LLife and death in China
Introduction: Buddhism has about 300 million people following it around the world. It originated about 2,500 years ago when a man named Siddhartha Gotama got enlightened at the age of 35. When Buddhism first entered China, the country was divided on whether to let these foreign teachings and teachers in. Buddhism reached China from India by the first century but did not flower until the Six Dynasty’s period (220—589), when political and economic troubles encouraged its full acceptance. Under these conditions, the religion's emphasis on personal salvation attracted people from many social groups. Immigrants introduced Buddhism into China from Persia, Central Asia, and India. During this time, Buddhism was at first considered an insignificant cult practiced by immigrants, but uncovered its own independent identity as it drew more attention from native Chinese followers.