Buddhism in China - Cultural Outline

This period covers from Han 汉朝, to Three Kingdoms 三国, to Western Jin 西晋. Buddhism was first introduced to China mainly from Central Asia through Silk Road, which is mostly Mahayana tradition. An Shigao 安世高 brought Indian meditation techniques that is similar to Daoist practice of meditation.

Other routes include: India to Sri Lanka to South East China to China and India to Tibet to China. Thus, primary languages include

• Pali 巴利文, used by Theravada
• Sanskirit 梵文, used by Mahayana
• Tibetan 藏文, used by Vajrayana

However, at early stage of development, Buddhist practice of renunciation of celibacy and mendicancy is in contrast with Confusian teaching of family life and societal responsibility. So early Buddhist monks were only active amongst foreign traders.

By the second century, Buddhism had already spread in China from ordinary people to emperors, backed by literary and archaeological evidence, as reported Houhanshu 《后汉书》.

This period covers from Eastern Jin 东晋 to Northern and Southern Dynasties 南北朝. This is an age of disunion, political fragmentation, wars. With Han dynasty’s fall, intellectuals became unsatisfied with Confusian teachings and turned to Xuanxue 玄学, which is about metaphysical learning that emphasized on abstract philosophy rather than politics.

Under this background, Buddhism had integrated into Chinese culture with several important factors.