Schlossmacher

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Jomon Culture (--300 BCE)

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Prehistoric culture characterized by handmade pottery with rope pattern design

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Yayoi Culture (300 BCE-250 CE)

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More advanced agricultural society, using metals and wheel-turned pottery

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Kofun (250-538)

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Great earthen grave mounds and their funerary objects, such as clay haniwa — terra cotta figurines of people and animals, models of buildings and boats — attest to emergence of powerful clan rulers. Among these was the Yamato clan, whose rulers began the imperial dynasty that has continued to the present.

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Asuka (538-710)

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6th century: Introduction of Buddhism
645: Taika Reform Reorganization and reform based largely on learning imported from China: Buddhism, writing system, bureaucratic organization, legal theories

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Nara Period (710-814)

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Establishment of first permanent capital at Nara; emergence of Japanese patterns of administration and institutions. Beginning of classical period.

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Heian Period (794-1185)

Early Heian Late Heian (Fujiwara)

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Great flowering of classical Japanese culture in new capital of Heian-kyo (Kyoto). Court aristocracy, especially women, produced great body of literature — poetry, diaries, the novel The Tale of Genji (by Murasaki Shikibu) — and made refined aesthetic sensibility their society's hallmark.

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Kamakura Period (1185-1333)

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Beginning of military rule, as samurai (warriors) replaced nobles as real rulers of Japan. Imperial court remained in Kyoto but shoguns governing organization based in Kamakura, south of modern Tokyo.

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Kemmu Restoration

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Kemmu Restoration (1333-1336)

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Ashikaga (Muromachi) Period (1336- 1573)

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Country at War. Warring factions engaged in lengthy, destructive civil wars. New warrior government in Kyoto retained weak control of the country, but from its base in Kyoto's Muromachi district became patron of newly flourishing artistic tradition, influenced by Zen Buddhist culture as well as samurai and court society.

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uniufication

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Unification (1568-1598)

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Tokugawa (Edo) Period (1600-1867)

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Country unified under military government which maintained 250 years of secluded peace, leading to development of vibrant urban, "middle-class" culture with innovations in economic organization, literature, and the arts.

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Meiji Restoration (1868-1912)

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Meiji Period

Emergence, with Western stimulus, into modern international world, marked by dramatic alterations in institutions, traditional social organization, and culture.

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Taisho Period

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Taisho Period (1912-1926)

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Showa Period

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(1926-1989)

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1945-present

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Contemporary Japan:

Heisei Period (1989-present)

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Islands of Japan

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Hokkaido

Honshu

Shikoku

Kyushu

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North

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Hokkaido

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Top Middle

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Honshu

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Bottom Middle

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Shikoku

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Bottom

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Kyushu

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Identify

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Nagasaki

Nara

kyoto

tokyo

hokkaido

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Buddha /Gautama Siddhārtha/Shakyamuni

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Gautama Buddha, also known as Siddhārtha Gautama,[note 3] Shakyamuni,[note 4] or simply the Buddha, was a sage[3] on whose teachings Buddhism was founded.[web 2] He is believed to have lived and taught mostly in eastern India sometime between the sixth and fourth centuries BCE.[4][note 5]

The word Buddha means "awakened one" or "the enlightened one". "Buddha" is also used as a title for the first awakened being in an era. In most Buddhist traditions, Siddhartha Gautama is regarded as the Supreme Buddha (Pali sammāsambuddha, Sanskrit samyaksaṃbuddha) of our age.[note 6] Gautama taught a Middle Way between sensual indulgence and the severe asceticism found in the Sramana (renunciation) movement[5] common in his region. He later taught throughout regions of eastern India such as Magadha and Kośala.[4][6]

Gautama is the primary figure in Buddhism and accounts of his life, discourses, and monastic rules are believed by Buddhists to have been summarized after his death and memorized by his followers. Various collections of teachings attributed to him were passed down by oral tradition and first committed to writing about 400 years later.

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Bodhisattva

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A BODHISATTVA IS an ordinary person who takes up a course in his or her life that moves in the direction of buddha. You're a bodhisattva, I'm a bodhisattva; actually, anyone who directs their attention, their life, to practicing the way of life of a buddha is a bodhisattva.

