Buddhism in Chinese Culture

This book traces the impact of Buddhism on the development of Chinese civilization and examines the resistance the religion encountered in the course of its development. An accurate account of the spread of Buddhism is presented, demonstrating how much Buddhism has managed to penetrate the Chinese social fabric and the depth of influence Chinese culture and traditions have on Buddhist doctrines. The influence of Buddhism on the social and religious life of the Chinese literati and Buddhist monks is also discussed at length. This book highlights not only the integrative and disintegrative trends in the development of Chinese Buddhism, but also examines other aspect such as the development of scared literature, Guanyin, Buddhist sects, and rituals which form the basis of Mahayana Buddhism in particular and Chinese culture in general.