The Rise of Buddhism in China

Buddhism is one of the religious sects that exist in the world. It has overtaken other denominations to become the leading religion in China. It is based on the Four Noble Truths that were developed by the Buddha in the ancient ages. The first two truths depict a very negative picture of life. In this regard, they seem untrue and misleading to most people. This is because there are a variety of life pleasures that people can enjoy. Therefore, the main question is why do the Four Nobles Truths focus on the negative part of life? In any case, there exists no proof to the extent that Buddha who formulated the four noble truths was in the right state of mind while making illusions on the nature and existence of things. Additionally, he did not get a chance to respond to critics that have been placed towards the teachings. As such, according to China 2008, this strict adherence to these teachings is a show of obliviousness from the followers and ought to stop. In any case, teachings which do focus on the bad things and say nothing about the good things are not worthy following.

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The single Chinese empire was one of the reasons why Buddhism spread in china like bush fire. Specifically, the policies of the single Chinese empire, who was the overall leader of the Chinese society led to the entry and growth of Buddhism in the Chinese society. The first Chinese ruler emperor Hu of the Han dynasty led a very powerful state, where he had a control over a huge Chinese population. However, the influx of foreign caravans of people into China for trade and other businesses was one of the ways that Buddhism entered into china. Additionally, Missionary Buddhist monks arrived in china when people were ignorant and did not place their beliefs in any one particular sect. Further, there was power struggle between the various kingdoms that had been formed after the disintegration of the main emperor. As such, that division was responsible for the quicker influence that the religion had on the people of China. Going from one kingdom to the other, the Buddhist monks who carried the teachings of Buddha in the sultra spread the teachings of the Buddha who was the head of all the Buddhists. The warring independent kingdoms paved way for the rise of the Confucian ideology ('Enlightenment in Dispute: The Reinvention of Chan Buddhism in Seventeenth-Century China'. 2008).

The Chinese society was very stable ideologically and politically during the reign of the first emperor. However, his demise was a low point for the people. Besides, the unity that had existed before was gone. In the Edict of Buddhism by Tang Emperor, it is stated that we have heard that the Buddha was never spoken of before the Han dynasty. From the then on, the religion of idols gradually came to prominence. This, therefore, shows that the region came into existence during the rime of Han. From then on, the religion continued to expand poisoning the minds of the Chinese into worshipping and believing in idols. The most perplexing thing is their belief in the negative attitudes that are contained in the Four Noble Truths. In any case, the truths are neither true nor are they noble. They seem to depress the followers by believing in negative things instead of helping them look life from a positive side.

Buddhism is just a worship of idols that is devoid of any moral and social help. The enlightened of the early ages did not themselves practice the teachings of the sect. Therefore, this leads to the question that is asked by an anonymous Chinese scholar in the disposition of era; if Buddhism is the greatest and most venerable of ways, why did the great sages of the past and Confucius not practice it? this question seeks to explain that the intellectual Chinese people were not swayed by the teachings of a cult that was only focusing on the negative aspects of life. As such, they ignored the teachings of Buddha and used rationality to conduct their own things. The different groups in china consist of the confusions and the sages. These were two groups that were only concerned with what was rationally applicable. According to Chan, (2010) they did not believe on the aspects that that did not make sense to them. As such, they responded to the Buddhism influx by evaluating it teachings and critiquing it.

From the onset, this research stated that a blanket adherence to a body of teachings is not proper if the teachings a do not have a positive social and moral influence. Therefore the belief in Buddhism by the Chinese is, to say the least, an embarrassment to dignity. Any religion that focuses on the negative aspects of life is not worthy following. That is why the intellectuals of the society did not follow it. In this regard, it was and still is, absurd for the Chinese to follow the teachings of Buddha which do not have any positive contributions to their life. The worship of cults and idols should be ignored and questions made as to the significance of the same. If the importance of the worship is not established, Chinese people should ignore and completely abandon Buddhism.

References

CHAN, WING-CHEUK. 2010. 'TWO DOGMAS OF CRITICAL BUDDHISM'. Journal Of Chinese Philosophy 37 (2): 276-294. doi:10.1111/j.1540-6253.2010.01583.x.

Chan, Wing-cheuk. 2012. 'The Unlikely Buddhologist: Tiantai Buddhism In Mou Zongsan's New Confucianism , By Jason Clower . Leiden: Brill, 2010. Xvi + 279 Pp. 108.00/US$153.00 (Hardcover).'. The China Journal, no. 68: 242-244. doi:10.1086/666564.

'Enlightenment In Dispute: The Reinvention Of Chan Buddhism In Seventeenth-Century China'. 2008. Choice Reviews Online 46 (04): 46-2029-46-2029. doi:10.5860/choice.46-2029.

Franklin, J. Jeffrey. 2011. 'The Four Noble Truths Of Buddhism In Victorian England, 18701900'. Victorian Review 37 (2): 21-26. doi:10.1353/vcr.2011.0052.

Jorgensen, John. 2011. 'Fathering Your Father: The Zen Of Fabrication In Tang Buddhism'. T'oung Pao 97 (1-3): 225-230. doi:10.1163/156853211x600291.