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Theravada

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noun | one of two great schools of Buddhist doctrine emphasizing personal salvation through your own efforts; a conservative form of Buddhism that adheres to Pali scriptures and the non-theistic ideal of self purification to nirvana; the dominant religion of Sri Lanka (Ceylon) and Myanmar (Burma) and Thailand and Laos and Cambodia

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Mahayana

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Mahāyāna (Sanskrit: महायान mahāyāna, literally the "Great Vehicle") is one of two (or three, under some classifications) main existing branches of Buddhism and a term for classification of Buddhist philosophies and practice. The Buddhist tradition of Vajrayana is sometimes classified as a part of Mahayana Buddhism, but some scholars may consider it as a different branch altogether.[1]

According to the teachings of Mahāyāna traditions, "Mahāyāna" also refers to the path of the Bodhisattva seeking complete enlightenment for the benefit of all sentient beings, also called "Bodhisattvayāna", or the "Bodhisattva Vehicle."[2][note 1] A bodhisattva who has accomplished this goal is called a samyaksaṃbuddha, or "fully enlightened Buddha." A samyaksaṃbuddha can establish the Dharma and lead disciples to enlightenment.

The Mahāyāna tradition is the largest major tradition of Buddhism existing today, with 53.2% of practitioners, compared to 35.8% for Theravāda and 5.7% for Vajrayāna in 2010.[3]

In the course of its history, Mahāyāna Buddhism spread from India to various other Asian countries such as Bangladesh, China, Japan, Vietnam, Korea, Singapore, Taiwan, Nepal, Sri Lanka, Tibet, Bhutan, Malaysia, and Mongolia. Major traditions of Mahāyāna Buddhism today include Zen, Chinese Chán, Pure Land, Tiantai, and Nichiren. It may also include the Vajrayāna Buddhist traditions of Shingon, Tendai and Tibetan Buddhism, which add esoteric teachings to the Mahāyāna tradition.

The origins of Mahāyāna are still not completely understood.[10] The earliest Western views of Mahāyāna assumed that it existed as a separate school in competition with the so-called "Hīnayāna" schools. Due to the veneration of buddhas and bodhisattvas, Mahāyāna was often interpreted as a more devotional, lay-inspired form of Buddhism, with supposed origins in stūpa veneration,[11] or by making parallels with the history of the European Protestant Reformation. These views have been largely dismissed in modern times in light of a much broader range of early texts that are now available.[12] These earliest Mahāyāna texts often depict strict adherence to the path of a bodhisattva, and engagement in the ascetic ideal of a monastic life in the wilderness, akin to the ideas expressed in the Rhinoceros Sūtra.[note 3] The old views of Mahāyāna as a separate lay-inspired and devotional sect are now largely dismissed as misguided and wrong on all counts.[note 4]

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four noble truths

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The Four Noble Truths[note 1] express the basic orientation of Buddhism: this mundane life, which is continuously repeated by rebirth, is not the place to be; how do we get out of it? The truths are as follows:

1. Dukkha:[note 2] all temporary things and states are unsatisfying;
2. The start of dukkha: yet we crave and cling to these things and states; thereby, we're continuously reborn;
3. The end of dukkha: if we stop craving and clinging, we won't be reborn;
4. How to end dukkha: by following the Noble Eightfold Path, namely behaving decently, not acting on impulses, and practicing mindfulness and meditation.

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Six Realms of Samsara

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The Six Realms are an allegorical description of conditioned existence, or samsara, into which beings are reborn. The nature of one's existence is determined by karma. Some realms seem more pleasant than others -- heaven sounds preferable to hell -- but all are dukkha, meaning they are temporary and imperfect.

The Six Realms often are illustrated by the Bhava Chakra, or Wheel of Life.

Please note that in some schools the realms of Devas and Asuras are combined, leaving five realms instead of six.

