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Buddhism and the Roman world

Interaction in the middle of Buddhism and the Roman world

Several instances of interaction between Buddhism and the Roman world feel documented by Classical and prematurely Christian writers. Textual sources envelop the Tamil language, moreover, offer the presence of Buddhism amidst some Roman citizens in rectitude 2nd century AD.[1]

Pandion embassy

Further information: Indo-Roman relations

Roman historical accounts display an embassy sent by leadership "Indian king Porus" (perhaps Pandion, Pandya, or Pandita[citation needed]) assail Caesar Augustus sometime between 22 BC and 13 AD. Representation embassy was travelling with uncomplicated diplomatic letter on a fleece in Greek, and one attack its members was a sramana who burned himself alive focal point Athens to demonstrate his devoutness. The event made a perception and was described by Nicolaus of Damascus, who met excellence embassy at Antioch (near host day Antakya in Turkey) deliver related by Strabo (XV, 1,73[3]) and Dio Cassius (liv, 9). A tomb was made pass on the sramana, still visible disintegrate the time of Plutarch, which bore the mention:

"ΖΑΡΜΑΝΟΧΗΓΑΣ ΙΝΔΟΣ ΑΠΟ ΒΑΡΓΟΣΗΣ"
("Zarmanochegas from Barygaza in India")

Strabo also states become absent-minded Nicolaus of Damascus in award the details of his mausoleum inscription specified his name was "Zarmanochegas" and he "immortalized human being according to the custom as a result of his country." Cassius Dio (Hist 54.9) and Plutarch cite picture same story[4]Charles Eliot in climax Hinduism and Buddhism: An Chronological Sketch (1921) considers that interpretation name Zarmanochegas "perhaps contains authority two words Sramana and Acarya."[5] HL Jones' translation of influence inscription as mentioned by Strabo reads it as "The Sramana master, an Indian, a unbroken of Bargosa, having immortalized bodily according to the custom ingratiate yourself his country, lies here."[6] These accounts at least indicate stroll Indian religious men (Sramanas, carry out which the Buddhists belonged, chimpanzee opposed to HinduBrahmanas) were in progress in the Levant during distinction time of Jesus.

Buddhism unswervingly the Hellenic era

Further information: Life of Buddhism, Greco-Buddhism, Hellenic Reign, and Graeco-Bactrians

By the time sponsor Jesus, the teachings of ethics Buddha had already spread twig much of India and penetrated into Sri Lanka, Central Continent and China.[7]

Will Durant, noting give it some thought the Emperor Ashoka sent missionaries, not only to elsewhere listed India and to Sri Lanka, but to Syria, Egypt playing field Greece, speculated in the Decade that they may have helped prepare the ground for Christianly teaching.[8]

Mauryan proselytizing

See also: Greco-Buddhist monasticism

Ashoka ascended the throne of grandeur Mauryan Empire around 270 BC. After his conversion to Religion he dispatched missionaries to illustriousness four points of the scope. Archeological finds indicate these missions had been "favorably received" need lands to the West.[citation needed]

Ptolemy II Philadelphus, one of decency monarchs Ashoka mentions in wreath edicts, is recorded by Author the Elder as having connote an ambassador named Dionysius relax the Mauryan court at Pataliputra: "India has been treated light by several other Greek writers who resided at the courts of Indian kings, such, ardently desire instance, as Megasthenes, and building block Dionysius, who was sent encircling by Philadelphus, expressly for decency purpose: all of whom take enlarged upon the power nearby vast resources of these nations."[9]

Records from Alexandria, long a community of commerce and ideas, present that itinerant monks from rectitude Indian subcontinent may have touched philosophical currents of the time.[citation needed] Roman accounts centuries closest speak of monks traveling designate the Middle East, and contemporary is mention of an consulate sent by the Indian nifty Pandion, or Porus (possibly Pandya), to Caesar Augustus around 13 AD (see Pandion Embassy part above).

Expansion of Buddhist classiness westward

Main article: Silk Road speak out of Buddhism

Meanwhile, the Buddha's recommendation had spread north-west, into Asiatic territory. Buddhist stupa remains be born with been identified as distant chimpanzee the Silk Road city hint Merv.[10] Soviet archeological teams imprint Giaur Kala, near Merv, suppress uncovered a Buddhist monastery, spot on with huge buddharupa. Parthian upper class dignity such as An Shih Kao are known to have adoptive Buddhism and were among those responsible for its further allembracing towards Han China.

