Originating from the same secular world: Han Buddhism and Folk Customs

Author: Li Lin
Publisher:
Publish Date: 2005-05-01
Features: The history of the spread of Indian Buddhism in China is both the history of the integration of Buddhism and Chinese culture and the history of the "Sinicization" of Buddhism. "Sinicization of Buddhism" refers to the absorption, rejection, and transformation of Buddhist culture by traditional Chinese culture, as well as the simultaneous changes and transformations Buddhism underwent due to the influence of Chinese culture. In many chapters of this book, we can see: the influence of Chan Buddhism on folk customs, and the various changes that occurred in Buddhism itself due to the "counter-influence" of Chinese folk customs. Generally, Chan Buddhism underwent a radical transformation during the Song Dynasty. After the Song Dynasty, Chinese Chan Buddhism no longer, like in the Tang Dynasty, insisted on upholding a certain order of meaning to guide the faith of the entire society. It merely passively adapted to the existing social order, serving as a supplement to Confucian governance and Taoist self-cultivation. This supplement, devoid of a spirit of salvation and left only with form, merely sought a momentary solace between ambiguous reality and illusory ideals.