Bookie's Bodega

China, the Silk Road, and Religion T he 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 f...

The Vehicles of Buddhism Temple containing a branch of Buddha's bodhi tree Chapters 11 and 12 of Patrick Bresnan's work "Awakening" discuss two prominent schools of Buddhist thought- Mahayana and Theravada Buddhism. Theravada means "teachings of the elders," which implies that this path is the more orthodox of the two. Mahayana Buddhism is more spiritual and focuses on making Buddhism more accessible for those who cannot or do not wish to become monks. Mahayana Buddhism is "more influenced by traditional Hindu beliefs and practices," as opposed to Theravada's strict philosophical teachings (Bresnan 262).  Theravada Buddhism originated following the death of Shakyamuni Buddha. Many Buddhists feared the decline of Buddhism due to a splintering of beliefs, because Buddhism was practiced in small, isolated communities during this time. So, theoretically, each of these communities could develop their own practices and interpretations of Buddha's...