Enlightenment Beckons

　　Buddhism continues to be an important component of Chinese culture

　　On Yin Xiaotian’s rearview mirror hangs a pendant with the Chinese character for Buddha. When the 44-year-old Beijing office worker adopted Buddhism， he was just hoping for luck and fortune. But the religion has taken on deeper meaning and is now an integral part of his daily life.

　　Yin gets up at 3：00 every morning to have classes at home， which include reading scriptures， praying to the Buddha and watching Buddhist Master Chin Kung expounding the scriptures online.

　　He’s not alone. Half of the world’s Buddhists live in China， according to a 2012 Pew Forum Report. About 18.2 percent of China’s population， or 244.1 million people， practice the religion， the report said.

　　Pure Land Buddhism， which focuses on the teachings of the Amitabha Buddha， also known as the Buddha of Immeasurable Life and light， is the most popular branch practiced.

　　“The religion has had a large group of followers and a big influence on people’s lives over the 2，000 years since Buddhism disseminated to China，” said Li Silong， Director of the Buddhism Education Research Center at Peking University.

　　Buddhism came to China from India between the end of the Western Han Dynasty (202 B.C.-A.D. 8) and the beginning of the Eastern Han Dynasty (25-220).

　　As the religion has increased in size， so too have the monasteries housing the monks and nuns who dedicate their lives to the religion. When Yin returned to Beijing in 2003 after a stint studying in Paris， he was surprised by the increase in visitors to the monasteries he previously volunteered at， particularly the Longquan Temple on the northwestern outskirts of Beijing. The monastery is more than 1，000 years old and recently rose to fame after it converted a group of senior intellectuals and professors at renowned universities in Beijing.

　　“The monastery has been able to attract a large number of intellectuals because nowadays as people become better off materially， their spiritual aspirations cannot be as fulfilled proportionately as their material needs，” said Fu Ruilin， President of the Buddhist Association of China.

　　The monasteries have also become prominent places to worship Buddhist gods and take part in Dharma assemblies for celebrations. These ceremonies have also become an important income for many of the monasteries.

　　“Aside from Amitabha， the Goddess of Mercy has almost permeated every aspect of people’s lives. Stories of the goddess abound and the goddess can be found in almost every monastery. It’s interesting that Buddhism， which originally has no god has become a religion full of gods and goddesses in China. Monasteries have become a place for the admiration of gods rather than a place for the cultivation of morality，” said Li at Peking University.

　　On Yin Xiaotian’s rearview mirror hangs a pendant with the Chinese character for Buddha. When the 44-year-old Beijing office worker adopted Buddhism， he was just hoping for luck and fortune. But the religion has taken on deeper meaning and is now an integral part of his daily life.

　　Yin gets up at 3：00 every morning to have classes at home， which include reading scriptures， praying to the Buddha and watching Buddhist Master Chin Kung expounding the scriptures online.

　　He’s not alone. Half of the world’s Buddhists live in China， according to a 2012 Pew Forum Report. About 18.2 percent of China’s population， or 244.1 million people， practice the religion， the report said.

　　Pure Land Buddhism， which focuses on the teachings of the Amitabha Buddha， also known as the Buddha of Immeasurable Life and light， is the most popular branch practiced.

　　“The religion has had a large group of followers and a big influence on people’s lives over the 2，000 years since Buddhism disseminated to China，” said Li Silong， Director of the Buddhism Education Research Center at Peking University.

　　Buddhism came to China from India between the end of the Western Han Dynasty (202 B.C.-A.D. 8) and the beginning of the Eastern Han Dynasty (25-220).

　　As the religion has increased in size， so too have the monasteries housing the monks and nuns who dedicate their lives to the religion. When Yin returned to Beijing in 2003 after a stint studying in Paris， he was surprised by the increase in visitors to the monasteries he previously volunteered at， particularly the Longquan Temple on the northwestern outskirts of Beijing. The monastery is more than 1，000 years old and recently rose to fame after it converted a group of senior intellectuals and professors at renowned universities in Beijing.

　　“The monastery has been able to attract a large number of intellectuals because nowadays as people become better off materially， their spiritual aspirations cannot be as fulfilled proportionately as their material needs，” said Fu Ruilin， President of the Buddhist Association of China.

　　The monasteries have also become prominent places to worship Buddhist gods and take part in Dharma assemblies for celebrations. These ceremonies have also become an important income for many of the monasteries.

　　“Aside from Amitabha， the Goddess of Mercy has almost permeated every aspect of people’s lives. Stories of the goddess abound and the goddess can be found in almost every monastery. It’s interesting that Buddhism， which originally has no god has become a religion full of gods and goddesses in China. Monasteries have become a place for the admiration of gods rather than a place for the cultivation of morality，”said Li at Peking University.

　　By Tang Yuankai