Buddhism in ChinaBuddhism 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 RoadsMap of the Ancient Silk RoadsThe 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 DaoismRelation 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 TraditionsAdaptation 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 BuddhismHistory 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)

44thth Century Chinese Buddha: Note the Western features Century Chinese Buddha: Note the Western features

Adopting terms… TaoistAdopting 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

• 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.

Adopting terms… ConfucianismAdopting terms… Confucianism

The Early Years (25-317 CE)The Early Years (25-317 CE)

Wei Dynasty Buddha: note the long ears and the top knotWei Dynasty Buddha: note the long ears and the top knot

• 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

The Years of Growth (317-589 CE)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 DynastyStanding Buddha in Maijishan caves: Western Wei Dynasty

The Years of Acceptance (589-907 AD)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 (618-907), a series of Chinese Buddhists emerged to establish the major Chinese sects.

Tang Dynasty (8Tang Dynasty (8thth Century) Buddha Century) Buddha

Decline and Revival (907-present)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 DunhuangTang dynasty Bodhisattvas from Dunhuang

T’ien-tai and Flower Garland schoolsT’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.

55thth and 6 and 6thth century Guanyins century Guanyins

Lotus SutraLotus 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 strengthBuddha, Bodhisattvas and guardian gods of strength

Pure Land BuddhismPure Land Buddhism• 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).Buddha flanked by two BodhisattvasBuddha flanked by two Bodhisattvas

Ch’an BuddhismCh’an Buddhism• In the Third 500 Years (A.D. 500-

1000) 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 BodhisattvaTang Guanyin: The Evolution of a Bodhisattva

Ch’anCh’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’anShaolin 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 BuddhismUnlike 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 MahayanaShaolin – 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 ArtsMindfulness 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 ApproachPragmatic 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 Monks reciting sutras at Shaolin sutras at Shaolin

MonasteryMonastery

Mi Lo Fo: The Mi Lo Fo: The Laughing BuddhaLaughing Buddha

The Bodhisattva of Great Benevolence and the Next Buddha

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!

  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.

Pu Tai – the model for the Happy Bodhisattva Maitreya

Maitreya – the Happy BuddhaMaitreya – 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 non-discriminating attitude, Maitreya Bodhisattva is always tolerant and accommodating. He brings an abundance of joy and hope to the world.