Within the Tang and Song era, different sects of Buddhism, Daoism, and Confucianism were practiced. The pure land sect of Mahayana Buddhism which provided a refuge from an age of war and turmoil was favorable among the masses. The Chan or Zen Buddhism was prominent among the elite classes due to its emphasis on meditation and appreciation of the arts. Buddhism flourished after the fall of the Han and was greatly supported by early Tang rulers. Consequently, the popularity of Buddhism led to the backlash from Confucian and Daoist. In an attempt to lessen the appeal of Buddhist beliefs, Daoist monks stressed their own mystical and predictive abilities. On the contrary, Confucian scholars used their political influence to attack and prevent Buddhism