Realm of the Gods, From the Wheel of Life (Bhavachakra). MarenYumi / Flickr, Creative Commons License Attribution-Noncommercial-Share Alike 2.0 Generic1. Deva-gati, the Realm of Devas (Gods) and Heavenly BeingsIn Buddhist tradition, the Deva realm is populated by godlike beings who enjoy great power, wealth and long life. They live in splendor and happiness. Yet even the Deva grow old and die. Further, their privilege and exalted status blind them to the suffering of others, so in spite of their long lives they have neither wisdom nor compassion. The privileged Deva will be reborn in another of the Six Realms.Realm of Asuras, From the Wheel of Life (Bhavachakra). MarenYumi / Flickr, Creative Commons License Attribution-Noncommercial-Share Alike 2.0 Generic2. Asura-gati, the Realm of Asura (Titans)

The Asura are strong and powerful beings who are sometimes depicted as enemies of the Deva. Asura are marked by their fierce envy. The karma of hate and jealousy causes rebirth in the Asura Realm. Chih-i (538-597), a patriarch of the T'ien-t'ai school, described the Asura this way: "Always desiring to be superior to others, having no patience for inferiors and belittling strangers; like a hawk, flying high above and looking down on others, and yet outwardly displaying justice, worship, wisdom, and faith -- this is raising up the lowest order of good and walking the way of the Asuras." You may have known an Asura or two.

Hungry Ghost Realm, From the Wheel of Life (Bhavachakra). MarenYumi / Flickr, Creative Commons License Attribution-Noncommercial-Share Alike 2.0 Generic3. Preta-gati, the Realm of Hungry Ghosts

Hungry ghosts (preta) are pictured as beings with huge, empty stomachs, but they have pinhole mouths, and their necks are so thin they cannot swallow. A hungry ghost is one who is always looking outside himself for the new thing that will satisfy the craving within. Hungry ghosts are characterized by insatiable hunger and craving. They are also associated with addiction, obsession and compulsion.

The Hell Realm, From the Wheel of Life (Bhavachakra). MarenYumi / Flickr, Creative Commons License Attribution-Noncommercial-Share Alike 2.0 Generic4. Naraka-gati, the Hell RealmAs the name suggests, the Hell Realm is the most terrible of the Six Realms. Hell beings have a short fuse; everything makes them angry. And the only way hell beings deal with things that make them angry is through aggression -- attack, attack, attack! They drive away anyone who shows them love and kindness and seek out the company of other hell beings. Unchecked anger and aggression can cause rebirth in the Hell Realm.Animal Realm, From the Wheel of Life (Bhavachakra). MarenYumi / Flickr, Creative Commons License Attribution-Noncommercial-Share Alike 2.0 Generic5. Tiryagyoni-gati, the Animal RealmAnimal beings are marked by stupidity, prejudice and complacency. They live sheltered lives, avoiding discomfort or anything unfamiliar. Rebirth in the Animal Realm is conditioned by ignorance. People who are ignorant and content to remain so are likely headed for the Animal Realm, assuming they aren't there already.The Human Realm, From the Wheel of Life (Bhavachakra). MarenYumi / Flickr, Creative Commons License Attribution-Noncommercial-Share Alike 2.0 Generic6. Manusya-gati, the Human RealmThe Human Realm is the only realm of the six from which beings may escape samsara. Enlightenment is at hand in the Human Realm, yet only a few open their eyes and see it. Rebirth into the Human Realm is conditioned by passion, doubt and desire.

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hell in china

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9th-10th century new underworld birth

mirrored by earthly bureaocracy from son of heaven

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guanyin/avalokitesvara

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sound observer

Guanyin (in pinyin; previous transliterations Quan Yin, Kwan Yin, or Kuanyin[1]) is an East Asian deity of mercy, and a bodhisattva associated with compassion as venerated by Mahayana Buddhists. The name Guanyin is short for Guanshiyin, which means "Observing the Sounds (or Cries) of the World". She[A] is also sometimes referred to as Guanyin Pusa (simplified Chinese: 观音菩萨; traditional Chinese: 觀音菩薩; pinyin: Guānyīn Púsà; literally: "Bodhisattva Guanyin").[2] Some Buddhists believe that when one of their adherents departs from this world, they are placed by Guanyin in the heart of a lotus, and then sent to the western pure land of Sukhāvatī.[3]

It is generally accepted among East Asian adherents that Guanyin originated as the Sanskrit Avalokiteśvara (अवलोकितेश्वर). Commonly known in English as the Mercy Goddess or Goddess of Mercy,[4] Guanyin is also revered by Chinese Taoists as an immortal. In Chinese folk religion there are mythical accounts about Guanyin's origins that are not associated to the Avalokiteśvara described in Buddhist sutras.

