Final

Front 1

Explain how the cultural interaction we have seen on the Silk Road is different than modern globalization.

Back 1

The cultural interaction that we have seen on the Silk Road is different than modern globalization in that we can say during the Silk Road, all the possible cultures were not available to the individuals interacting whereas today, each culture in the world today is available to be interacted with if the individual so pleases. Another aspect that the “globalization” seen in the Silk Road is different than modern globalization is through

Front 2

Discuss the history and significance of the Nestorian Steele

Back 2

The Nestorian Steele was erected 781 C.E. Its main significance lies in the fact that it is proof “Christianity existed in central China and Asian over 600 years before the religion was formerly believed by Christian historians to have arrived with the Catholic Franciscan missions in the late thirteen century and more notably with the Jesuits in the late sixteenth century.” Through its inscriptions it also illustrates the cultural and religious exchange that occurred. As stated in the reading of The Description and Significance of the Nestorian Stele, one example is how “the Chinese idea of Heaven gradually became transformed into that of a personal God after the seventh century” one might hypotheses this resulting from interaction with the Christian religion.

Front 3

Using the Platform Sutra and the Diamond Sutra as your main sources, discuss the significance of the Diamond Sutra in the development of Ch’an Buddhism in China

Back 3

The existence of the Diamond Sutra is very crucial to the development of Ch’an Buddhism in China. It is upon hearing the Diamond Sutra that the 6th Patriarch of Ch’an Buddhism, Huineng, stated in the Platform Sutra, that he immediately became enlightened. This event happening illustrates one of the core beliefs of Ch’an Buddhism which is sudden enlightenment. This sudden enlightenment is one of the core beliefs of Ch’an Buddhism and is emphasized by the school. And so the Diamond Sutra is very crucial to the development of Ch’an Buddhism, so much so that the main books that the Ch’an School of Buddhism is based on is the Platform Sutra and non-other than the Diamond Sutra

Front 4

How has your perception of China and/or Japan changed since our course began? In your answer, be very specific.

Back 4

My views of China and Japan, religiously, has changed very much since our course began. I did not know very much about Buddhism. I did not know that Buddhism spread from India up to Central Asian along the Silk road and into China and into the rest of Asia. Furthermore I did not know very much about the evolution of Buddhism from the early versions of the religion and its core teaching’s to the dominant world religion that we know of today. I also did not know that Islam was the sole reason that Buddhism went extinct in India.

Front 5

Explain how the style and techniques of Greek art influenced Buddhist sculpture as it moved out of India, through Gandhara, and into China

Back 5

From its beginning, Buddhism was a aniconic relgion due to their emphasis on the “extinction of self” or nirvana. As Richard Folks states in his Relgions of the Silk Road however, the religion countered many different cultures as it spread. It was during one of these encounters that Buddhism and Buddhist Art encountered Greek culture. Through its encounter, both religions were able to exchange ideas and one of the ideas that Buddhism absorbed was the iconographic style of Greek culture resulting in Buddhism transforming from an aniconic religion to having icons. That is how Greek art influenced Buddhism.

Front 6

Briefly explain Lieber and Weisberg’s main argument in the essay “Globalization, Culture, and Identities in Crisis.” Do you agree with Lieber and Weisberg? Use what we have learned about the Silk Road to help support your argument

Back 6

Lieber and Weisberg’s main argument in their essay “Globalization, Culture, and Identities in Crisis” is that the causes of fanaticism and cultural backlash that sometimes arises because of integration to the world system or globalization lie not within the dominant cultures such as the United States but inside the troubled societies that are being integrated. An example of this is the religious persecutions that happened in China during the 8th Century B.C. The religious persecutions arose because of internal economic and cultural problems within the Tang Dynasty. The Tang Dynasty was bankrupt and seeing that Buddhist temples and their property were a source of income the emperor opted to seize Buddhist holdings.

Front 7

Explain the major differences between Mahayana and Hinayana Buddhism

Back 7

Richard Folks in his book Religions of the Slik Road and The World of Buddhism edited by Heinz and Gombrich expounds that I) Hinaya Buddhism emphasized the Buddha was human, while Mahayana Buddhism stressed that the becoming a Buddha was like becoming a God, II) in Hinaya Buddhism, Shakyamuni Buddha is the only active Buddha, while in Mahayan Buddhism, there is the pureland tradition of other Buddhas, III) in Mahayana Buddhism, upaya or “skillfull means” is made into a superpower, while in Hinaya, upaya an ordinary skill IV) Mahaya puts emphasis in the ineffability of absolute truth V) Hinaya emphasized anatman while Mahayana emphasized sunyata VI) Mahaya emphasized compassion while Hinaya emphasized wisdom

Front 8

Write a brief essay in which you support the following statement: Nestorian Christianity was more suited to the cultural and religious climate of China than the orthodox Christianity represented by the Bible

Back 8

Nestorian Christianity was more suited to the cultural and religious climate of China than the orthodox Christianity represented by the Bible because I) as stated in the reading The Descriptions and Significance of the Nestorian Stelle, Nestorian Christianity came to China at a time when Chinese rulers were very open minded and readily accepted other religions, had it been the Orthodox Christianity represented by the Bible, the religion might have come at a different time when Chinese rulers were not as accepting of other religions II) as can be seen in the Jesus Sutras, Nestorianism adopted ideas and concepts familiar to Chinese such as using the term monks for priests, incorporating the dhayana which is a Buddhist concept into its teachings, and a whole list of others to make it more familiar to Chinese prospects. These are two reasons for why Nestorian Christianity was more suited to the cultural and religious climate of China. Not to mention that China’s core belief of family and social order above all else worked with Nestorian Christianity’s core belief of Jesus having two separate entities of being God and Human, and having the Human side not leave his family and society but only the God part doing this, not both

Front 9

Of all the texts and images we have explored in the class, which have been your favorites? Why? Discuss at least two

Back 9

My favorite images that we explored in this class include the Torana at the Stupa in Sanchi, Buddhist statue in Gandhara and the Collossal Buddhist Sculpture found in Yungang. I think that these images illustrate the evolution of Buddhism as it spread and how it changed from being aniconic to having iconic depictions of the Buddha. I did not know that Buddhism started as a aniconic religion. It really interested me how the religion came to have iconic and the Gandhara phases explained that to me. How the religion mixing with Greek culture changed it was really interesting

Front 10

Analyze two or three instances of Fa-hsien’s journey from China to India in terms of the stories, art, and culture that he encountered. What do his discoveries tell us about Buddhism along the Silk Road?

Back 10

Fa-hsien’s journey from China to India was a long and dangerous journey. During his travels, he witnessed his companions slowly dwindle away, some from death, some from retreat. In one instances, he personally saw the death of one of his comrades. In another instance during the start of his stravels (Chapter 1 of A Record of Monastic Kingdoms), while crossing the Taklamkan desert, “though you look all round most earnestly to find where you can cross, you know not where to make your choice, the only mark and indication being the dry bones of the dead”. These instances tell us that it was a very dangerous and difficult journey along the Silk Road and that for Buddhism to have read China was a miracle.