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Introduction
Buddhism is one of leading faiths that has shaped human worship and behavior for over 2,500 years. Presently, this religion has more than 500 million believers. Historically, Buddhism remained prominent in Southeast Asia and East. This religion continues to promote a number of ideologies and philosophies that overlap with those of other belief systems. Buddhists of the 19th century established schools, built religious structures, formed societies, and promoted scientific concepts that succeeded in minimizing the challenges Christianity and western ideologies posed.
Resilience of Buddhism from the 19th Century
The early 19th century presented numerous obstacles, opportunities, and challenges that affected Buddhism in various regions. For instance, the region was forced to remain under Western rule due to colonialism. The emerging geopolitical and cultural forces impacted the people’s social attributes and belief systems. Asia would encounter divergent views and challenges that had the potential to influence the position and future of Buddhism (Janca-Aji 13). Despite the nature of these forces, Buddhists remained resilient and considered a wide range of measures to continue supporting the religion.
First, the leaders of the religion chose to start religious schools and worship areas that would help minimize the forces and threats Christian practices posed. This approach would encourage young individuals to remain focused and continue embracing this kind of religion. Second, some of the Buddhists chose to engage in missionary-related activities in different parts of the world, including the West and East Asia (Chiu 97). These measures made it easier for the leaders to attract and encourage more people to convert and become Buddhists. Instead of threatening the religion, such initiatives resulted in more followers than ever before.
Third, the Buddhists of the time went further to establish organizations and religious practices that echoed those promoted by Christians. For example, they adopted the name of Church and integrated it in their temples. This effort made it easier for more people to appreciate the religion and become part of it. Fourth, early Buddhists chose the idea of promoting new cooperation between Christians and Buddhists (Sarwade and Marathwada 39). The same model would also be considered to ensure that more Buddhists in different parts of the world remained connected. The Maha Bodhi Society is one of such organizations that played a significant role in helping protect the religion.
Fifth, the beginning of the 20th century would be characterized by unique reforms aimed at making Buddhism a religion that was no longer emphasizing supernormal ideas. Instead, the leaders and teachers of Buddhism began to promote traditions that linked modern science and the attributes of Buddhism. This aspect of continuity would focus primarily on morality and ethics (Tanabe 11). Through such efforts, many people were able to find meaning in Buddhism as one of the modern religious belief systems that resonated with their demands. The global community would eventually begin to consider additional measures and processes to continue promoting the survival and expansion of this religion.
Conclusion
The above discussion has described the short history of Buddhism from the 19th century and how it overcame some of the challenges arising from Christianity. Specifically, the leaders established societies and systems that encouraged more people to become part of the belief system and ignore the influence of western cultural and spiritual practices. The idea of introducing ethical concepts to Buddhism also helped the religion survive the problems associated with modernism.
Works Cited
Chiu, Yvonne. “Non-Violence, Asceticism, and the Problem of Buddhist Nationalism.” Genealogy, vol. 4, no. 1, 2020, pp. 94-110.
Janca-Aji, Joyce. “Whose Dharma Is It Anyway? Identity and Belonging in American Buddhist (Post)Modernities.” Genealogy, vol. 4, no. 1, 2020, pp. 4-16.
Sarwade, Walmik K., and Babasaheb A. Marathwada. “A Study of History of Buddhism and its Contribution to Indian Culture.” Journal of International Buddhist Studies, vol. 6, no. 1, 2015, pp. 35-44.
Tanabe, Juichiro. “Buddhism and Peace Theory: Exploring a Buddhist Inner Peace.” International Journal of Peace Studies, vol. 21, no. 2, 2016, pp. 1-14.
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