OBJECTS OF RELIGIOUS CEREMONIAL 121 



with sacred books, relics, and two monks. In 71 A. D. the first 

 Buddhist temple was built. The faith thus introduced was what is 

 known as Mahay ana Buddhism. In 526 A. D. Buddhidharma, the 

 first of the Buddhist patriarchs to come from India to China, arrived, 

 and from that time China became the seat of a Buddhist patriarchate. 

 Chinese gods and spirits have easily been transformed into Buddhas 

 and Bodhisattvas, so that the new faith was accommodated to Taoism 

 and Confucianism which preceded it. The preponderant role in 

 Chinese Buddhism belongs to the celestial (dhyani) Buddha Amita 

 or Amitabha (Chinese, Omitofoh), the inspirer {spiritus rector) of 

 Sakyamuni, and the Bodhisattva Avolokitesvara, who is here trans- 

 formed into the female goddess of pity, Kuan-yin, and Manjusri, the 

 incarnation of science. But there also figure many Hindu deities 

 under Chinese names, besides numerous indigenous spirits and 

 demons. There is no clearly marked line of distinction between the 

 devotees of Buddhism and the adherents of Taoism and Confucianism. 

 The great majority of the people are on friendly terms with all three. 

 But Buddhism has contributed to Chinese thought the conception of 

 the hereafter and the hope of a future life which are lacking in Confu- 

 cianism and Taoism, and had on the whole an elevating influence on 

 Chinese life. 



To Korea Buddhism first came in 327 A. D. through a Chinese 

 priest. From the beginning it was under royal patronage. The 

 golden age of Buddhism in Korea was under the Koryou dynasty 

 (935-1392 A. D.), and a steady fall through the Yi dynasty (1392 to 

 the present). Korean Buddhism is of the Amita type. 



What has been said about Buddhism in China applies in the main 

 also to Japan. Buddhism was first introduced into Japan in the 

 reign of the Emperor Kinmei (552 A. D.), when the King of Korea 

 sent to the Emperor of Japan a golden statue of Buddha, several 

 sacred books, and other presents, accompanied by some priests with 

 a letter in which he recommended Buddhism as "the most excellent 

 of all teachings." A fierce struggle followed between the party 

 opposed to the worship of alien deities and the partj^ favoring the 

 new faith, which ended in the victory of Buddhism. Its most 

 earnest and powerful adherent was Shotoku Taishi (573-621 A. D.), 

 who had control of the Government during the reign of the Emperor 

 Suiko Tenno (593-628 A. D.), who proclaimed it as the foundation 

 of the state and the highest religion of the universe. 



The most prominent and popular part in Japanese Buddhism, 

 which is of the Mahayana form, is held by Amitaba (Amida), the 

 heavenly and eternal Buddha (dhyani-Buddha) and lord of the 

 western paradise (Sukhavati), and Kwannon (Avalokitesvara), 

 Buddha's representative on earth (dhyani-Bodhisattva) and goddess 

 of mercy. It adopted besides many elements of Shintoism, the 

 61551—29 9 



