Why Did Song Painters Value Landscape Above Other Subjects?

Why Did Song Painters Value Landscape Above Other Subjects
Casting iron and steel allowed the Chinese to create pagodas and suspension bridges, two of their most iconic architectural achievements. The design of pagodas was based on the architecture of Indian stupas. Landscape was considered to be more important than other topics to song painters because it exemplified the guiding concept that underpinned everything in their worldview.

What is the goal of every Tibetan Mahayana Buddhist?

Mahayana Buddhism The purpose of this endeavor was to make buddhahood, or the state of becoming a Buddha, accessible to all sentient beings.

What affect did the Yuan Dynasty have on Chinese culture?

Ancient Chinese history and culture The Mongol Empire ruled over China during the Yuan Dynasty, which was a period of time known as the Yuan Dynasty. From 1279 to 1368, China was under the control of the Yuan. The Ming Dynasty came after it and succeeded it.

History For hundreds of years, the Chinese had been engaged in combat with the Mongol tribes that lived in the north.
When the Mongol people came together under the leadership of Genghis Khan, they rampaged over the northern region of China, destroying a great number of towns along the route.
The Mongols and the Chinese persisted in their conflict for a considerable amount of time until Kublai Khan seized command.

As told by Anige of Nepal to Kublai Khan As part of Kublai Khan’s strategy to destroy the Jin Chinese in the north, the Mongols first formed an alliance with the Southern Song Chinese. After that, they began playing the Southern Song. Eventually, Kublai was successful in his conquests and formed his own kingdom in China.

This dynasty was known as the Yuan Dynasty.
Note that Kublai Khan proclaimed the Yuan Dynasty in the year 1271, but the Song Dynasty was not completely vanquished until the year 1279.
Historians frequently refer to either one of these dates as the beginning of the Yuan Dynasty.
Ublai Khan Ascends to Power Kublai Khan assimilated a significant portion of Chinese culture.

He quickly came to the conclusion that, despite the Mongols’ reputation as skilled soldiers, they were not equipped to manage a huge kingdom. Kublai put Chinese officials in charge of running the government, but he made sure to keep a careful check on them because he could never fully trust his old adversary.

Ublai actively promoted commercial interactions and diplomatic relations with countries outside of China.
He invited participants from several countries all over the world.
Marco Polo, a famous traveler from Europe, was one of his guests at one point.
Ublai also allowed people the ability to practice their religions, including Buddhism, Islam, and Confucianism.

Racial Groups In order to maintain his authority over his Chinese people, Kublai established several social divisions according to ethnicity. The Mongols were considered to be of the greatest social level and were given precedence over people of other races at all times.

After the Mongols came other non-Chinese peoples like Muslims and Turks.
They were placed below the Chinese.
The Chinese were at the bottom of the social hierarchy, and the Southern Song people were believed to be the lowest class.
Culture During the time of the Yuan Dynasty, many aspects of Chinese culture were allowed to blossom even further.

The monarchs of Yuan actively supported the development of new technologies and modes of transportation. They also supported creative endeavors such as pottery making, painting, and acting. Over time, the Mongols developed characteristics that were similar to those of the Chinese.

They made up a relatively little portion of the total population.
However, a significant number of Mongols made an effort to preserve their traditional ways.
They continued to live in tents, consume fermented milk, and marry only fellow Mongols throughout their whole history.
The collapse of the Yuan dynasty The Yuan Dynasty lasted the least amount of time out of all the main dynasties in Chinese history.

After Kublai Khan’s passing, the dynasty started to fall apart from within. The successors of Kublai started fighting with each other for control of the government, which led to widespread corruption. The formation of Chinese rebel factions to fight against Mongol domination began about this time.

Zhu Yuanzhang, a Buddhist monk, became the leader of the rebels in 1368 and helped them topple the Yuan. After that, he created what is now known as the Ming Dynasty. Some Fascinating Information Regarding the Yuan Dynasty The literal translation of the term “yuan” is “beginning of the universe.” The sequence in which different ethnic groups were subjugated by the Mongols determined the social classes that existed afterward.

They were at the bottom of the totem pole since the Southern Song Chinese were the last people to be vanquished. Paper currency was first introduced in China with the introduction of the Yuan. After some time, there was a significant rise in inflation.

