Focus Reading: the Spread of Buddhism in China

Focus Reading: The Spread of Buddhism in China

Write the reasons for the spread of Buddhism from the article beside the correct reason codes (R= Religious, P= Political, E= Economic, S= Social). Then explain HOW each reason might have lead to the spread of Buddhism in China. Read my examples and use them to help guide your explanations. Write in COMPLETE sentences.

Type of Reason / Reason for the Spread of Buddhism in China / HOW this might have led to the spread of Buddhism in Tang China
R / Xuan Zang, a Chinese monk, brought more than 500 crates of books and materials from India, and he translated many Buddhist texts into Chinese / This might have helped Buddhism spread because more people could read the Buddhist writings once they were translated, so more people in China could study Buddhist ideas on their own. This made it easier for people to learn about and begin to practice Buddhist ideas all over China, not just near temples and monasteries.
R
P / Leaders of the Tang Dynasty had Buddhist paintings, statues, and temples created and built all around China. / This might have helped Buddhism to spread because people would see the artwork and buildings and become curious, encouraging them to learn more about Buddhism. Also, when the government spends money on new building projects, people are bound to think that it must be for something important, so this might have made them want to become Buddhist themselves.
P
E / Buddhist monasteries acted like banks for merchants, and they loaned money to farmers. / This might have helped with the spread of Buddhism in two different ways. First of all, this means that monks at Buddhist monasteries had more contact with more people, so they had more opportunities to share the teachings of Buddhism. Secondly, people tend to want to trust the people in charge of banking and loans, so monks were probably seen as trustworthy, especially by anyone using the banking services of monasteries. This probably meant that more people started to listen more to monks and anybody associated with the monasteries, which may have caused the ideas of Buddhism to spread even more.
Type of Reason / Reason for the Spread of Buddhism in China / HOW this might have led to the spread of Buddhism in Tang China
E
S / Buddhist temples and monasteries provided many social services to people, including health care, education, and help for farmers in need. / This might have helped spread Buddhism because providing these services put more people in contact with Buddhist monks and scholars. The more people who came to Buddhist temples and monasteries, the more people to hear about Buddhist teachings. Also, many Chinese people may have converted to Buddhism after they had seen all of the helpful services that were provided by Buddhists; seeing this may have inspired others to spread the teachings of Buddhism.
S

Which 2 categories of reasons do you think were the most important to the spread of Buddhism in China? WHY? Give specific examples and explain your answers in COMPLETE sentences!

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