Preview

Buddhism In China Dbq Analysis

Satisfactory Essays
Open Document
Open Document
697 Words
Grammar
Grammar
Plagiarism
Plagiarism
Writing
Writing
Score
Score
Buddhism In China Dbq Analysis
WHAP
Period 3

The simple idea of introducing a new religion to society always has positive and negative affects. For example, the concept of spreading Buddhism from its origin, India, had developed both criticism and support. The spread of Buddhism happened quite quickly in China and the Chinese responded in one of two ways. They were either interested in Buddhism because of its teachings or they thought it was a barbaric thing. To analyze the overall feelings in China, we must understand and explain why many people were attracted to Buddhism(group 1), and we must understand why some people despised the spread of Buddhism(group 2). The reasons why Buddhism has approximately 362 million followers is because of its teachings and beliefs. In the documents provided, documents one, two, three, and five allow us to analyze the positive response to Buddhism in China. In the
…show more content…
In documents four and six, we can see why some people’s responses were negative towards the spread of Buddhism. In document four, we are allowed to see into Han Yu’s mind, a Confucian scholar. He believed that Buddhism was a cult of the barbarian people and that it had several flaws. He criticized it because the Buddha’s teachings did not speak of ancient kings and his clothings did not conform to the laws. Although this may have been a baist opinion coming from a Confucian scholar, it provides some evidence showing that some people did not like the teachings of Buddhism. In document six, we can see how even the emperor thought Buddhism was causing problems. He shows how it requires people to abandon their lords and parents for teachers, and he also shows how workers fail to work. The emperor, emperor Wu, may have not seen the teachings as the issue, but that it was making people go hungry and it made people leave their home and work. Both documents provide an insight on how Buddhism was rejected by some Chinese

You May Also Find These Documents Helpful

  • Good Essays

    Buddhism, founded in India in the sixth century BCE, was rising in popularity among many peoples and eventually spread to China by the first century BCE. In China, Buddhism was faced with many mixed opinions. Some looked to it as truth and comfort and thought it was a good impact on society, others attacked the religion and accused it of being barbaric and a disturbance, and others tried to blend the new uprising religion with China’s existing philosophies.…

    • 988 Words
    • 4 Pages
    Good Essays
  • Satisfactory Essays

    Buddhism started in India around the 16th century B.C.E., and after a while diffused to China in the first century of C.E.. People slowly converted to it. Many chinese people felt differently about the new religion, and others felt it was better than the one existing, and better for China as a whole. They then began to encourage conversion of religions. Then there were those guys. They didn't like Buddhism, they thought it was bad and tried to stop the diffusion.…

    • 541 Words
    • 3 Pages
    Satisfactory Essays
  • Satisfactory Essays

    After analyzing the documents I was given, I believe there is both a positive and negative response to the spread of Buddhism in China. Over time the response became more and more negative than positive. People were getting used to the spread of Buddhism because they knew that it wasn’t going away anytime soon. The background information I was given explains that since China was unstable at this time Confucianism was on the decline which made Buddhism easier to rise.…

    • 601 Words
    • 3 Pages
    Satisfactory Essays
  • Good Essays

    Buddhism in China DBQ

    • 621 Words
    • 3 Pages

    Buddhism was first introduced to China in the first century C.E., a few centuries after it was first introduced in India. As expected, it was met with mixed results; some criticized it to the point of blaming it for the country’s social and political problems, some defended its beliefs and followed it without hesitation, and yet others remained pretty indifferent and wished to meld Buddhism with other religions and create a unique culture.…

    • 621 Words
    • 3 Pages
    Good Essays
  • Good Essays

    Buddhism, originally from India, was widely accepted at first because of it power to diminish the caste system. Buddhism gained most of its popularity during 220 CE and 570 CE after the downfall of the Han Dynasty. Once power was regained though it can easily be understood why people in the upper class began to disapprove of the new religion. While the Chinese initially accepted Buddhism into their culture during a down fall of the dynastic rule, once power was regained many began to point out the lack of Buddhism in historical text and supposed negative effect it was having on the Chinese people. An additional document from the perspective of an underclass citizen who converted to Buddhism would be more helpful in understanding the overall appeal that people had to Buddhism.…

    • 474 Words
    • 2 Pages
    Good Essays
  • Good Essays

    DBQ Buddhism in China

    • 657 Words
    • 3 Pages

    When Buddhism spread from India to China many different opinions were voiced. Although many people began to gradually convert to it, others felt differently about the new religion. Opinions fluctuated often with some people feeling that Buddhism would be good for the society, to bring the people together in a time of suffering, and others demanding that it be shunned for corrupting the people with foreign ways.…

    • 657 Words
    • 3 Pages
    Good Essays
  • Good Essays

    In documents two and five, a more positive light is shone on Buddhism. Buddhism spread in China because it gave a hope to people who only saw the sorrows of life. Also, Buddhism brought along some order in the chaos that China was in during this time. China was in an uproar during the “age of warring states”. This time brought lots of sorrow, and the need for a hope that Buddhism brought. Buddhism gave the people something to work towards.…