In modern China, the “yuan” serves as the fundamental monetary unit. Dadu was chosen to serve as the capital city. The city’s original name was Beijng, but it is now known as Beijing and serves as the capital of China. Shangdu, located in modern-day Mongolia, served as Kublai the Great’s “summer capital.” It is also referred to as Xanadu on occasion.

Activities Take a 10 question quiz about this page. Take a listen to an audio recording of someone reading this page: The audio element is not supported in the current version of your browser. History of Ancient China Works Cited For further information on the ancient Chinese culture, see: History of Ancient China

What is the difference between Buddhism and Tibetan Buddhism?

Why Did Song Painters Value Landscape Above Other Subjects Tibetan Buddhism versus Buddhism – The most significant distinction between Buddhism and Tibetan Buddhism is that the former adheres to the teachings of the Dalai Lama and the Panchen Lama, while the latter follows the precepts established by Gautam Buddha.

Because it was derived from Buddhism and then sold separately, Tibetan Buddhism is considered to be one of its subsets. Buddhism was practiced long before it was brought to Tibet. The majority of people in Tibet practice a form of Buddhism known as Tibetan Buddhism. There is a strong belief in the supernatural present in Tibetan Buddhism.

There is a very deep connection between monastic groups and laypeople in this religion; laypeople participate in activities that appear to be religious. People also referred to it as Northern Buddhism or the Buddhism of the Himalayas. In 1959, the head of Tibetan Buddhism escaped China and relocated in India, where he remained until his death.

Lord Buddha is credited with being the founder of Buddhism, which is now one of the most widely practiced religions on the planet.
The Buddhist practice of meditation was developed in the fifth century by Prince Siddharth to achieve enlightenment of the soul and to break the cycle of suffering, death, and rebirth.

He did this in the hopes of freeing humanity from the cycle of suffering. Mahayana Buddhism and Theravada Buddhism are the two primary schools that fall under the Buddhist umbrella.

What are the differences of Mahayana Buddhism and Theravada Buddhism in terms of their doctrines?

What Are the Differences Between Theravada Buddhism and Mahayana Buddhism? – The primary distinction may be summed up in one single point: the destination of each of the two paths. Theravada Buddhism is centered on the idea of liberation from the rebirth and suffering known as Samsara (escaping reincarnation).

Through the Buddha’s teachings, followers of Mahayana Buddhism strive to attain enlightenment; nevertheless, in the end, they decide to remain in Samsara and continue to reincarnate because they have compassion for all beings.
Both the Theravada and the Chan schools of Buddhism each have their own unique perspective on the teachings of the Buddha.

However, it is essential to keep in mind that despite the fact that Theravada and Mahayana schools of Buddhism are distinct from one another, they are nonetheless founded on the same teachings. Buddhists, in the end of the day, adhere to the teachings that were given by the Buddha.

What are the 3 main beliefs of Tibetan Buddhism?





