Download Buddhism in China

Buddhism in China
• Mahayana Buddhism adapts to China
– Reliance on Bodhisattvas
– Family oriented policies
– Emphasis on filial piety and the afterlife
– Connections with ruling: the ideal ruler
– Emphasis on compassion rather than wisdom
– Amalgamation with Daoism
Map of the Ancient Silk Roads
The arrival of Buddhism in China followed the first contact between China
and Central Asia which occurred with the opening of the Silk Road in
the 2nd century BCE.
Relation to Confucianism and Daoism
• Chinese gentry were indifferent to Central Asian travelers
and their religion. Not only was their religion unknown but
much of it seemed alien and amoral to Chinese
sensibilities.
• Concepts such as monasticism and individual spiritual
enlightenment directly contradicted the core Confucian
principles of family and emperor.
• Confucianism promoted social stability, order, strong
families, and practical living. Chinese officials questioned
how a monk’s personal attainment of nirvana benefited
the empire.
• Buddhism was less antithetical to Daoism, the other
major religion of China, but at its core Daoism sought
harmony with the natural world while Buddhism sought to
master the inner world.
Adaptation to Local Chinese Customs and Traditions
• To thrive in China, Buddhism had to transform
itself into a system that could exist within the
Chinese way of life.
• Obscure Indian sutras that advocated filial piety
became core texts in China.
• Buddhism was made compatible with ancestor
worship and participation in China’s hierarchical
system.
• Works were written arguing that the salvation of
an individual was a benefit to that individual’s
society and family and monks thus contributed to
the greater good.
History of Chinese Buddhism
•
•
•
•
The Early Years (25-317 CE)
The Years of Growth (317-589 CE)
The Years of Acceptance (589-907 AD)
Decline and Revival (907-present)
4th Century Chinese Buddha: Note the Western features
Adopting terms… Taoist
• Taoist terms where used in the translation
of Buddhist terminology.
• tao (the way, the truth) became equivalent
to dharma (the teaching) or bodhi
(enlightenment)
• wu-wei (non-action) was used for nirvana
Adopting terms… Confucianism
• The Buddhist Sanskrit sila (morality) was
translated by hsiao-hsun (filial obedience
or piety)
• With this and the items on the previous
slide, Buddhism began to take on a
“Chinese” flavor.
The Early Years (25-317 CE)
• It was the period from
the dawn of the later
Han dynasty (25-220
CE) to the fall of the
Western Chin dynasty
(265-317) to the Huns
that Buddhism was
introduced into China
by immigrants from
Persia, Central Asia,
and India
Wei Dynasty Buddha: note the long ears and the top knot
The Years of Growth (317-589 CE)
• Dharmakara (3rd Century AD) got a
number of Buddhist text translated and
Kumarajiva (4th Century AD) arrived and
established the first Imperial translation
bureau in the North, while a well read
sangha in the South studiously examined
the scriptures and developed the first
beginnings of a Chinese Buddhism
theology.
• This period closes with the reunification
of China under the Sui dynasty.
Standing Buddha in Maijishan caves: Western Wei Dynasty
The Years of Acceptance (589-907 AD)
• During the short-lived Sui
dynasty (581-618), the
North and South traditions
of Buddhism were united.
• At the end of the Sui
during the opening years
of the Tang dynasty (618907), a series of Chinese
Buddhists emerged to
establish the major
Chinese sects.
Tang Dynasty (8th Century) Buddha
Decline and Revival (907-present)
• The Chan and the Pure
Land sects would emerge
as the two major schools of
Chinese Buddhism after the
Tang (618-907).
• And these two would share
monastic quarters to such
an extent that Pure Land
would be absorbed into
Chan practice.
Tang dynasty Bodhisattvas from Dunhuang
T’ien-tai and Flower Garland schools
• The T’ien-tai school was
named after “Heavenly
Terrace” mountain in
south China where Chih-I,
its founder lived and
taught in the 6th century
AD.
• Chinese Buddhists had
received lots of Indian
texts. One of those texts
translated was the Lotus
Sutra.
5th and 6th century Guanyins
Lotus Sutra
• At the heart of this long volume
of poetry, sermons and
allegories, glows the
compassion of a Buddha
whose central concern is
earthly suffering. The Buddha’s
meditation is no longer directed
at personal enlightenment.
Instead, “by meditation and
wisdom, the Buddha saves all
beings.” Everyone is able to
reach Buddhahood – not just
those who through thought
meditation, have reached a
comprehension of the dharma
(doctrine).
Buddha, Bodhisattvas and guardian gods of strength
Pure Land Buddhism
Buddha flanked by two Bodhisattvas
• Pure Land is a devotional
Buddhism offering an escape
from the cycle of rebirth through
faith in a deified Buddha –
Amitabha Buddha.
• Two Mahayana texts called the
Sukhavati-vyua describe this
heaven or pure land – hence the
name. It is a paradise where
“there is neither physical nor
mental pain… it is filled with
gods and men who will never be
reborn except as bodhisattvas.
• Pure land emphasis is on faith
and the recital of the mantra
“Nan-mo Amito.” (Homage to
Amitabha Buddha).
Ch’an Buddhism
• In the Third 500 Years (A.D. 5001000) we see the development of
Tantric Buddhism in India, Nepal,
and Tibet; while in centers outside
India, Buddhism takes on creative
new directions, particularly Ch’an
(China) and Zen (Japan)
Buddhism.
