this was to say that Confucianism had not worked and that it needed to be replaced (Doc 3). Zong Mi, another Buddhist scholar, implied that Buddhism, Confucianism and even Daoism were all related (that they were all belief systems) and all had value; because he was part of
When Buddhism first began to spread into china, reactions were mixed. While many people supported the idea, others were neutral, and a large number opposed Buddhism’s growing popularity. The opinions on the spread were not always cultural; many had underlying political origins. Those that supported this idea were typically those left without rights by the old Confucian ideals or people who were looking for an alternate for Confucianism. Some reacted neutrally so as to gain the favor of both sides. On the flip side as Buddhism began to change Confucian values, the people in power turned strictly against the new belief system in an effort to keep ancient tradition. As Buddhism spread into China, it was highly accepted into an empire looking to have a fresh start and establish a new or different belief system(other than Confucianism) to govern the state through, and many peasants and women supported this because they found welcome in this religion, while many others supported it merely for political gain. Buddha preached of four noble truths, all of which took people and their sorrows and helped them reach enlightenment; he applied his preachings to any person, which lead to popularity and the spread of religion (Doc 1). Zhi Dun, a Buddhist scholar, promoted the practice of Buddhism, referring to enlightenment and Nirvana as examples of Buddhism’s power. Zhi Dun, being a follower of Buddha, his statement was meant to strengthen Buddhism’s following (Doc 2). Around 500 CE, an anonymous Chinese scholar said in “The Disposition of Error” that Confucianism could not provide the same things that Buddhism could, but also recognized that both belief systems had value; his reason behind this was to say that Confucianism had not worked and that it needed to be replaced (Doc 3). Zong Mi, another Buddhist scholar, implied that Buddhism, Confucianism and even Daoism were all related (that they were all belief systems) and all had value; because he was part of