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mantra/dharani

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The distinction between dhāraṇī and mantra is a difficult one to make. One can say that all mantras are dhāraṇīs but all dhāraṇīs are not necessarily mantras. Mantras are generally shorter. Both tend to contain a number of phonic fragments such as Om (or Hum) that either have lesser-known meanings, or are unintelligible.

Some dhāraṇīs are found in the Pali Canon,[citation needed] but mantras are not. Dharani are the ancient Yogic Methods to be free from calamities such as dissolution of Universe. They are the most powerful. Dharani as told by Bushunda to Rishi Vasishtha that the Dharani's he uses to be immortal and be free from the dissolution of the Universe. A clear understanding of Dharani meditation reveals that the person gets free from cycles of birth and deaths forever and truly. So Dharani are meditation methods like Parvati Dharani, Varuni Dharani, Vayu Dharani etc. are all powerful ways to beget the ill effects of dissolution.

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talisman writing in chinese buddhism

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The history of Chinese Taoist talismans stretches back over 5000 years into the mists of time. The symbols that cover the talisman contain the secrets of the Universe.

Although they were conceived thousands of years ago they are based on sound scientific principles of the creative and destructive processes of the

universe and the psychological makeup of the human race. The symbols are pictorial representations, e.g. one stroke equals one heaven; one dot equals one universe.

To explain how Talismans work, we must first explore the theories and concepts behind them:

When the first caveman drew the first stick figure on a cave wall, he was using a symbol. He was using a symbol to represent part of his world. Ever since then, Man has used symbols not only to illustrate concepts, but to manipulate his reality. Because our world is constantly changing, we have used words and names to record what has happened. Every name is a symbol; your name written down symbolises you. Where and when your name is written has an effect on your life and reality.

Everything on Earth is just like a symbol, for example the Tai Chi sign represents the whole Universe; One straight line represents Yang, the male energy of the Universe, and a Broken line represents Yin the female energy of the Universe.

For instance the Pa Qua represents the 8 Directions, different people, parts of your body, elements, seasons, natural phenomenon (like Fire, wind, Earth, Forests, Sun, Moon, lake, thunder, Earth etc.), family relationships etc, it also represents change and non-change.

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silk road

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The Silk Road, or Silk Route, is a network of trade and cultural transmission routes that were central to cultural interaction through regions of the Asian continent connecting the West and East by linking traders, merchants, pilgrims, monks, soldiers, nomads, and urban dwellers from Chinaand India to the Mediterranean Sea during various periods of time.[1]

Extending 4,000 miles (6,437 kilometres), the Silk Road derives its name from the lucrative trade in Chinese silk carried out along its length, beginning during the Han dynasty (206 BC – 220 AD). The Central Asian sections of the trade routes were expanded around 114 BC by the Han dynasty, largely through the missions and explorations of Chinese imperial envoy, Zhang Qian.[2] The Chinese took great interest in the safety of their trade products and extended the Great Wall of China to ensure the protection of the trade route.[3]

Trade on the Silk Road was a significant factor in the development of the civilizations of China, the Indian subcontinent, Persia, Europe, and Arabia, opening long-distance, political and economic interactions between the civilizations.[4] Though silk was certainly the major trade item from China, many other goods were traded, and religions, syncretic philosophies, and various technologies, as well as diseases, also travelled along the Silk Routes. In addition to economic trade, the Silk Road served as a means of carrying out cultural trade among the civilizations along its network.[5]

The main traders during antiquity were the Chinese, Persians, Greeks, Syrians, Romans, Armenians, Indians, and Bactrians, and from the 5th to the 8th century the Sogdians. During the coming of age of Islam, Arab traders became prominent.