    • 518 Words
    • 3 Pages
    Good Essays
  • Good Essays

    dbq buddhism in china

    • 1443 Words
    • 6 Pages

    Buddhism brought good things to China and there are people who favor in Buddhism, as we can see in Document 1, 4 and 6. Buddhism makes people behave and portray as good people, and people are happy with Buddhism for their teachings which comfort them by saying that it will bring you to Nirvana if you follow it. For Document 1, it is stated that if anyone serves Buddha or follows the commandments correctly, recites Buddhist scriptures, and makes a vow to be reborn, they will enter Nirvana at the end of their life. They will be enlightened in spirit. Everyone wants to have a good afterlife by entering Nirvana. In order to enter Nirvana, according to the Buddhist teachings, they must behave good and follow the teachings of Buddha, which make people behave good. This is written during 350 CE which is during the state of war and rebellion, and the teachings of Buddha act as a part to help China unify. From Document 4, which is written during the war and rebellion state also, the writer is saying that Buddhism is not what to compare with Confucianism which shows how people start to question about Buddhism, which is the reason why the author wrote this document. He wrote it as a…

    • 1443 Words
    • 6 Pages
    Good Essays
  • Good Essays

    Buddhism is China DBQ

    • 528 Words
    • 3 Pages

    Although the fall of The Han and subsequent need for consolation beyond Confucianism led to the spread of Buddhism, it was met with mixed reactions. Being a religion of salvation it was popular with the ordinary citizens, but governments or groups seeking order opposed its unorganized guidelines. Therefore, Buddhism spread greatly during the period of the warring states, when there was no order and there was a need for salvation among the Chinese people.…

    • 528 Words
    • 3 Pages
    Good Essays
  • Satisfactory Essays

    During this time of instability, many of the aristocratic people and people of the lower classes had different views and ways they wanted to spread and or discourage Buddhism. As seen in documents 3 and 2, the people explain how they support the spread of Buddhism in China. Document 3 speaks about how people during this time are used to their old ways of living which are counter-acted when the acts of Buddhism come into play. The questions are always defied by simple answers that explain how you cannot compare Confucian ways to Buddhism ways because they both run separate ways. Also, since he is a Chinese scholar almost implies that he/she could in fact be a slight upper class bias to the point. In Document 2, this partiality is also seen when Zhi Dun, another Chinese scholar portrays Buddhism shown as a joyful, light that will bring happiness to one who is interested in joining the religion. Zhi Dun, being a scholar also explains to the reader that his word does not tell how the lower classes felt during this time. During this time when China was being invaded by the early Asian steppe nomads, could have turned his back on Buddhism and declared it a distraction to the people, but that was not the case. During the time, Buddhism was a growing popular religion and was tested against Confucianism on multiple occasions. During this time, some people…

    • 824 Words
    • 4 Pages
    Satisfactory Essays
  • Satisfactory Essays

    Ap World 2204

    • 530 Words
    • 3 Pages

    As Buddhism spread from India to China beginning in the first century C. E., it was met with mixed results. Many Chinese accepted Buddhism and defended its policies while others scrutinized Buddhism’s absence from past texts and used it as a scapegoat for political and social problems. Still others remained indifferent, wishing to meld the aspects of belief systems in China to create a unique Chinese culture. Documents 2 and 3 defend and support Buddhism in China, while documents 4 and 6 scrutinize it and discourage its spread. Documents 1 and 5 neither encourage nor discourage the religion’s spread, but provide a third perspective on how it should be dealt with. An additional document that shows the actual numbers of converts to Buddhism during this time, preferably in a graph, would be useful in determining whether or not the worries of the authors in documents against Buddhism were grounded.…

    • 530 Words
    • 3 Pages
    Satisfactory Essays
  • Good Essays

    buddhism in china dbq

    • 789 Words
    • 4 Pages

    The collapse of the Han Empire led the way for new religions, such as Buddhism to diffuse into China. While there were Chinese people who were supportive of Buddhism, there were also others who had either neutral or negative opinions about the spread of Buddhism in China. The power struggle between the two religions would later lead to the conflict and disunity within the state.…

    • 789 Words
    • 4 Pages
    Good Essays
  • Satisfactory Essays

    Documents one and two both show examples of people responding to the spread of Buddhism throughout China through sermons and public speaking. These documents were definitely agreeing with the spread of Buddhism in China. I know this because the sermon in document one it lists all of the rules or noble truths one must follow in that religion in a positive way without listing…

    • 452 Words
    • 2 Pages
    Satisfactory Essays
  • Satisfactory Essays

    Buddhism In China

    • 178 Words
    • 1 Page

    During this early period of constant political and military conflict, Buddhism found an accepting audience in China, while the popularity of Confucianism slowly died out. Buddhism came to China in 1st century AD as the religious belief of merchants who came from Central Asia. For the next couple of centuries, the Chinese encountered a great variety of ideas and practices identified as Buddhist. Buddhism differed from other Chinese philosophies and religions. It was universal religion, embraced by all types of people, regardless of their social standing or race. Buddhism also has a founding figure, Siddhartha an Indian prince , who lived during sixth and seventh century BC. To many people in China, Buddhism was in a sense a variant to Taoism,…

    • 178 Words
    • 1 Page
    Satisfactory Essays
  • Better Essays

    Three Kingdom Essay

    • 1159 Words
    • 5 Pages

    Religion would be one of the factors that contributed in China throughout this period. Buddhism had already arrived in China in the mid of Han Dynasty and brought up of its first congregation in southern China at the court of Prince of Chu. Buddhism was originally introduced in China with the development of the Silk Road when monks travelled with merchants. There was a need amongst the population for a belief with spiritual meanings. Hence, Buddhism took roots in China during this era. This religion was unique from other religions during the time. This new religion covered all people rich or poor, Chinese or not.…

    • 1159 Words
    • 5 Pages
    Better Essays