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Home › Forums › Summer Institutes › Crossing Boundaries in East Asia, Summer 2020 › Session 2 (July 30) - Lori Meeks, USC
Juana Evink.
Maria CardenasReligion like anything else spreads from one place to the next. Buddhism spread from India to China to Korea and to Japan in East Asia. Trade is what made it easier for Buddhism to spread. The reading about "Chinese Experience in Buddhism" stated that the Silk Road was a major East/West trade route and Buddhism was exported. I found it interesting that China, Korea, and Japan all wanted to learn about the religion and would send monks to the places they had to be sent to learn. All three countries: China, Korea, and Japan all had different schools that taught or believed different aspects of Buddhism (e.g. it it was Zen, Pure Land, etc).
This whole lesson can be used to teach in Middle School 6th and 7th grade history classes. In the History California State Standards there are some standards that deal with Buddhism. This will be my first time teaching 6th and 7th grade history. When I was reading and watching the videos about Buddhism in China, Japan, and Korea I was thinking students can be placed into groups. They will have to research about the different schools and create a project that demonstrates what they learned about Buddhism and the school assigned to them. They can even make connections with today by stating what happened to the belief in Buddhism with the school e.g. The Hosso School. Or they can compare and contrast Buddhism in China, Korea, and Japan.
Maria CardenasI agree with your statement that Buddhism was able to spread because it accomodates to the religious tradions of the cultures it encounters. Some religions use force to Convert others into thier religion. I was a bit surprise by the role women played in the Buddhist religion.
In the article "Can Women Become Leaders in the Buddhist Tradition" this article goes over the role women play in Buddhism. I like that it provides examples of strong women from the Buddhist community, like Empress Wu. https://berkleycenter.georgetown.edu/forum/can-women-become-leaders-in-the-buddhist-tradition
In Thailand Women are being ordained oversees because it isn't allowed for them to be ordained by Thai monks. More information can be found in the link, the article states they don't want to go against tradition. https://www.nbcnews.com/news/world/women-defy-thailand-s-gendered-buddhist-tradition-becoming-monks-n954596
Marina ForbesAfter the discussion I wanted to learn more about the religions in Mongolia, here’s what I found and I will continue my research.
The Mongol Empire invaded and conquered Kievan Rus' and other Russian principalities in the 13th century, destroying numerous cities. A full-scale invasion of Rus' by Batu Khan was from 1237 to 1242. All Rus' principalities were forced to submit to Mongol rule and became vassals of the Golden Horde empire until 1480.
In religious matters, the Mongols were extremely tolerant. When they invaded Russia they were shamanists, and as such they had no religious fanaticism. After adopting Islam, and the khan of the Golden Horde became a Muslim first, they remained as tolerant as before.
Religion in Mongolia has been traditionally dominated by the schools of Mongolian Buddhism and by Mongolian shamanism, the ethnic religion of the Mongols. During the socialist period of the Mongolian People's Republic (1924-1992) all religions were suppressed, but with the transition to the parliamentary republic in the 1990s there has been a general revival of faiths.
According to the national census of 2010, 53% of the Mongolians identify as Buddhists, 38.6% as not religious, 3% as Muslims (predominantly of Kazakh ethnicity), 2.9% as followers of the Mongol shamanic tradition, 2.2% as Christians, and 0.4% as followers of other religions. Other sources estimate that a significantly higher proportion of the population follows the Mongol ethnic religion (18.6%)
Buddhism in Mongolia began with the Yuan dynasty (1271-1368) emperors' conversion to Tibetan Buddhism. The Mongols returned to shamanic traditions after the collapse of the Mongol Empire, but Buddhism reemerged in the 16th and 17th centuries. After the 1990 overthrow of communism, there has been a resurgence of Buddhism in the country, with about 200 temples now in existence and a monastic sangha of around 300 to 500 Mongolian monks and nuns. According to Vesna Wallace, a professor of religious studies at UC Santa Barbara: "Now more people are coming to temples and visiting monasteries. There is also a new interest in meditation among the general public."
