“Long-term Buddhists show a great ability to adjust their mood while facing troubles and contradictions. They can keep a good mental attitude in the face of difficulties and failures,” says Han. Some Buddhists claim to understand the secret of happiness, and Han believes that science may prove them right. According to her, scans on some devout Buddhists show that the regions that help produce happy and peaceful emotions in their brains are more active than those of non-religious people.

Yin Xiaotian, a doctor of education science, firmly believes the results of this research. In 2003 he finished a 10-year study in Paris and returned to Beijing. He was surprised to find the number of young Buddhists on the Chinese mainland had grown dramatically, with a lot of websites and blogs on the topic. Associated materials also indicate that the number of Chinese Buddhists at present exceeds 100 million, a several-fold increase over the number before the reform and opening-up policy was launched in 1978. “My home is near the Lama Temple,” says Yin, who has recently taken up Buddhism. “It is said that at peak periods there are tens of thousands of people coming to the temple every day, many of whom come to burn incense and pray before Buddha. There is a thriving business in Buddhist products on the street outside the temple.” A talisman hangs in Yin’s car, with the image of Chairman Mao on one side, and the Chinese character “Fo” (meaning Buddha) on the other.

Forty-year-old Yin still remembers the Marxist maxim he learned at school: “Religion is the opiate of the masses.” He used to laugh at his grandma when she went up mountains and prayed before Buddha. “For her whole life she believed one good turn deserved another. She always treated others kindly, though that doesn’t mean she had a deep understanding of Buddhist doctrine and life,” says Yin with a smile. He also states frankly that his grandma was a little utilitarian in her emotional investment in the afterlife. But the point is she led a life of sincerity, kindness and purity. “Buddhism exerts a great influence on ordinary people,” says Yin.

Now Yin performs Buddhist practices at home. He admits when he first chose to follow Buddhism it was just for the Buddha’s blessing and to gain luck in moneymaking. But now he says, “My earlier impure ideas have disappeared. Through learning Buddhist scriptures, I feel my soul has been purified. I am looking forward to a better life and performing kind deeds. I want to be a good person and do more to help others.”

As a Buddhist, worshipping Buddha, reading scriptures, listening to Buddhist teachings and sitting in meditation constitute the major part of Yin’s religious activities. The first thing he does everyday after brushing his teeth and washing his face is take “morning class” – burning incense, worshipping Buddha and reading scriptures.

Yin never keeps his Buddhist identity secret. “Although my belief differentiates me from my atheist friends, it never affects our friendship,” says Yin.