Julie Outten

Pd. 3A
2/9/15

Spread of Buddhism in China DBQ

Buddhism in China, beginning in the first century C.E., played a positive role in bringing
unity to its people through religion, while others believed it was also negatively influencing
people against their basic daily roles and was the cause of some problems in society- but with
both of these views left some to believe it had a neutral or no effect upon China.
Doc. #2 and doc. #3 showed that Buddhism positively brought unity amongst the people
of China in the first century C.E. Doc. #2 was from Zhi Dun who was a Chinese scholar/high
official when nomads were invading China. Zhi believed that it was possible for the people to
follow after the Buddha and that the Buddha would help along the journey to reach
enlightenment, which is very appealing and many people accepted this. Doc. #3 was also written
by a Chinese scholar who was being questioned about Buddhism. This scholar believes that
Buddhism does not have to come directly from Confucian Classics, and that in fact, Buddhism
could quite possibly be above the status of Confucian Classics which many people followed.
Since both of these documents are coming from scholars who are upper-class this may influence
the opinion they have upon Buddhism.
Doc. #4 and doc. #6 both stated that the spread of Buddhism was negatively
influencing/impacting the society and culture of China. Doc. #4 was from Han Yu, a Confucian
scholar, who believed that this was causing the people to turn against their duties/laws. Han Yu
thinks that the people are turning into a large mass who would do and believe anything to
achieve enlightenment and that the people will end up becoming uncontrollable. Since doc. #4 is
coming from a Confucian scholar this may influence his viewpoint upon Buddhism because he

may believe that Buddhism is trying to replace Confucian Classics and simply take over China,
which is the opposite of what he wants to occur. Doc. #6 came from Tang Wu, an emperor who
believes that Buddhism is negatively influencing the customs of the nation by making people
abandon their everyday jobs to follow in the footsteps of the Buddha, causing the economy to be
at a lack of workers and with an increase of the homeless. Since Tang Wu is an emperor his
opinion upon Buddhism may have been negatively influenced upon because his people are
abandoning him to follow their beliefs.
Doc. #1 and doc. #5 both had a neutral opinion upon the spread of Buddhism within
China. Doc. #1 is the explanation of Buddhist tradition in order to allow people to either accept
or decline the following of Buddhism, which is not forceful or required. Doc. #5 is from another
Buddhist scholar who has a neutral opinion upon Buddhism and believes that it can/does coexist
with the teaching of Confucius values, although he may not have a direct viewpoint upon the
good and the bad within each, since it is unclear with what he follows and believes in.
Two additional documents could be helpful in determining how to spread of Buddhism
impacted China from the viewpoint of a peasant/low-class person of China, or from a woman. If
we had the viewpoint of a low-class citizen of China we could view how Buddhism may have
helped or hindered the growth of peasants, economically, spiritually, and socially. Buddhism
could have helped peasants to be more accepted into society since they could just be trying to
obtain enlightenment, but could also have caused people to dislike peasants for causing
unoccupied jobs and beggars for shelter and food. The perspective of a woman could also be
helpful in determining the influence of Buddhism because the roles and freedom of women could
have become less strict, but also could have hindered them and caused more guidelines for
women to follow.