Mongolian Shamanism, more broadly called the Mongolian folk religion, or occasionally Tengerism, refers to the animistic and shamanic ethnic religion that has been practiced in Mongolia and its surrounding areas (including Buryatia and Inner Mongolia) at least since the age of recorded history. The Mongolian endonym is Boo Morgol (In Mongolian cyrillic: Бөө мөргөл). In the earliest known stages it was intricately tied to all other aspects of social life and to the tribal organization of Mongolian society. Along the way, it has become influenced by and mingled with Buddhism. During the socialist years of the twentieth century it was heavily repressed and has since made a comeback. Yellow shamanism is the term used to designate the particular version of Mongolian shamanism which adopts the expressive style of Buddhism. "Yellow" indicates Buddhism in Mongolia, since most Buddhists there belong to what is called the Gelug or "Yellow sect" of Tibetan Buddhism, whose members wear yellow hats during services. The term also serves to distinguish it from a form of shamanism not influenced by Buddhism (according to its adherents), called black shamanism.Mongolian shamanism is centered on the worship of the tngri (gods) and the highest Tenger (Heaven, God of Heaven, God) or Qormusta Tengri. In the Mongolian folk religion, Genghis Khan is considered one of the embodiments, if not the main embodiment, of the Tenger. The Mausoleum of Genghis Khan in Ordos City, in Inner Mongolia, is an important center of this worship tradition.
I’ve been fascinated with the Mongolian Throat Singing for a long time (please see some links below). The Beauty of Mongolian Throat Singing https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bY1qYRhqh04
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qhSEKxQjOpY
One of the world’s oldest musical forms, throat singing is a stunning physical feat in which performers use precise movements of the mouth, larynx and jaw to create multiple notes simultaneously. For Mendbayar, throat singing is more than a technically impressive performance style; it’s a source of profound happiness and a way to share the beauty of his native Mongolia. When he’s not performing for audiences across Europe and Asia, he’s training the next generation at his International Throat Singing School in Ulaanbaatar.
Marina ForbesI really enjoyed watching the 2 videos, readings and the live presentation of Dr. Meeks.
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Joseph Kenneyhi, i had a similar thought regarding the broad nature of religion. like you, though, i'm rethinking including specific religious connections specific to china based on the videos/webinar. thanks for the thought:}
Jiaxing Weng-ZhangJourney To the West is one of the four classical novels of Chinese literature written by Wu Cheng’en in the 16th century. It tells a fascinating story of the monk Xuan Zang from Tang Dynasty, who was escorted by 3 disciples through a treacherous journey from China to India to get the Buddhist scripts. Many of the concepts of Buddhism are embodies in the story. It also touches upon the competition with Confucianism and Taoism. Here is a very good summary in Wikipedia https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Journey_to_the_West. This novel is translated into many languages and there are also many movies and TV series made about the story. I can use these to share some concepts of Buddhism with my students. And below I will list a few resources that you can be shared with different age group of students.
For all ages: (this is the one I mentioned in our live session)
Cartoon movie from 1964 in Chinese with English subtitles: A more embellished cartoon movie version of the how the monkey king was born and made a "Havoc in Heaven". It is a classic created by the Shanghai Animation Film Studio between 1961 and 1964 that incorporates lots of Chinese culture elements including Chinese opera, Chinese painting, etc.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Hu0XosgxCyU
For High-school students and above:
TV series Journey to the West from 1986 （25 episodes) and sequel from 1998 (15 episodes) with English and Chinese subtitles, PG-13
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=K3KNpyKILHM&list=PLIj4BzSwQ-_sfc7l2xm1wQswAd5jqrrDS&index=1
In 1986, 25 episodes TV series started to air during Chinese New Year in China and it made a record viewing rate of 89.4%. This is a miraculous accomplishment even considering that at that time a total Chinese population of 1.1 billion was using 120 million television sets (around one set for every 10 people, in fact, the first color TV for my family, and at the same time, limited high-quality shows were available. In 1998, the same crew created a sequel that was aired in 2000, again a great success.
For Kindergarten age kids, elementary school and middle school students:
Cartoon series (108 episodes, 6 minutes per episode) from LittleFox in English
Joseph Kenneyhi, what a fantastic opportunity to have that real world connection to draw upon. i'm sure it really brings the content "alive" for you. very cool
Jessica NgI hope Professor Meeks knows that her enthusiasm for what she teaches is part of what made this session so engaging!
