Buddhism is a religion practiced by an estimated 488 million in the world, 495 million, or 535 million people as of the 2010s, representing 7 % of the world’s total population. China is the country with the largest population of Buddhists, approximately 244 million or 18.2% of its total population.
The Beginning of Buddhism in China
• Buddhism first reached China from India roughly 2,000 years ago during the Han Dynasty. It was probably
introduced to China by Silk Road traders from the west in about the 1st century CE.
• Han Dynasty China was deeply Confucian. Confucianism is focused on ethics and maintaining harmony and social order in society. Buddhism, on the other hand, emphasized entering the monastic life to seek a reality beyond reality. Confucian China was not terribly friendly to Buddhism.
• Yet, Buddhism slowly spread. In the 2nd century, a few Buddhist monks — notably Lokaksema, a monk from Gandhara, and the Parthian monks An Shih-kao and An-hsuan — began translating Buddhist sutras and commentaries from Sanskrit into Chinese.
Religion in China
