Buddhism

1. Buddhism

2. Buddhism • Life is sorrow and sorrow is caused by desires • Rid self of desires • Came to China from India during 1st Century AD • Based on Siddhartha Gautama- the Buddha (The Enlightened One) • Lived during the 5th Century B.C. same as Confucius • Developed into many diverse schools- ranged from Salvationist religion that worshipped Buddha as a deity to an elaborate scholastic form of Buddhism devoted to abstract speculation about reality.

3. One main school- Ch’an Buddhism: attain enlightenment through meditation (Wang Wei- (Wan Wah)- incorporated Taoism (the simplicity and solitude). • Central concept- give up desires to achieve true enlightenment (peace of mind and a calm acceptance of reality). • Beliefs are incorporated into poetry through symbols, imagery and language of Chinese Literature. • Quietude and calmness is a central notion in Buddhist thought.

4. “To The Assistant Prefect Chang” “In the evening years given to quietude, The world’s worries no concern of mine, For my own needs making no other plan Than to unlearn, return to long-loved woods:”

6. “To The Assistant Prefect Chang” I loosen my robe before the breeze from pines, My lute celebrates moonlight on mountain pass, You ask what laws rule “failure” or “success” – Songs of fishermen float to the still shore.

7. “On an Autumn Evening in the Mountains” How clear are the mountains after the new rain! The dusk of the Autumn evening is pouring in, As moonbeams filter through the pine trees. Cool spring-water flows over white stones.

8. “On an Autumn Evening in the Mountains” A lone washing-girl returns homeward by the bamboo grove. The boatman sails his barge through the lotus patch. Although Spring is long gone Why cannot I linger over this pleasant view?

9. “The Hill” No one can bee seen on this silent hill, But one may hear distant voices. The rays of the sun filter through the deep foliage And fall refreshingly on the mosses.