Several centuries after Siddhartha Gautama, also known as Buddha, died, Buddhism made its emergence into China in the first century CE. Initially, the spread of Buddhism was responded to positively by the people of China and they adopted its ideals. However, as Buddhism continued to expand, the government, specifically of the Tang Dynasty, started to turn against Buddhists and even went as far as to blame them for problems within the state. As a result, the people felt compelled to diverge from Buddhist beliefs and became xenophobic to those who did not abandon those beliefs.
In the beginning, the Chinese citizens were accepting of this relatively new religion and philosophy. In the mid-fourth century, a “Chinese scholar” wrote that “Whosoever…serves
In the beginning, the Chinese citizens were accepting of this relatively new religion and philosophy. In the mid-fourth century, a “Chinese scholar” wrote that “Whosoever…serves