In the second presentation, she mentioned Chinese pilgrims (e.g., Xuanzang), their travels to India, and their role in translating, categorizing, and organizing Buddhist texts to help followers make sense of them. Although I'm a seesaw'ing atheist/agnostic, I've been fascinated by the tradition of pilgrimages ever since learning about the Santiago de Compostela in a music history class. What's appealing to me is traveling slowly, disconnecting with everyday life, and getting to know places and people along the route. It's a way of "being" and an opportunity for self-reflection and self-discovery. There is also a deep tradition of hospitality along the route and of exchanges between guests and hosts without capitalistic expectations (much like the trail angels along the Pacific Crest Trail).
Going back to our seminar theme, though: after gaining some background knowledge on ancient cultures and customs, it would be interesting to have students map out one of Xuanzang's routes and apply what they know to discuss what other cultural exchanges he might have had. With G**gleEarth and other online platforms, students can see these places as they look now along with renderings of how they looked then.
This Encyclopedia Britannica article describes his first journey in detail: https://www.britannica.com/biography/Xuanzang
Jessica NgHi Tom. I think your idea of having students compare/contrast countries is a great exercise! It's looking at Buddhism on a bigger scale, and would get them to consider how cultural differences don't necessarily get in the way of the religion's establishment in each country.
Rebecca BlankenshipI will be honest, Buddhism is not something I have taught well in the past. It was maybe a day or two of learning. I just did not know enough which is why I am so thankful for this class. I know have a much deeper appreciation of how Buddhism spread and how it evolved in Korea, Japan and China. I never really understood how it was the Buddhism was able to live along side other religious traditions. Learnin about the expedience means of the Bodhisattva that can take the form of a kami in Japan makes how Buddhism spread make so much sense. I also really appreciated how Buddhism also was able to meet the needs of filial piety by tapping monks extra good deeds and using them to help the ancestors. It was fascinating that this also really filled a need to meet the needs of helping mothers in a way that patriarchal Confucianism did not do.
Marina Forbes
I just wonder if you are talking about the difference between Buddha and Budai who is according to the wikipedia a semi-historical Chinese monk who allegedly lived around the 10th century in the Wuyue kingdom. His jolly nature, humorous personality, and eccentric lifestyle distinguish him from most Buddhist masters or figures. He is almost always shown smiling or laughing, hence his nickname in Chinese, the "Laughing Buddha". As he is traditionally depicted as fat, he is also referred to as the "Fat Buddha", especially in the Western world.
Cheryl WatsonIt was a very informative read to complement the video lectures.My focus for my students would be comparative religions.
To begin with, I would introduce Buddhism and its tenets with the game entitled, "Nirvana". Then, I would introduce how the teachings of Buddha and his writings are interpreted or practiced in our modern times. There is a book entitled "Maximum City" by Suketu Mehta regarding Indian culture and politics, as well as Janistic' devotees practices.
Using the Socratic teaching methods, students will understand how the practice of self sacrifice and denying oneself of earth's comforts may not be an essential part of present day Buddhism.
In addition, there is an article about a younger generation of Thai Buddist monks who, having been influenced by entrepreneurial rap artists, use alms and donations in order to live a lavish lifestyle. Their defense of this modern day millenial generation interpretation of Buddhism is also influenced by the Dali Lama himself, who upon moving to California, was lavished with luxurious gifts, cars, and homes by well heeled celebrities. Though one Thai monk has paid a heavy price for his "rogue" behavior, the belief that severe denial of certain creature comforts is unnecessary in order to achieve Nirvana.
https://www.lotus-happiness.com/10-buddhist-billionaires-asia/
Having said that, there are ten billionaires who are Buddists in Asia. They have obtained their wealth through efforts, perserverance, and enterprise, which is not contrary to Buddhists teachings, especially as they often donate part of their wealth for the betterment of the community.
Another point to consider for this lesson plan would be to consider the Buddhist attitudes towards female monks or nuns, as they are referred to.
Cheryl WatsonIt appears from the reading about Buddhism in Japan that four schools of thought have developed regarding its practice as compared to China or Korea, where the practice of Buddhism seems to adhere to the more traditional view. These articles are very useful as a comparative tool if one were to compare Buddhism to Christianity.
It is also important to remember that all religions proselytize in one form or another, including Buddhism.
Deborah JohnstonThank you so much for asembling these resources here. I look forward to watching them myself and using them with my students.
Alma OchoaYes, Joseph, I totally agree with Ray, thank you for asking that question. I had no idea about the history behind the swastika. Also, thank you professor Dube for the article with more info regarding that.