Buddhism In China

Have a little read: ... Shannon Scott Jessica Johnson Ms. Reagan English 2H 29 August 2002 With Peace Comes Life, With Life Comes Peace "Religion is as healthy and normal as life itself" (Dole 34). The world today is overflowing with beliefs and religions. Asia, one of the most influential continents in the world, is a place filled with a society rich in culture and religion. The most prominent religion that shapes Asia is Buddhism, a religion solely based on a necessity for peace, nirvana. In China, Buddhism is much more than trite; it is the thriving, chief religion. Within the faith, there is a deep history and a well-rooted integration into the Chinese culture, great beliefs, a vast geography, and many considerable contributions. The immense history of Buddhism is a profound legacy that enriched China spiritually and relates well to the rest of the Chinese culture. The scripture was first introduced into China around A.D. 64 during the Han Dynasty. Unfortunately, the religion was not very popular among the Chinese community (Buddhism In China). The fact that Buddhism was hard to understand and that it was foreign, led to the teachings' unpopularity. After the fall of the Han Dynasty, the Tang Dynasty brought on more hope to the religion. There were three Chinese Buddhists who started to establish different types of Buddhism. A man named Hui Yuan started the pure Land Buddhists; he focused on the devotion to Buddha. He thought that if the people would be devout Buddhists, then they would be re-born into the Western Paradise or Pure Land. A man named Chih-I who believed in the Tien Tai Buddhism started the second. He decided that the followers should study the Lotus Sutra. The last of the three teachers was Hui-neng who founded Zen Buddhism (Patton). This man believed that the people should be hostile toward any and all scriptures, and that the people should not meditate. These three people believed in the same yet different beliefs of Buddhism. In 1279, however, the Zen and Pure Land sects would emerge as the two major schools of Buddhism. These schools and beliefs are still around today. Buddhists are a people of considerable self-discipline and inner peace that have a profound belief system. These individuals believe in a deity known as Buddha, Siddhartha Gautama. Their main teachings include the "four noble truths." These include existence is suffering; suffering has a cause, namely craving and attachment; there is