MALLORY RANSOM
Before Buddhism came to China, Chinese people held many religious beliefs. Ancestor worship is a distinctive aspect of Chinese religion and dates as far back as the Shang dynasty (1600-1050 BCE), the earliest recorded Chinese dynasty.
It was strongly believed that the dead continued to lead a life similar to the one they led on Earth. Traditionally, it was thought humans have two souls, hun and po, corresponding to yang and yin. Hun is yang, and po is yin. Hun is spiritual and is in control of intellect and thinking, while po is physical and is responsible for our emotions and sensations. It was thought that the body is a vessel to hold the souls together, and when we die, they separate. Hun, yang, ascends to heaven, and po, yin, sinks to the Yellow Spring. Heaven and the Yellow Spring are not explicitly defined.
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Around the 5th or 6th century BCE, Buddhism originated in India. Buddhism came through the Silk Road during the Han Dynasty (206 BCE - 220 CE). However, China was experiencing a prosperous and stable empire guided by Confucious disciplines. When the Han dynasty collapsed, China was sent into almost 400 years of political upheaval, and that was when Buddhism gained prominence.
When Buddhism was brought to China, there was major pushback because the dominant virtue of China was filial piety. Filial piety is the virtue of showcasing proper love for parents, elders, and ancestors.
From the beginning, China attacked Buddhism for being unfilial. The Chinese claimed that Buddhist practice defiled the divine way by practicing unfilial conduct and celibacy. Realizing this, Buddhists sought to impress the Chinese by emphasizing the numerous canon sutras stressing filial piety.
Filial piety is vital to Chinese culture, even today. Ancestor worship (ancestor veneration) is still prevalent in China. A major component of ancestor worship is perpetuating the family line. Preference for a son is high in a patrilineal family dynamic, but preference for fertility is held in higher esteem. A daughter is a transitory member of her family, only becoming a permanent member of her husband's household. In family rites, the head of the house or eldest son sacrifices the offerings to the portion of their ancestor's spirit inhabiting the spirit tablet.