Session 8 w/Dr. Dube
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May 13, 2012 at 5:15 pm #20422
Anonymous
GuestDid I miss something? I didn't see any readings for session 8. Were there any assigned? I assume we meet as usual tomorrow. Hope to see you all there! Sara
May 14, 2012 at 5:12 am #20423GuestI am approaching today's class like it's a surprise--no readings, just show up. Hope I'm not wrong. 😛
May 15, 2012 at 1:55 am #20424GuestWhat I found most interesting about last night's session was the picture of the large Leshan Buddha. I have always wanted to go to China but really, without much of a plan. Now I know that I have to visit Sichuan province. And yes, I keep going back to the question, "why carve such a large statue?" Faith? Mandate from heaven? Law? Desire to rid of desire? WHY? So far the most interesting lecture for me, I love learning about Buddhism.
May 15, 2012 at 2:52 am #20425GuestGrowing up I was taught (and now I teach my students) that China is protected by geographic barriers on three sides: the ocean on the east, mountains to the south, and deserts in the west. Thus the Great Wall of China was constructed in the north to keep out barbarian invaders. This made sense, so not much more thought was given to it. But yesterday's lecture pointed out the massive administrative and logistical effort that must have required of each dynasty that invested in the construction, it made me think there must be more resons to undertake such a "government project" other than for strictly national security. Here are some theories: A) It was a way to keep tab on the population; B) It was a way to justify the threat from the northern barbarians, thus help justify the harsh rule of the existing dynasty; C) It distracted the citizendry from other domestic issues; D) It kept the military under control--busy, happy, and content; E) To impress foreigners on the Silk Road; F) A lasting monument of the Qin rulers, etc...
May 15, 2012 at 4:23 am #20426GuestI read the Perry Link article Clay mentioned yesterday in which Mr. Link pointed out parallels between the current Chinese regime (CCP) with the Qin and Sui Dynasties of Early Imperial China. I hope he is proven right since, like him, I have no love for the CCP (or socialism for that matter). I am also interested in two other things he mentioned. One is what does it mean to be Chinese? Chinese government leaders, or the Chinese people/culture/you-name-it? I agee it is very important to understand the distinction, especially for foreign governments when addressing China. There is no doubt China will continue to exist for a long time, but not necessarily the current leadership/regime. I also understand the delima a foreign leader (like Obama) face when China (the leadership) denies or control access to China (the people). I suppose it makes it even more important for world leaders to overtly make the distinction when talking ABOUT China. The other thing Mr. Link mentioned is the role internet is playing in all this. The amount of power the CCP have is directly related to the amount of control it has. Before the internet that control was virtually absolute. I agree with Mr. Link the internet is evolving too fast for the current regime to firmly control. I'm very curious how this will pan out. Can you imagin a flash mob of a few hundred-thousand people? A million, or more? That would make Tiananmen Square of 1989 look like a picnic.
May 15, 2012 at 4:55 am #20427GuestClay's slides of giant buddha carvings in sides of mountains reminded me of the Crazy Horse monument in South Dakota (under construction since 1948). Why does size matter? Perhaps it's one way for humanity to express awe for something it does not fully understand, or the best way to articulate an intangible concept, similar to the great cathedrals of medieval Europe. The main difference I can think of is a cathedral (or temple) is functional. The function of a giant stone buddha is not so obvious.
May 15, 2012 at 7:38 am #20428GuestApparently, the function of the giant stone Buddha is a practical one. I found this article which explains why the monk Hai Tong decided to construct it.
"His concern was for the safety of the long-suffering people who earned their living around the confluence of the three rivers. Tempestuous waters ensured that boat accidents were numerous and the simple people put the disaster down to the presence of a water spirit. So Hai Tong decided to carve a statue beside the river thinking that the Buddha would bring the water spirit under control."
Apparently he died before it was finished but, in the end, its construction did change the waters of the river, making them calmer for passing ships.
http://www.travelchinaguide.com/attraction/sichuan/leshan/buddha_statue.htm
edited by ccastaneda on 5/15/2012May 17, 2012 at 6:34 am #20429GuestIt could also be that gigantic monuments show the dominance and power of the religion adherents who can accomplish such a feat. The moslems don't carve huge statues but look at the oversize of most of their mosques. The Catholics build huge cathedrals throughout the world. Or could it be that making stunning, majestic statues, temples, mosques and cathedrals is driven by the human need to provide beauty to the world and in a way that cannot be considered egoistic. I was glad that Clay discussed and showed a map tracing the progress of Buddhism from India through China through the centuries and it was interesting that it did take several centuries to establish itself as the dominant religion for a time.
May 17, 2012 at 8:01 am #20430GuestI liked learning about the beautiful and interesting stamps issued by various countries to commemorate each of the Chinese Zodiac signs. I went to the link and saw again what Clay showed us in class. Chinese dragons for this year are very artful and Japan's are artful as well as cartoonish. Now I am going to look for the stamps for some of the other signs such as mine.
May 17, 2012 at 8:05 am #20431GuestThose are interesting theories on the reasons for building the Great Wall, beyond the obvious one of defense from Northern peoples (was it the Mongolians?). Also would like to know more about the actual experience of those who constructed the wall and whether it was simply slave labor or did the workers feel nationalistic pride in contributing to the work?
May 17, 2012 at 9:55 am #20432clay dube
SpectatorHi Folks,
Sorry for not including the links earlier:
http://china.usc.edu/ShowArticle.aspx?articleID=2663This link is for the year of the dragon. Scroll to the bottom of the page to get to the links for the rabbit (2011), tiger (2010), and ox (2009).
By the way, I'm a big fan of collecting items here in the US that play on the lunar new year (for example, a Time Warner Cable solicitation). If you see any, please do share them.
June 23, 2012 at 10:54 am #3398Rob_Hugo@PortNW
KeymasterDear all,
Please share your thoughts about the 8th session.
-Xin
June 23, 2012 at 10:54 am #20433GuestI have always been fascinated by the proliferation of Buddhism, which originated in India where it is scarcely practiced today, to so much of East Asia. Most people associate Buddhism with Chinese or Japanese culture and it is the primary belief associated with Eastern religion. Yet, how did it die out in its country of origin? While that is still a mystery to me, and one which I plan to investigate further, the other mystery of how it migrated to China and the rest of Asia was cleared up by Dr. Dube in this lecture. The opposition to hierarchical rankings of the individual's rooted place in society conformed to Confucian ideology but it was during periods of disunity that people sought out a belief system that was antithetical to rigid adherence to accidents of birth. At this point in history, Buddhism from India was far more accessible than Christianity which required travel farther west to fully understand. It makes sense that in a society where Central Asians, who were not considered Han Chinese, sought out a belief system that validated their rightful place in the world. What matters is how you behave and your situation matters not.
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