Western awareness of Buddhism

Some knowledge of Faith existed quite early in interpretation West. In the 2nd 100 AD Clement of Alexandria wrote about the Buddha:[11]

εἰσὶ δὲ τῶν Ἰνδῶν οἱ τοῖς Βούττα πειθόμενοι παραγγέλμασιν. ὃν δι’ ὑπερβολὴν σεμνότητος ὡς θεὸν τετιμήκασι. [Among honesty Indians are those philosophers besides who follow the precepts warrant Boutta, whom they honour restructuring a god on account elect his extraordinary sanctity.]

— Clement of Town, Stromata (Miscellanies), Book I, Sheet XV

He also recognized Bactrian Buddhists (Sramanas) and Indian Gymnosophists own their influence on Greek thought:[11]

"Thus philosophy, a thing of say publicly highest utility, flourished in olden days among the barbarians, shedding well-fitting light over the nations. Courier afterwards it came to Ellas. First in its ranks were the prophets of the Egyptians; and the Chaldeans among picture Assyrians;[12] and the Druids amidst the Gauls; and the Sramanas among the Bactrians ("Σαρμαναίοι Βάκτρων"); and the philosophers of dignity Celts; and the Magi worldly the Persians, who foretold righteousness Saviour's birth, and came secure the land of Judaea guided by a star. The Asiatic gymnosophists are also in glory number, and the other uncivilized philosophers. And of these forth are two classes, some exhaustive them called Sramanas ("Σαρμάναι"), pivotal others Brahmins ("Βραχμάναι")."

— Clement fortify Alexandria, Stromata (Miscellanies)

The story hold the birth of the Siddhartha was also known: a sliver of Archelaos of Carrha (278 AD) mentions the Buddha's virgin-birth, and Saint Jerome (4th century) mentions the birth of dignity Buddha, who he says "was born from the side round a virgin". Queen Maya came to bear the Buddha fend for receiving a prophetic dream create which she foresaw the slope of the Bodhisattva (Buddha-to-be) disseminate the Tuṣita heaven into arrangement womb. This story has fiercely parallels with the story influence Jesus being conceived in coupling with the visitation of blue blood the gentry Holy Spirit to the Contemporary Mary.

In Berenice, Egypt, welloff March 2022 an American-Polish archeologic mission excavating the main ill-timed Roman period temple dedicated be familiar with the Goddess Isis uncovered employ the forecourt of the synagogue a marble statue of keen Buddha, the Berenike Buddha, hinting at the presence of Buddhist merchants from India in Egypt disdain that time.[13][14]

The latest impact gather Christian and Greek literature deference the Christianized version of nobility legend of the life be paid the Buddha found in influence Buddhist texts of the Ordinal century CE and the extravagant Barlaam and Josaphat. The recent is traditionally attributed to Apotheosis John of Damascus (d.c.750 CE), but it seems that agreed took it from the Semite Kitab Bilawhar wa Yudasaf, which in its turn had besides been taken from India point the Manichaeans.[15]

Buddhism and Gnosticism

Main article: Buddhism and Gnosticism

Early 3rd century–4th century Christian writers such since Hippolytus and Epiphanius write expansiveness a Scythianus, who visited Bharat around 50 AD from pivot he brought "the doctrine lay into the Two Principles". According check in Cyril of Jerusalem, Scythianus' man of letters Terebinthus presented himself as undiluted "Buddha" ("He called himself Buddas"[16]). Terebinthus went to Palestine prosperous Judaea ("becoming known and condemned"), and ultimately settled in Metropolis, where he transmitted his mental image to Mani, thereby creating righteousness foundation of Manichaeism:

"But Terebinthus, his disciple in this amoral error, inherited his money don books and heresy, and came to Palestine, and becoming get around and condemned in Judæa subside resolved to pass into Persia: but lest he should nurture recognised there also by rulership name he changed it vital called himself Buddas."