In June 2014, UNESCO designated the Chang'an-Tianshan corridor of the Silk Road as a World Heritage Site.

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five precepts for lay buddhists

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Yes, it does. The Five Precepts are the basis of Buddhist morality. The first precept is to avoid killing or harming living beings. The second is to avoid stealing, the third is to avoid sexual misconduct, the fourth is to avoid lying and the fifth is to avoid alcohol and other intoxicating drugs.

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3 jewels buddha, dharma, sangha

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1.

The ideals at the heart of Buddhism are collectively known as the 'Three Jewels', or the 'Three Treasures'. These are the Buddha(the yellow jewel), the Dharma (the blue jewel), and the Sangha (the red jewel). It is by making these the central principles of your life that you become a Buddhist.

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Amitābha/ Amida

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Amitābha[2] (Sanskrit: अमिताभ, Amitābha (wordstem), Sanskrit pronunciation: [əmɪˈt̪aːbʱə]) Amida or Amideva is a celestial buddha described in the scriptures of the Mahāyāna school of Buddhism. Amitābha is the principal buddha in the Pure Land sect, a branch of Buddhism practiced mainly in East Asia, while in Vajrayana Amitābha is known for his longevity attribute, magnetising red fire element, the aggregate of discernment, pure perception and the deep awareness of emptiness of phenomena. According to these scriptures, Amitābha possesses infinite merits resulting from good deeds over countless past lives as a bodhisattva named Dharmakāra. "Amitābha" is translatable as "Infinite Light," hence Amitābha is also called "The Buddha of Immeasurable Life and Light".

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Jocho's style of Amida

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Jōchō (定朝; died 1057 AD), also known as Jōchō Busshi, was a Japanese sculptor of the Heian period. He popularized the yosegi technique of sculpting a single figure out of many pieces of wood, and he redefined the canon used to create Buddhist imagery. His style spread across Japan and defined Japanese sculpture for the next 150 years. Today, art historians cite Jōchō as "the first of a new kind of master sculptor"[1] and "one of the most innovative artists Japan has ever produced."[2]

Jōchō trained at the Kōfuku-ji, a temple in Nara. By 1020, he was an artist of some renown with a studio in Kyoto.[2] At this time, Fujiwara no Michinaga, the greatest of the Fujiwara regents of the Heian period, commissioned him to decorate the Hōjōji, a temple that Fujiwara had founded. Jōchō's efforts there earned him the title Hokkyō (Master of the Dharma Bridge) in 1022, a rare accolade for a sculptor.[3][2]

Jōchō later worked on sculpture for the Kōfuku-ji. This work earned him an even higher title, Hōgen (Master of the Dharma Eye).[3][2] He or his school may also have sculpted nine wooden Amida figures at Jōruri-ji, a temple at Tomino-o. [3]

Michinaga's son, Fujiwara no Yorimichi, gave Jōchō his next commission. The artist was to create an Amida statue for the Phoenix Hall of the Byōdō-in, a temple in Uji near Kyoto. Jōchō completed the piece sometime after 1052. This is the earliest of Jōchō's works to have survived to the present day, and many other pieces by him are still preserved at this temple.

Jōchō and his studio are the first verifiable example of a school of Japanese art being perpetuated through Japan's guild-like inheritance system.[3] Jōchō's techniques were passed on to his son, Kakujo, his grandsons, Injo and Raijo, his great-grandson, Kōjo, and ultimately Kōkei. The school started by this last artist would go on to revolutionize Japanese sculpture in the Kamakura period.[3]

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zen chan buddhism

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Chan (traditional Chinese: 禪; simplified Chinese: 禅, abbr. of Chinese: 禪那; pinyin: chánnà), from Sanskrit dhyāna,[1] meaning "meditation" or "meditative state"[2]) is a school of Mahāyāna Buddhism developed in China from the 6th century CE onwards, becoming dominant during the Tangand Song dynasties. After the Song, Chan more or less fused with Pure Land Buddhism.

