Chinese Antiques Shop collecting predates the life and times of Buddha, who lived BC 566-486. Buddhism came to China from the west, up and around the Himalaya mountains and then across the Tibetan Plateau and then the Mongol deserts. The mighiest of all the deserts in Asia was the Gobi- so much that today the Gobi Desert is encroaching the western edges of the capital city, Beijing. As to Buddha, the now fabled reputation of the the one they called the Buddha- the Enlilghtened One- was born Siddhartha Guatama and he lived in the years BC 566 to 486. Thus, the vast Tibetan plateeau and most of coastal China are comfortable with the followers of Buddha. The most western part of desdert China are now also followed of Islam, which came later.

Japanese evolved Zen Buddism as a meditation which has growing popular appeal in youth again today in China.Contemporary television shows many a person doing excercises or simply sitting in a prayfull meditation. The idea of a person closing their eyes and going inside their mind does disquiet the authorities, who allow it but are uncertain, as they suggest some other groups are kept under constant police watch. The authorities are now rebuilding the reputation of Confucious, and the Chinese government has recently announced plans to build one hundred information stations or booths around China, and elsewhere, to explain the thoughts of Confucious.

And the government would be sure to point out how the thoughts of Confucious coincide so well with modern Communist Party of China policies. The is not yet this reaching out to Buddhism, as we see with Chinese soldiers bullying and beating peaceful monks in saffron robes in Tibertan billage streets. One geat difference between Confucian and Buddhist belief systems is that Buddha believed in an afterlife and he lived such a perfect life that many believe he went to Nirvana, his Heaven.

But in the case of Confucian beliefs there was not interest of belief in an afterlife. Confucious said serve your society and your emperor well, and all will be well, but when you died that is the end of your existence: no soul, no after life. So we can see why as the authorities come to these same conclusions, that mostly Confucian, but also Buddhhism is not a threat to law and order, and it may become a means to social harmony, if crowded parks at lunch time are having people behaving peacefully however they wish.

Such a democractic China may evolve yet. This is not the case yet, although seen in a few parks, people meditating, that is quietly sitting in a lotus position in the grass in the park, eyes closed, arms folded, and the police are not bashing heads and telling these people to break it up and get on with their business. This vast strange China is beating saffron robed monks in Tibet for praying, and yet the television camera shows us Shangai parks at noon with meditators amidst walkers and joggers.

At present, as the Chinese are slow to change their ways and reluctant to admit errors, the ten wasted years of the Cultural Revolution, we admire Chinese Antiques Store mind sets.

Derek Dashwood enjoys noticing positive ways we progress, the combining of science into the humanities to measure life at Chinese Antiques

Tags: china, culture, society, buddhism, social issues