E2 Buddhism and Daoism Unit

Rìshū (Daybooks)

Manuals for choosing auspicious days and regulating action through cosmology; important because they show how ordinary life in early China was shaped by divination and beliefs about cosmic order.

Gǔi (Demons)

Spirits associated with illness, death, and disorder; significant because beliefs about demons influenced healing rituals, religion, and popular understandings of misfortune.

Dǎoyǐn

Breathing and stretching techniques for health and self-cultivation; important because these practices contributed to Daoist religious traditions and Chinese medicine.

Yīnyáng

Theory of complementary cosmic forces; foundational to Chinese society because it shaped ideas about nature, medicine, gender, and political balance.

Qì

Vital force underlying all existence; significant because it informed cosmology, medicine, self-cultivation, and theories of social harmony.

Wǔxíng (Five Phases)

Dynamic system of five elemental processes governing change; important because it was used to explain dynastic legitimacy, natural cycles, and political order.

Celestial Masters (Tiānshī)

Early organized Daoist movement centered on communal religion and healing; significant because it created enduring religious institutions and offered alternatives to imperial authority.

Xuánxué (Dark Learning)

Metaphysical reinterpretation of classical texts emphasizing deeper principles beyond appearances; important because it shaped elite thought and helped Chinese intellectuals engage Buddhist ideas.

Qīngtán (Pure Conversation)

Elite philosophical discussions often detached from official politics; significant because it reflected aristocratic culture and critiques of conventional Confucian service.

Seven Worthies of the Bamboo Grove

Group of intellectuals associated with qingtan and unconventional lifestyles; important because they became symbols of resistance to rigid social norms and political conformity.

Arhat

Individual who achieves enlightenment; significant because the ideal shaped early Chinese Buddhist practice and models of religious attainment.

Mahāyāna

"Great Vehicle" tradition emphasizing universal salvation; important because it became the dominant form of Buddhism in China and encouraged broad popular appeal.

Bodhisattva

Enlightened being who delays nirvana to aid others; significant because this ideal reshaped Chinese Buddhist ethics around compassion and devotional practice.

Vinaya

Buddhist monastic disciplinary code; important because it structured monasteries and helped establish Buddhism as a durable institution in China.

Dharma

Cosmic law and the teachings of the Buddha; significant because it introduced a new moral and metaphysical framework into Chinese intellectual and religious life.

Fótúdēng

Central Asian monk and missionary influential in northern China; important because he linked Buddhism with rulers and expanded state patronage of the religion.

Shí Lè

Ruler of Later Zhao influenced by Buddhism; significant because his patronage shows how non-Han rulers used Buddhism to legitimize authority.

Kumārajīva

Influential translator of Buddhist scriptures into Chinese; important because his clear translations made Buddhism more accessible and shaped East Asian doctrine.

Fǎxiǎn

Chinese Buddhist pilgrim and translator; significant because his travels strengthened scriptural knowledge and linked China to broader Buddhist networks.

Xuánzàng

Tang monk, pilgrim, and translator; important because he deepened Chinese Buddhist scholarship and symbolized transregional exchange.