		Tibetans commonly draw a distinction between three religious traditions: (1) the divine dharma (Iha chos), or Buddhism; (2) Bon dharma (bon chos); and (3) the dharma of human beings (mi chos), or folk religion. The first category includes doctrines and practices that are thought to be distinctively Buddhist. This classification implicitly assumes that the divine dharma is separate and distinct from the other two, although Tibetan Buddhism clearly incorporated elements of both of these traditions. Bon is commonly considered to be the indigenous religious tradition of Tibet, a system of shamanistic and animistic practices performed by priests called shen ( gshen ) or bonpo (bon po). Although this is widely assumed by Buddhists, historical evidence indicates that the Bon tradition only developed as a self-conscious religious system under the influence of Buddhism. When Buddhism entered the country practitioners of indigenous traditions recognized that there were clear differences between their own practices and those of the foreign faith, and in time people who perceived themselves as adherents of the old religion of Tibet developed a separate tradition, but one that incorporated many Buddhist elements. Although later historical works state that the introduction of Buddhism was initially opposed by “Bon,” this term is not even used in the early dynastic records to refer to indigenous traditions and practices. Instead, they are called cho (chos), the same term later used to translate the Sinskrit term dharma, which in Buddhist literature refers to Buddhist doctrine and practice. In inscriptions on the tomb of king Senalek (799-815), for example, the term bon refers to the royal priests whose job was to perform rituals for the Yarlung kings. In early, records, “bon” denotes a particular type of priest who performed rituals to propitiate local spirits and ensure the well-being of the dead in the afterlife. It is only much later, under the influence of Buddhism, that “Bon” comes to designate pre-Buddhist Tibetan religious practices in general. It should also be noted that the rituals performed by these early priests as reported in the old records appear to differ substantially from contemporary Bon. As Per Kvaerne notes, for example, they were by all accounts concerned with taking care of the dead through ceremonies intended to ensure their safe journey to the afterlife and their material prosperity after arrival.1 The rituals of the bon often involved sacrificing animals (mainly horses, yaks, and sheep), making offerings of food and drink, and burying the dead with precious jewels, the benefits of which were apparently transferred to them in the afterlife through shamanistic rituals. The most elaborate of these were the ceremonies for the kings, each of whom was buried in a specially-constructed tomb, and apparently joined in death by servants, ministers, and retainers. The royal priests then performed special ceremonies, which according to old records sometimes lasted for several years. These were intended to ensure the well-being of the kings in the afterlife and to solicit their help in mundane affairs.
		The Tibetan folk religion encompasses indigenous beliefs and practices, many of which predate the introduction of Buddhism and which are commonly viewed as being distinct from the mainstream of Buddhist practice. These are primarily concerned with propitiation of the spirits and demons of Tibet, which are believed to inhabit all areas of the country Folk religious practices rely heavily on magic and ritual and are generally intended to bring mundane benefits, such as protection from harm, good crops, healthy livestock, health, wealth, etc. Their importance to ordinary people should not be underestimated, since in the consciousness of most Tibetans the world is full of multitudes of powers and spirits, and the welfare of humans requires that they be propitiated and sometimes subdued. Every part of the natural environment is believed to be alive with various types of sentient forces, who live in mountains, trees, rivers and likes, rocks, fields, the sky, and the earth. Every region has its own native supernatural beings, and people living in these areas are strongly aware of their presence. In order to stay in their good graces, Tibetans give them offerings, perform rituals to propitiate them, and sometimes refrain from going to particular places so as to avoid the more dangerous forces. In the often harsh environment of Tibet, such practices are believed to give people a measure of control over their unpredictable and sometimes hazardous surroundings. With the almost total triumph of Buddhism in Tibet, the folk religion became infused with Buddhist elements and practices, but it still remains distinct in the minds of the people, mainly because its focus is on pragmatic mundane benefits, and not on final liberation or the benefit of others. By all accounts, Tibetans have always been fascinated by magical and occult practices, and from the earliest times have viewed their country as the abode of countless supernatural forces whose actions have direct bearing on their lives. Since Buddhist teachers tend to focus on supramundane goals, Tibetans naturally seek the services of local shamans, whose function is to make contact with spirits, to predict their influences on people’s lives, and to perform rituals that either overcome harmful influences or enlist their help. When Buddhism entered Tibet, it did not attempt to suppress belief in the indigenous forces. Rather, it incorporated them into its worldview, making them protectors of the dharma who were converted by tantric adepts like Padmasambhava, and who now watch over Buddhism and fight against its enemies. An example is Tangla, a god associated with the Tangla mountains, who was convinced to become a Buddhist by Padmasambhava and now is thought to guard his area against forces inimical to the dharma. The most powerful deities are often considered to be manifestations of buddhas, bodhisattvas, Oikinis, etc., but the mundane forces are thought to be merely worldly powers, who have demonic natures that have been suppressed by Buddhism. Although their conversion has ameliorated the worst of their fierceness, they are still demons who must be kept in check by shamanistic rituals and the efforts of Buddhist adepts. Nor should it be thought that Buddhist practitioners are free from the influences of the folk religion. These beliefs and practices are prevalent in all levels of Tibetan society, and it is common to see learned scholar-lamas, masters of empirically-based dialectics and thoroughly practical in daily affairs, refuse to travel at certain times in order to avoid dangerous spirits or decide their travel schedules after first performingl divination to determine the most auspicious time. Such attitudes may be dismissed as “irrational” by Westerners, but for Tibetans they are entirely pragmatic responses to a world populated by forces that are potentially harmful.
