Buddhism's Spread Essay

Submitted By pshah16

Words: 369

Pages: 2

Open Document

The spread of Buddhism is a particularly fascinating phenomenon which not only transformed

the worlds which it affected, but also developed through its social movement and patronage from India

through the rest of the Asian world. An important point about the rise of Buddhism in the first place is

that it caught on in places that Brahmanical Hinduism, which appealed to the religious and social elite

only, was weak. Buddhism appealed to the socially unprivileged because it offered them a way to

nirvana and becoming a god, something that Brahmanical Hinduism reserved solely for Brahmins and

thus found a small following in India of people who were dissatisfied with Brahmanical Hinduism.

Another important point is that the travels of Buddhism include, and frankly would not have

been possible without, the attraction of patronage on various levels of scale. As it did not have a lot of

support in India, Buddhism needed a larger following to be able to survive as a global religion. From big

kingdoms in Anuradhapura to the Khmer Kingdom in Cambodia or even parts of the Mongol Empire,

Buddhism seemed to resonate with East Asian cultures after being overshadowed by Hinduism in India.

These patrons, such as Ashoka Maurya as well, allowed Buddhism to survive and spread and ultimately

caused the adoption of Buddhism on a much wider scale and by lower ranked social members of society.

Lastly, Buddhism moved eastward because the tendency

Buddhism In Japanese Culture Essay

introduction in the 6th century. At the beginning of Buddhism’s arrival in Japan it provided the nation with ethical means of unification. So, not only was Buddhism a force of religious transformation in Japan, but it was also a contributor of cultural, social, and technological change in Japan. Due to its ability to consolidate the clans of Japan after a time of separation, it ushered in a indispensible era of change and unification in Japan. Buddhism’s roots in Japan are said to date as far back as 538…

Words 1610 - Pages 7

Buddhism In China Dbq Analysis

During the spread of Buddhism into China there were those who supported and opposed to its expanse. Buddhism was founded in India in the sixth century B.C.E. and came to China by the first century C.E. and continued between 220 C.E and 570 C.E; the responses of the growth of Buddhism in China varied from supporting the advancement and opposing it. To begin, throughout the spread of Buddhism in China many supported its growth as seen in documents one, two, three, and five. Document 1 is a passage…

Words 861 - Pages 4

Amanda Connolly Religion Compare Contrast Essay

good choices reflects the positive teachings of that religion. Both world religions have basic tenants that establish their beliefs. In Buddhism there are four Noble Truths and the 8Fold Path, and in Christianity there are the 10 Commandments(Rahula, W. 2013, par. 1) Buddhism's eightfold path is found to be the guide to end suffering. Using 8 different paths of liberation it guides its followers to live pure lives through practicing the elements of understanding, thought, speech, action, livelihood, effort, mindfulness…

Words 2003 - Pages 9

Buddhism in China Essay

court was powerful was rejection to the foreign religion. The document by Zhi Dun stating his support of Buddhism shares characteristics with Zong Mi, the Buddha, and the anonymous Chinese scholar. This shows support in China when Buddhism was spread. Zhi Dun in document two would also pair well with the documents that share a relative time period with the Buddha and the Chinese scholar. Officials or people favored by the Tang imperial court include Han Yu and Zong Mi. Zhi Dun, the anonymous…

Words 801 - Pages 4

Dbq Buddhism In China

Buddhism, which was introduced to China from southern Asia and rapidly spread throughout the years, shifted in popularity throughout the centuries. This is notable from the collapse of the Han Dynasty to the duration of the Tang dynasty. Buddhism reached great popularity for political reasons and its appeal to the poor, though later contempt for the tax-exempt, non working peoples that followed outside teachings led to its ultimate downfall. Buddhism was prevalent for a lengthy period of time after…

Words 570 - Pages 3

Compare And Contrast Christianity And Buddhism Essay

Buddhism and Christianity evolved differently for each religion as they spread across geographic, political, and cultural boundaries. The diffusion of both Christianity and Buddhism during the classical period was accelerated by powerful political leaders as well as trade routes but the resulting social developments and geographical spread outside each religion’s origin diverge significantly. Both Christianity and Buddhism spread in the Classical Era because they had powerful political leaders. In the…

Words 1200 - Pages 5

Essay on Buddhism Dbq

Buddhism Essay Starting from when Buddhism first spread in China during the first century B.C.E. to the restoration of the imperial structure in 570 C.E., people’s opinions and attitudes toward Buddhism changed depending on the political circumstances of the time. During the Han Dynasty and period of disunification, the ideas of Buddhism spread rapidly across China because people needed comfort and justification for why their lives were terrible due to the chaos and turmoil of the times. In…

Words 1155 - Pages 5

Essay On Buddhism

preach his beliefs until he died at the age of eighty (Mann 17). After Buddha’s death, Buddhism continued to spread throughout Asia. Many Buddhist monks traveled around spreading the word of the enlightened one. A big key to Buddhism’s early success was due to Indian emperor Asoka. Asoka particularly favored Buddhism, so he sent missionaries to Ceylon (present day Sri Lanka) to spread the Buddhist word. Sri Lanka is now the heart of a major branch of Buddhism called Theravada (Mann 17). Buddhist…

Words 1390 - Pages 6

Zen Buddhism

Zen translated means meditation meaning meditation was a big thing in Zen. Starting in India around the fourth century, Zen Buddhism widely spread through China, Japan, Korea, and Vietnam. Its history, influences, teachings, and rituals is the base to how the Zen started, but Zen is much more. It has a very powerful, spiritual meaning to it. The history of Zen goes back to when it arrived in China, and from there it continued to spread. It all started when the Indian monk, Bodhidharma, brought to Ch’an, the Chinese Zen Buddhism, to China…

Words 1925 - Pages 8

Nichiren Buddhism

Having had a widely spread Atheist culture, it is rare to see religious site that conduct highly devoted religious practice in Japan. Taisekiji is one the site where the continue practicing traditional practice that has been passed on devoted to their affiliated sect, Nichiren Shoshu. Taisekiji is the Head temple of the Nichiren Shoshu sect and is located at the base of Mount Fuji. Taisekiji, being the head temple, is and has been the centre of the Nichiren sect, and has long been practicing the…

Words 1639 - Pages 7