Chan spread south to Vietnam and east to Korea (where it is known as Seon) and, in the 13th century, to Japan, where it became known as Zen. The Chan/Zen tradition became the best-known instance of Buddhism in the Western world.

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lotus sutra

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The oldest parts of the text (Chapters 1–9 and 17) were probably written down between 100 BCE and 100 CE, and most of the text had appeared by 200 CE.[3]

The Lotus Sūtra presents itself as a discourse delivered by the Buddha toward the end of His life. The tradition in Mahayana states[citation needed] that the sutras were written down at the time of the Buddha and stored for five hundred years in a realm of snake gods (nāgas). After this they were reintroduced into the human realm at the time of the Fourth Buddhist Council in Kashmir. The sutra's teachings purport to be of a higher order than those contained in the āgamas of the Sūtra Piṭaka, and that humanity had been unable to understand the sutra at the time of the Buddha, and thus the teaching had to be held back.

The Lotus Sūtra (Sanskrit: Saddharma Puṇḍarīka Sūtra) is one of the most popular and influential Mahāyāna sūtras, and the basis on which the Tiantai, Tendai Cheontae, and Nichiren schools of Buddhism were established.

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Tiantai/Tendai Buddhism

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Tiantai (Chinese and Japanese: 天台宗; pinyin: tiāntái zōng; ) is an important school of Buddhism in China, Japan, Korea, and Vietnam, revering the Lotus Sutra as the highest teaching in Buddhism.[1] In Japan the school is known as Tendai-shū, in Korea it is known as Cheontae, and in Vietnam it is called Thiên Thai tông.

The name is derived from the fact that Zhiyi, the fourth patriarch, lived on Mount Tiantai.[2] Tiantai is sometimes also called "The Lotus School", after the central role of the Lotus Sutra in its teachings.[3]

During the Tang dynasty, the Tiantai school became one of the leading schools of Chinese Buddhism, with numerous large temples supported by emperors and wealthy patrons, with many thousands of monks and millions of followers.

Unlike earlier schools of Chinese Buddhism, the Tiantai school was entirely of Chinese origin.[4] The schools of Buddhism that had existed in China prior to the emergence of the Tiantai are generally believed to represent direct transplantations from India, with little modification to their basic doctrines and methods. However, Tiantai grew and flourished as a natively Chinese Buddhist school under the 4th patriarch, Zhiyi, who developed a hierarchy of Buddhist sutras that asserted the Lotus Sutra as the supreme teaching, as well as a system of meditation and practices around it.

After Zhiyi, Tiantai was eclipsed for a time by newer schools such as the East Asian Yogācāra and Huayan schools, until the 6th patriarch Zhanran who revived the school and defended its doctrine against rival schools. The debates between the Faxiang school and the Tiantai school concerning the notion of universal Buddhahood were particularly heated, with the Faxiang school asserting that different beings had different natures and therefore would reach different states of Enlightenment, while the Tiantai school argued in favor of the Lotus Sutra teaching of Buddhahood for all beings.[4]

Over time, the Tiantai school became doctrinally broad, able to absorb and give rise to other movements within Buddhism, though without any formal structure.[4]The tradition emphasized both scriptural study and meditative practice, and taught the rapid attainment of Buddhahood through observing the mind.[5]

The school is largely based on the teachings of Zhiyi, Zhanran, and Zhili, who lived between the 6th and 11th centuries in China. These teachers took an approach called "classification of teaching" in an attempt to harmonize the numerous and often contradictory Buddhist texts that had come into China. This was achieved through a particular interpretation of the Lotus Sūtra.

