LITMIR.BIZ

      Rituals and spirit mediums are part of ancestor worship and folk religion.

      CHINESE BUDDHISM AND OTHER BELIEFS

      Buddhism is an Indian religion that was founded sometime around the 6th to 4th centuries BCE by a young wanderer, Siddhartha Gautama, who later become known as Buddha or the ‘Enlightened one’. It is China’s oldest foreign religion. It spread gradually to China during the Han Dynasty (206 BCE–220 CE) where it merged with the prevailing Taoist thought as well as folk religion. When the first Buddhist scriptures were translated into Chinese, Taoist terms based on folk religion were often used so that the Chinese could understand and interpret the principles.

      By the 5th and 6th centuries, Buddhism had become a powerful intellectual force and was well established among the peasant class. The golden age of Buddhism however, was during the Tang Dynasty (618–907 CE), when it enjoyed state sponsorship (temples and monasteries were supported by the government), and widespread acceptance among the élite as well as peasant classes. Buddhist ideas and practices shaped Chinese culture in a wide variety of areas, including art, politics, literature, philosophy, medicine and material culture.

      Buddhism, however, never fully displaced Confucianism and Taoism, but was accepted alongside these native religions. In fact, many in China felt perfectly comfortable adhering to the principles of all three religions at the same time. In order for this to happen, Buddhist philosophy and practices were altered so that they were compatible with existing beliefs in China.

      BASIC PRINCIPLES

      Samsara This is the belief that life is an endless cycle of birth, death and rebirth.

      Reincarnation This is rebirth of the soul into a new body. That new body depends on how someone lives their life. If they live a bad, evil life, they may be reincarnated as a dog or a rat in their next life. If they live a good, virtuous life, they may come back as a more enlightened person.

      Karma This refers to acts or deeds. Good conduct and deeds bring happiness and lead to similar good acts and further happiness. Bad conduct brings misery and evil and leads to more bad conduct. Good karma results in a better reincarnation.

      Nirvana Once one has overcome these obstacles, they reach a state of enlightenment or nirvana. The endless cycle of rebirth is overcome and one is released from suffering and becomes a Buddha.

      Although Buddhism was suppressed in mainland China, most recently during the 1960s and 1970s, it has slowly regained importance to many people. The government is also restoring monasteries and temples, although this is more for the sake of tourism than for any adoration of the religion.