A BRIEF EXAMINATION AND COMMENTARY OF BUDDHISM'S INTRODUCTION TO CHINA IN TERMS OF SOCIOLOGY OF RELIGION

Changing the habits of societies has always involved challenging processes. Especially when the phenomenon in question is religion, the situation becomes even more complex. In this context, China's encounter with Buddhism is discussed. As China-a country with a deep-rooted tradition and state structure-encountered, Buddhism also went through the aforementioned processes. Both charismatic individuals and the influence of trade played a significant role in the transmission of Buddhism from the Indian subcontinent to China. Role model individuals who came from the Indian subcontinent and drew attention with their lifestyles represented Buddhism well in China. Consequently, these individuals, who became the center of attention in China due to their lifestyles and approaches to events, facilitated the peaceful conversion of the masses to Buddhism. Thus, the process of converting or adopting a new religion, which is generally quite challenging, did not manifest in a bloody and oppressive manner as seen in other societies. Additionally, traders from the Indian subcontinent also stood out as a significant factor in the transmission of Buddhism to China. Buddhism, which was initially foreign to the Chinese region, gradually became widespread among the masses due to the influence of these factors. Since this phenomenon encompasses many different factors, it necessitates a multidisciplinary perspective for evaluation. This study was undertaken with such a necessity in mind. The phenomenon, which lies at the intersection of the disciplines of Sinology and the phenomenon, which lies at the intersection of the disciplines of Chinese Studies, History, and the Sociology of Religion, has been examined from a historical/sociological perspective. The research adopted a qualitative method, and document analysis was used as the data collection technique. The collected data were evaluated using an interpretive and explanatory approach.