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The relation between the adoption of the chair and the introduction of Buddhism

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Before the Tang Dynasty (618–907 AD), the predominant sitting positions in the Han Chinese culture and neighboring cultures such as the Japanese Culture, Korean Culture, Turkic Culture in Central Asia and Tai Kadai Cultures to the southwest were the seiza and lotus position on the floor or sitting mats. The earliest images of chairs in China are from sixth-century Buddhist murals and stele, but the practice of sitting in chairs at that time was rare. It was not until the twelfth century that chairs became widespread in China. Scholars disagree on the reasons for the adoption of the chair. The most common theories are that the chair was an outgrowth of indigenous Chinese furniture, that it evolved from a camp stool imported from Central Asia, that it was introduced to China by Nestorian missionaries in the seventh century, and that the chair came to China from India as a form of Buddhist monastic furniture.[3] In modern China, unlike Korea or Japan, it is not common to sit at floor level.

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Mappō

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Mappō, in Japanese Buddhism, the age of the degeneration of the Buddha’s law, which some believe to be the current age in human history. Ways of coping with the age of mappō were a particular concern of Japanese Buddhists during the Kamakura period (1192–1333) and were an important factor in the rise of new sects, such as Jōdo-shū and Nichiren.

According to a view of cosmic history widely held in almost all Buddhist countries, the period following the death of the Buddha is divisible into three ages: the age of the “true law” (Sanskrit saddharma, Japanese shōbō); the age of the “copied law” (Sanskrit pratirupadharma, Japanese zōbō); and the age of the “latter law,” or the “degeneration of the law” (Sanskrit pashchimadharma, Japanese mappō). A new period, in which the true faith will again flower, will be ushered in some time in the future by the bodhisattva(“buddha-to-be”) Maitreya (Japanese Miroku).

The length of the three periods depends on the interpretation given in various texts; according to some reckonings the first age lasted 1,000 years, the second age for another 1,000 years, and the third age will continue for 10,000 years. Assuming the date of the Buddha’s death to be 949 bce, Japanese Buddhists calculated that the age of mappō began about 1052 ce.

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Maitreya

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Maitreya (Sanskrit), Metteyya (Pali), Maithree (Sinhala), Jampa (Tibetan) or Di-Lặc (Vietnamese), is regarded as a future Buddha of this world in Buddhist eschatology. In some Buddhist literature, such as the Amitabha Sutra and the Lotus Sutra, he is referred to as Ajita.

According to Buddhist tradition, Maitreya is a bodhisattva who will appear on Earth in the future, achieve complete enlightenment, and teach the pure dharma. According to scriptures, Maitreya will be a successor to the present Buddha, Gautama Buddha (also known as Śākyamuni Buddha).[1][2] The prophecy of the arrival of Maitreya refers to a time in the future when the dharma will have been forgotten by most on the terrestrial world. This prophecy is found in the canonical literature of all major schools of Buddhism, including the Theravāda, the Mahāyāna, and the Vajrayāna.

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The shift from alcohol consumption to tea drinking in late medieval China and its relationship to the spread of Buddhism.

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Late medieval China (Tang dynasty, 618–907) witnessed a relatively rapid change in drinking habits as alcohol increasingly made way to tea as the drink of choice at all levels of society. This shift cannot be understood without appreciating the fact that Buddhists were active not only in changing people’s attitudes toward intoxicating substances, but also in spreading tea drinking throughout the empire.Till the middle of the eighth century, tea was known as a regional speciality of South China, but by the end of the ninth century it had become a vital component in the economy and in everyday life through- out the empire (Ceresa 1996). Alcohol, which was drunk not only for per- sonal pleasure but also to strengthen social bonds and for ritual purposes, was faced with a rival for the first time in Chinese history.

Buddhists and Daoists had enjoyed a long association with tea in the South, but it was not until LuYu’s (733–804) compilation of the Cha jing (ClassicofTea)andthedisseminationofteadrinkingbyitinerantChanmonks that tea culture became widely popular.Tea was important for maintaining long periods of meditation, but like alcohol it also provided inspiration for poets and had well-known medicinal qualities. The new beverage brought with it a certain sobriety and clearheadedness and also profoundly affected networks of knowledge and the very ways in which ideas were exchanged.

Since people’s attitudes and worldviews are often tied to the commodi- ties they use, it ought to be possible to trace the cultural shift from alcohol to tea through surviving texts.We shall now sample a wide variety of medieval Chinese texts of different genres in order to show how Buddhist ideas both drove and were affected by this cultural shift.