Cole Robert

Mr. ONeil
AP World History
Buddhism DBQ
Although Buddhism is commonly associated with China, it has not always
been such a major power in the country. For hundreds of years the religion that
controlled Chinese lives was Confucianism, based on the teachings of Confucius.
After the year 563 B.C.E Buddhism began to spread throughout China, with varying
responses. Every person felt differently about Buddhism, although they were
influenced by their religious affiliation or occupation.
There was a general division between the people of either religion, usually
accompanied by a dislike of the other. Some men, such as Zhi Dun, look towards the
benefits of following the Buddhist faith, such as entering Nirvana with a pure spirit
(Doc 2). Another Chinese scholar wrote in The Disposition of Error that both
religions are different, but both have their merit. Neither is always correct, but
neither is wrong. In opposition to these views exist in the work of Han Yu, who
condemns Buddhism as barbaric and evil. (Doc 4) Han Yu characterizes Buddhism
as a cult, not a religion. The Tang Emperor Wu agrees, claiming that there no
longer remains the slightest doubt in Our mind that this evil should be eradicated.
(Doc 6)
Of course, the religion individuals practice sways them. Zong Mi, a leading
Buddhist scholar, feels that both Buddhism and Confucianism are beautiful, yet
differ in their approaches towards the same goal. As Buddhist scholar, he is unlikely
to speak against his own ways. (Doc 5) In the first document, the Four Noble truth
(Doc 1), there is no cry out against Buddhism because the beliefs of Buddhism are
stated. Those who are Buddhist are unlikely to speak out against Buddhism, yet also
fail to speak against Confucianism. Scholars and men of Confucianism seem to hate
Buddhism, and are completely unwilling to acknowledge the merit of the religion.
Han Yu complains about the congenial approaches towards people of Buddhism,
upset at having to be civil to such barbarians. Again, he agrees with Emperor Wu,
who sees only the bad in Buddhism and persecutes the religion as evil
Occupation can cause individuals to develop the ideas of their peers, which
may be different from the men and women of other work groups. The scholars have
a mixed reaction towards the spread of Buddhism, some in support and some
opposing. In The Disposition of Error and Zhi Duns writings, Buddhism is
compared with Confucianism and the best aspects of each are discussed. There is
no excessive support of Buddhism, but there is no disdain either. The men of the
Chinese government have split views towards Buddhism, as we have determined
through the attitudes of Emperor Wu and Zhi Dun. Wu sees Buddhism as pure evil
and hopes to eradicate it as soon as possible, whereas Zhi Dun compliments the
benefits of the Buddhist faith.
In order to create a complete picture of Chinese attitudes towards the spread
of Buddhism, we would require two additional views. The first are documents that
provide the views of commoners, not just emperors and scholars. Men of power and
education will feel differently than those living in poverty. Also, we would benefit
from experiencing the views of various regions, so we could view how opinions
might change based upon how long Buddhism had existed in that particular area or
how densely the population of Buddhists was. Otherwise we are left with an
incomplete view of Chinese opinion.