Buddhism in China

The introduction of Buddhism in China brought about a clash of cultures for two reasons:

• The Buddhist teaching was difficult to accept
  • It was considered foreign and therefore inferior
  • It was seen as morbid, stressing suffering rather than happiness
  • It was seen as selfish because it did not follow the Confucian values of contributing to society through hard work
  • It introduced new beliefs unknown to China, such as rebirth
• The state found Buddhist monasticism unacceptable and questioned its right to exist
  • Monks would not bow to the Emperor, since in India, the religious class had always been the ruling…