58 SMITHSONIAN MISCELLANEOUS COLLECTIONS VOL. I42 



In Hinayana Buddhism the salvation offered was relief from trans- 

 migration and rebirth into a happy state of Nirvana, which was virtu- 

 ally a state of unconsciousness with the loss of individuality. This 

 could be attained through an age-long, patient, and arduous accumu- 

 lation of positive merit. 



In Mahayana Buddhism people were saved from hell into heaven 

 and from rebirth by the help of Buddhas and Bodhisattvas, and there 

 was the possibility of a single, sudden enlightenment. Much magic 

 and many magic formulas were used, and people were encouraged 

 to repeat the name of Buddha or the magic phrase Om-mani-padme- 

 hum. Both Hinayana and Mahayana Buddhism were introduced into 

 China and Tibet, but only Mahayana Buddhism endured. 



It is generally accepted as a fact that Buddhism entered China 

 during the first century A. D. Translation of the Buddhist scrip- 

 tures was soon begun, and Buddhist priests continued to come from 

 India for over 600 years. Until the time of the Western Chin dynasty, 

 the work of translation was done primarily by monks from India 

 assisted by Chinese scholars, but from that time on it was done pri- 

 marily by Chinese. At first the only monks were from India, but 

 in A. D. 336 Chinese priests were ordained, and their number in- 

 creased rapidly. Buddhism was becoming indigenous and made amaz- 

 ing progress in northwest China, especially among nomadic peoples. 



Buddhism has often been opposed by Chinese scholars because of 

 its pessimism and other-worldliness, but many have been favorably 

 attracted to it by its profound philosophical ideas and the elegant 

 literary style in the Chinese translations of the sacred books. Bud- 

 dhism has adapted its moral and religious teachings to those of the 

 Chinese, so that they are more appealing to the Chinese people. 



In China Buddhism developed a goodly number of "schools" or 

 sects, each emphasizing certain teachings and practices which they 

 believed to be especially important. Their differences no doubt meant 

 a great deal to their founders and to the priests and leading layrrien 

 in charge of these "schools" and their temples. Yet it is evident that 

 these differences do not mean very much to the majority of the 

 Chinese people, who gladly worship in Buddist, Taoist, and Con- 

 fucian temples and believe in the proverb, "The three religions are 

 one." It is very likely that the differences in the various sects were 

 less emphasized in West China than in North, East, and South 

 China. During his 30-odd years in West China, the writer visited 

 many Buddhist temples and talked with many priests. Most of the 

 priests were unable to explain the differences, and either asserted 

 that there were no sects, or that they "differed not much." 



