Northwest Dharma News: Spring 2012 roundup

Here at Buddhadharma News, we strive to bring you the stories that matter most to practitioners. To help us meet our goal, we'll be doing periodic roundups of news items offered by Northwest Dharma News — an excellent resource — with links to some of their top news stories.

Northwest Dharma News is the quarterly publication of Northwest Dharma Association, a Seattle-based organization of about 110 Buddhist groups in Washington, Oregon, Idaho, Montana, Alaska, British Columbia and the Yukon. The organization fosters friendship and support among Buddhist groups from all traditions, through an annual gathering, the website, NW Dharma News, and the democratic election of the board of directors.

Top stories

Read More @ Source

Engineering an Empire - China

Under the Chin dynasty a strong central government was established; provinces replaced feudal states. The empire was extended into parts of south China. The Great Wall was largely completed, protecting China on the north from the Huns. The Han dynasty rose to power in 202 BC, and greatly expanded the empire. Conquests were made in south China, Annam (northern Vietnam), and Korea. The Huns north of the Great Wall were subdued. Han conquests, westward as far as present Afghanistan, brought about trade with the Middle East by way of the Silk Road through Central Asia. China exported vast quantities of silk westward, much of it reaching the Roman Empire. The Han adopted, for those going into government service, a system of examinations based on the Confucian classics. Scholars edited the classics and discovered and copied many old texts. The first Chinese encyclopedia was compiled. Paper was invented. Meditation was introduced from India. The Han dynasty was deposed in 220 AD There followed nearly 400 years of divided rule and civil war. During 221-65 China was divided into three separate statesWu, Shu, and Weitraditionally called the Three Kingdoms. The country was reunited in 280 under the Western Chin dynasty, but the state collapsed in 316 following uprisings by various non-Chinese peoples, mainly Turkic, Mongol, and Tibetan. In the south small Chinese states continued to rule. China lost its outlying areas, closing the Silk Road. Political disunity was offset by a general ...

Video Rating: 4 / 5



Comments

Popular posts from this blog

From the May 2012 magazine: Sister Chan Khong’s path of peace

His Holiness the Dalai Lama Concludes Teachings to Taiwanese Devotees

Gender discrimination in religious practice