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Zen Buddhism's Revolution Seated Amitabha, c. 12-13th Century Located in  Tokyo National Museum Buddhism was brought to Japan by Korean and Chinese monks after Korean kings gifted the Japanese emperor a statue of Buddha. The form of Buddhism that was brought over was Pure Land Buddhism, the largest Buddhist sect. Pure Land Buddhism taught that Shakyamuni Buddha was the first of many Buddhas, and he delivered sutras. Buddha Amitabha was an earthly king that gave up his kingdom to become a monk, eventually ruling over the Pure Land of the west- Sukhavati. Buddha Amitabha is one of the most popular Buddhas because his kingdom welcomed “all beings who trusted themselves to him with sincere devotion” (Bresnan 387).  When Buddhism was brought to Japan, it was embraced and integrated into the culture. Shinto and Buddhism affected each other, changing and bringing new ideas to Japanese culture.  When Pure Land Buddhism began to die down, Buddhists monks began to seek out methods ...

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...

  Confucianism, Daoism, and Society Two of the major schools of thoughts within Chinese culture are Confucianism and Daoism. Confucianism is based on Confucius’ writings that outline “the right social order” (Bresnan 301). He believed the government should “be the leader and protector of the people” and establish order in society” (Bresnan 308). Daoism is an abstract idea, a philosophy that honors the order of nature and seeks to live in harmony with it.  A majority of Chinese society is based on Confucius’ “grand ideal[s]” (Bresnan 301). It began with Confucius’ education system, which ensured that the government would employ people who were capable of running the government he envisioned. This system was “based largely on… the classics of Chinese literature,” as well as etiquette and philosophy (Bresnan 309). Ideally, this education system would be open to all while still preserving social classes. Print of Confucius His philosophy also stretched to relationships- Confucius ...

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...

 Bhagavad Gita     The Bhagavad Gita is a Hindu religious text that is part of the Mahabharata, a larger group of texts outlining the conflict between the Kauravas and Pandavas (Bresnan 74). It is unknown the exact era in which this work was written, but it is estimated to originate from between 400 and 200 BCE (Lumen 2). According to legend, the Mahabharata was written by a sage named Vyasa who fathered the heads of the Kauravas and the Pandavas (Bresnan 76-77). "Mahabharata" Hindi Book Cover      The Bhagavad Gita focuses on a conversation between the deity Krishna and the leader of the Pandavas, Arjuna. Arjuna and Krishna are longtime friends, and Krishna had presented himself to Arjuna as a human. During the battle, Krishna served as Arjuna's charioteer, helping guide him. So, when Arjuna asks Krishna to roll him out to see his opponents, his cousins, he is devastated at the thought of having to kill his brethren. Thus begins the conversation between th...

   Indus River Valley and Mesopotamia     Within the documentary Indus: The Unvoiced Civilization and the first chapter of Patrick S. Bresnan’s India Before the Vedas , both works discuss the Indus River Valley Civilization- Mohenjo-Daro and Harappa. However, both works emphasize different aspects of this society and its advancements.  Trade Map of Indus River Valley and Mesopotamia from Indus: Unvoiced Civilization      In the documentary, Indus: The Unvoiced Civilization the relationship between Mesopotamia and the Indus River Valley Civilization was explored. These ancient societies had trade connections, which was ascertained by the presence of Indus artifacts in Mesopotamian and Bahraini sites, such as "red carnelian" jewelry and Indus seals ( Indus : 45:52). "Many Indus carnelian artifacts" have been found within the royal tomb at Umm Al Nar ( Indus : 46:13). Bahrain was a trading hotspot, due to its location on the Arabian peninsula....