		According to folk beliefs, the world has three parts: sky and heavens, earth, and the “lower regions.” Each of these has its own distinctive spirits, many of which influence the world of humans. The upper gods (steng Iha) live in the atmosphere and sky, the middle tsen (bar btsan) inhabit the earth, and the lower regions are the home of yoklu (g.yog klu), most notably snake-bodied beings called lu (klu naga), which live at the bottoms of lakes, rivers, and wells and are reported to hoard vast stores of treasure. The spirits that reside in rocks and trees are called nyen (gnyan); they are often malicious, and Tibetans issociate them with sickness and death. Lu are believed to bring leprosy, and so it is important to keep them away from human habitations. Sadak (sa bdag, “lords of the earth”) are beings that live under the ground and are connected with agriculture. Tsen are spirits that live in the atmosphere, and are believed to shoot arrows at humans who disturb them. These cause illness and death. Tsen appear as demonic figures with red skin, wearing helmets and riding over the mountains in red horses. Du (bdud, mara) were apparently originally atmospheric spirits, but they came to be associated with the Buddhist demons called mara which are led by their king (also named Mara), whose primary goal is to lead sentient beings into ignorance, thus perpetuating the vicious cycle of samsara. There are many other types of demons and spirits, and a comprehensive listing and discussion of them exceeds the focus of this book. Because of the great interest most Tibetans have in these beings and the widespread belief in the importance of being aware of their powers and remaining in their good graces, the folk religion is a rich and varied system, with a large pantheon, elaborate rituals and ceremonies, local shamans with special powers who can propitiate and exorcise, and divinatory practices that allow humans to predict the influences of the spirit world and take appropriate measures. All of these are now infused with Buddhist influences and ideas, but undoubtedly retain elements of the pre-Buddhist culture.
		Adherents of Bon view their tradition as being distinct from Buddhism, although it clearly contains many Buddhist elements. The term bon for Bonpos (practitioners of Bon) signifies “truth,” “reality,” and “the true doctrine” which provides a path to liberation. For Bonpos, bon has roughly the same range of meanings that the term cho(chos, dharma) has for Tibetan Buddhists: it refers to their religion as a whole-teachings, practices etc.-which are believed to have been revealed by enlightened beings who took rebirth in order to lead others to salvation. Bon today has absorbed many Buddhist elements, and many of its teachings are strikingly similar to those of Tibetan Buddhism. David Snellgrove contends that it has incorporated so many Buddhist elements that it has become a form of Buddhism that may fairly be regarded as heretical, in that those who follow it have persisted in claiming that their religion was taught not by Sakyamuni Buddha, but by Shen-rab, likewise accepted as Buddha, and that it came not from India, but from Ta-zig and by way of Zhang-zhung, Such are the Bonpos, who have managed to hold their own down to the present day against the enormously more powerful representatives of orthodox Buddhism, while they are constantly and quite wrongly identified by other Tibetans, as the persistent practitioners of pre-Buddhist Tibetan religion.2 In Buddhist sources, the Bonpos are commonly portrayed as malicious reactionaries whose manipulations hindered the dissemination of the dharma, who caused Santaraksita to be driven from the country, and who tried to prevent Padmasambhava’s arrival. As Snellgrove and Richardson contend, however, such characterizations are probably unfair to Bon and are written from a rather narrow perspective. Like all national historians, Tibetan writers of history see everything from a Tibetan point of view, and being fervent Buddhists as well, they inevitably see everything from a rather special Tibetan Buddhist point of view. Their view of the world around them is a simple one: in so far as it furthers the interests of their religion in general and their own religious order and monastery in particular, it is good; in so far as it works against their religion, their order and their monastery it is evil. Intemally the Bon-pos tend to become the scapegoat for everything that had rendered the Buddhist conversion of Tibet at all difficult, while most Tibetan Buddhists themselves remain almost innocently unaware of the great variety of pre-Buddhist beliefs and practices that they have absorbed as an accepted part of their daily thoughts and actions,3

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How did Taoism influence the landscape paintings of the Song period?

How did the Taoist philosophy of the Song era affect the landscape paintings that were created during that time? Taoism placed a strong emphasis on principles, which its adherents felt were the root of all natural and social occurrences. The study of patterns was central to Taoist thought. The Taoist philosophy emphasized that people were nothing more than insignificant parts of a huge world.