China, the Silk Road, and Religion

China, the Silk Road, and Religion

The BBC special, The Silk Road: Where East Met West, focuses on the effects of the Silk Road on China while Patrick Bresnan's Awakening focuses on Buddhism’s influence on Chinese society. The video does discuss Buddhism's journey into China, but it chooses to focus on Islam's impact on western China instead.

 The cities of Dunhuang, Turpan, and Khotan are located along the western border of China. These cities were shaped by their location along the Silk Road, one of the most active trade routes in human history. Along this route spread goods like silk and spices, but also ideas like Buddhism and Islam. These cities were heavily influenced by Buddhism, but also Islam, leading to a large population of Uyghur Muslims in these cities.

Emin Minaret and Mosque in Turpan

        In the city of Khotan, near the western Chinese border, the population is “90% Uyghur” (The Silk Road 47:45-48:00). This city was the first outside of China where silk was created, making it in an extremely unique and colorful style. Uyghurs and Chinese are extremely different, as communicated through their distinct creations of silk, and “most Uyghurs don’t even speak Chinese” (The Silk Road 50:10-50:18). 

        West of Dunhuang is the oasis city of Turpan, another Uyghur city. Uyghurs have been in China since the 9th century and are “treated as a... minority,” but are of mixed heritage (The Silk Road 40:25-40:45). In this city lies a mosque with minarets and Arabic writing (The Silk Road 0000039:49-040:13). 

        The below video discusses the history of Uyghur Muslims, as well as the current anti-Uyghur movements by the modern Chinese government.

Seated Amitabha, c. 12-13th Century
Located in Tokyo National Museum

In Patrick Bresnan’s Awakening, he briefly mentions the spread of Islam into China through the Silk Road, but he focuses on Buddhism’s impact on the country. "Buddhism is the only foreign philosophy" that has rooted itself in Chinese culture, making it an extremely notable and important religion to examine (Bresnan 381). He details how Buddhist sects formed in China, leading to Tiantai, Huayan, and Pure Land Buddhism. 

    Tiantai Buddhism unites Theravada and Mahayana Buddhism, saying that all of Shakyamuni Buddha’s sutras were valid, but written at different points in his teaching career. This allowed Shakyamuni Buddha to deliver them in such a way that his followers could interpret them at a pace that helped them better understand his word. 

Tiantai Buddhist Temple

   

         Huayan Buddhism focuses on the inherent relationship between all things, believing that “unity manifests itself as the many” (Bresnan 385). 

        Pure Land Buddhism is the largest of these sects, as well as the most unique. Pure Land refers to the Buddha-realm, where those who have reached enlightenment (Buddhas) live. Pure Land Buddhism became so popular because it was easier for the average person to achieve enlightenment, as Awakening is possible for anyone so long as they “trust themselves to [Buddha Amitabha’s] with sincere devotion” (Bresnan 387).

        Learning about the different sects of Buddhism in China was very interesting because I feel as though I now understand Buddhism better. It’s very helpful to understand where various Buddhist ideas come from, as some of the aspects of these various sects were taught as aspects of Buddhism as a whole in previous classes. It is important to make and understand the distinction between different sects of Buddhism in order to understand their effects on society. 

Works Cited

“Early Buddhism in China.” Awakening: An Introduction to the History of Eastern Thought, by PATRICK S. BRESNAN, 5th ed., Routledge, 2018, pp. 377–394.

Niel, Tim, director. The Silk Road: Where East Met West. The Silk Road, British Broadcasting Corporation, www.bbc.co.uk/programmes/p03qb1gq.

“Seated Amitabha.” Wikipedia, Wikimedia, commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Seated_Amida_Nyorai_(Amitabha),_Kamakura_period,_12th-13th_century,_wood_with_gold_leaf_and_inlaid_crystal_eyes_-_Tokyo_National_Museum_-_DSC05345.JPG.

“Tiantai Temple (Mount Jiuhua).” Wikipedia, Wikimedia Foundation, 13 Aug. 2021, en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tiantai_Temple_(Mount_Jiuhua).

“Turpan City Guide - Map, Hotels and Turfan China Travel Info.” Xinjiang: Far West China, Far West China, 23 Sept. 2020, www.farwestchina.com/travel/turpan/.