• The word ch’an is Chinese for the
Sanskrit term dyana (meditation);
in Japan it developed as Zen, the
form which is most widely known
in the west today (see National
Geographic article Buddhism
Goes Global)
Tang Guanyin: The Evolution of a Bodhisattva
Ch’an
• Although other schools of Chinese Buddhism emphasize
meditation, the practice of introspective sitting is above all
else, central to Ch’an.
• Ch’an developed at a time of serene prosperity at the
beginning of the great T’ang dynasty (618-907 AD)
• When other forms of Buddhism were suppressed in the
late T’ang persecutions of 845 AD, Ch’an and Pure Land
survived. Pure Land because of its popularity and Ch’an
because it had so little to destroy.
• Of special importance to Ch’an is the Lankavatara’s
doctrine of non-duality. “All things,” says the Lankavatara,
in a synthesis of “emptiness” and “mind only” doctrines “are
not two. The Buddha-mind that meditates seeks within
themselves is identical with primordial emptiness. The
dharma is non verbally transmitted. It is intuited.
Shaolin Ch’an
• Shaolin's Ch'an Buddhism is unlike any
other Buddhist sect. There are striking
similarities between Shaolin and various
Tibetan, Korean, and Japanese sects; and
tremendous dissimilarities between
Shaolin and most Chinese schools.
Unlike any Chinese Buddhism
• Most Chinese Ch'an sects require clergy to be
celibate and vegetarian, for instance. Shaolin is
more like Tibetan Buddhism in allowing greater
latitude in practice. Although some of the
Order's spiritual practices might be considered
mystical and esoteric, we are also extremely
pragmatic. Our martial training is undertaken
with spiritual goals, yet the training itself yields
practical benefits, such as self-defense ability
and better physical condition.
Shaolin – a form of Mahayana
• Most people think of Shaolin as "martial monks," but
aren't exactly sure what kind of "monks" Shaolin really
are! Shaolin is a sect of Mahayana Buddhism.
"Mahayana" is the term used today to refer to
Buddhism's northern traditions present in Tibet, China,
Korea, and Japan. Theravada, or Doctrine of the Elders,
is the southern tradition. One branch of Chinese
Mahayana Buddhism is called "Ch'an." Ch'an
emphasizes meditation more than other Chinese
Mahayana schools, some of which emphasize scholarly
study or praying (for example). Within Ch'an (which
became Zen in Japan) are many traditions with differing
emphases.
Mindfulness over Martial Arts
• Shaolin is the most well-known Ch'an school that
incorporates martial training into its meditative
regimen. Although martial training occupies a significant
portion of our time and we enjoy it tremendously, the
specific martial aspects of Shaolin are subordinate to
Buddhist ideals. The "art" of our martial arts and the
immediacy of combat provide the medium through which
we strive to exist fully in the present - without planning
for the future or reflecting upon the past. In this way,
gung fu provides an ideal meditation and an excellent
means for practicing Right Mindfulness.
Pragmatic Approach
• Shaolin interpretation of the Buddha's teachings has
always been pragmatic. Martial training is a part of this
pragmatic approach. Gung fu provides an excellent
physical exercise as well as developing self-defense
skills. It is also a good way to develop Right Mindfulness
and Right Meditation, but as the Buddha taught the
Dharma, there are eight aspects of the path. A Shaolin
monk treats all aspects as organically interrelated and
does not neglect any part of her commitment to relieve
suffering. For those unfamiliar with the eightfold path, it
contains eight aspects: Right Understanding, Right
Thought, Right Speech, Right Action, Right Livelihood,
Right Effort, Right Mindfulness, and Right Meditation.
Copyright © 2004 Order of Shaolin Ch'an
Monks reciting
sutras at Shaolin
Monastery
Pu Tai – the model for the Happy Bodhisattva Maitreya
When he knew the Buddha, Maitreya was all skin and bones. How did he
come to be portrayed as fat and jolly?
The answer lies in one of his Chinese incarnations. There was a historical
monk who lived around the end of the Tang Dynasty-say in the late ninth or
early tenth century. A scholar and a wanderer, he always carried with him a
bag made of hemp, which earned him the nickname "Pu Tai," or Cloth
Bag. Although homeless, and virtually without possessions, he was always
cheerful. He begged, he taught, he predicted the weather and told
fortunes. And he distributed goods freely from his sack, like a big Buddhist
Santa Claus. Finally, when he died he left a verse, according to tradition. It
read:
Maitreya is a real Maitreya, who manifests uncountable transformed bodies.
Constantly he manifests before living beings who are not able to recognize
them!
Mi Lo Fo: The
Laughing Buddha
Thus people believed that the cheerful Pu Tai was in fact a manifestation of
Maitreya Bodhisattva, and in China Maitreya is still portrayed in the form of
Pu Tai. Because of his "prosperous" look, and his custom of giving from his
bag, his attribute is "Great Generosity" or "Great Benevolence." Many
people petition him for wealth and good luck. I have chosen in the Intention
section to concentrate on his happiness as a sign of well-balanced emotions.
The Bodhisattva of Great Benevolence and the Next Buddha
Maitreya – the Happy Buddha
• Maitreya… Also known as the
“Happy Buddha," he is a symbol
of great benevolence. His
universal tolerance toward all
living beings and immense
kindness bring an abundance of
joy and hope to the world. With
his kindness and nondiscriminating attitude, Maitreya
Bodhisattva is always tolerant
and accommodating. He brings
an abundance of joy and hope to
the world.