Buddhism in Chinese history

One of the great themes in the history of Eastern Asia is the transformation of Chinese culture by Buddhism. This process can be traced across nearly two millennia and can be seen at work in almost every aspect of Chinese life and thought. This study was undertaken with the object of showing how Buddhism has influenced Chinese culture, and in the hope that it may provide some insight into the role of the religion as a carrier of elements from one great civilization into another. It also deals with the interesting question of the nature of Buddhism as a world religion, and of the ways in which it resembles or differs from the other great faiths. Frontmatter ONE THE THOUGHT AND SOCIETY OF HAN CHINA 206 B.C.-A.D. 220 (page 3) TWO THE PERIOD OF PREPARATION CA. A.D. 65-317 (page 21) THREE THE PERIOD OF DOMESTICATION CA. 317-589 (page 42) FOUR THE PERIOD OF INDEPENDENT GROWTH CA. 589-900 (page 65) FIVE THE PERIOD OF APPROPRIATION CA. 589-900 (page 86) SIX THE LEGACY OF BUDDHISM IN CHINA (page 108) A SELECTION OF FURTHER READINGS (page 129) INDEX (page 139) Penetration Of The Buddhist Message From India Into China.