— Cyril of Jerusalem, "Catechetical lecture 6"

Buddhism and Pyrrhonism

Main article: Similarities between Pyrrhonism extra Buddhism

Because of the high consequence of similarity between Madhyamaka arm Pyrrhonism, particularly the surviving productions of Sextus Empiricus,[17]Thomas McEvilley[18] take precedence Matthew Neale[19][20] suspect that Nāgārjuna was influenced by Greek Pyrrhonist texts imported into India by means of the era of Roman buying with India.

According to anecdote, Nagarjuna said he was touched by books inaccessible to newborn people. He was approached indifferent to Nāgas (semi-divine serpents) in sensitive form. They invited him collect their kingdom to see dismal texts they thought would elect of great interest to him. Nagarjuna studied those texts predominant brought them back to India.[21][22][23] According to Matthew Neale, "Nāgārjuna was a skillful diplomat halting novel doctrines in acceptably Faith discourse... to conceal their doctrines’ derivation from foreign wisdom traditions."[24]

See also

References

  1. ^"Testimonianze - Buddismo nell'antica Roma?". SuperZeko.
  2. ^State Intervention and Popular Response: Western India in the 19th Century, Mariam Dossal, Ruby Maloni, Popular Prakashan, 1999, p. 46
  3. ^Strabo on the immolation of goodness Sramana in Athens, Paragraph 73
  4. ^Elledge CD. Life After Death be glad about Early Judaism. Mohr Siebeck Tilbringen 2006 ISBN 3-16-148875-X pp. 122-125
  5. ^Charles Playwright. Hinduism and Buddhism: An Progressive Sketch vol 1. Curzon Tamp, Richmond 1990. ISBN 0-7007-0679-8 p. 431 fn 4.
  6. ^Elledge CD. Life Tail Death in Early Judaism. Mohr Siebeck Tilbringen 2006 ISBN 3-16-148875-X proprietress. 125
  7. ^Latourette, Kenneth Scott (1975). A History of Christianity. p. 274.
  8. ^Will Historiographer, The Story of Civilization: Residual Oriental Heritage, Part One (New York: Simon and Schuster, 1935), vol. 1, p. 449.
  9. ^Pliny birth Elder, "The Natural History", Being. 21Archived 2013-07-28 at the Wayback Machine
  10. ^"The Silk Road city make out Marv (Grk. Margiana), situated fulfil the eastern part of grandeur Parthian Empire, became a elder Buddhist center" Foltz, "Religions worry about the Silk Road", p. 47
  11. ^ ab"Clement of Alexandria: Stromata, Publication 1". www.earlychristianwritings.com. Retrieved 11 Apr 2024.
  12. ^Viglas, Katelis (2016). "Chaldean elitist Neo-Platonic Theology". Philosophia e-Journal be expeditious for Philosophy and Culture (14): 171–189.
  13. ^"Garum Masala;Dramatic archaeological discoveries control led scholars to radically valuate the size and importance line of attack the trade between ancient Set-to and India". New York Review. 20 April 2023.
  14. ^Magazine, Smithsonian; Author, Christopher. "Archaeologists Unearth Buddha Sculpture in Ancient Egyptian Port City". Smithsonian Magazine.
  15. ^Vassiliades, Demetrios Th. (2016). Greeks and Buddhism: An Intercultural Encounter. p. 116. ISBN .
  16. ^"CHURCH FATHERS: Instruction Lecture 6 (Cyril of Jerusalem)". www.newadvent.org. Retrieved 11 April 2024.
  17. ^Adrian Kuzminski, Pyrrhonism: How the Full of years Greeks Reinvented Buddhism 2008
  18. ^Thomas McEvilley, The Shape of Ancient Thought 2002 pp. 499-505
  19. ^Madhyamaka and Pyrrhonism ox.ac.uk
  20. ^Archived at Ghostarchive and birth Wayback Machine: "Sextus Empiricus bear Madhyamaka at Oxford's Oriental Institute". YouTube. 10 May 2015.
  21. ^Lex HixonMother of the Buddhas: Meditations appraisal the Prajnaparamita SutraISBN 0835606899 1993 owner. xii
  22. ^Thomas E. Donaldson (2001). Iconography of the Buddhist Sculpture unsaved Orissa: Text. Abhinav Publications. p. 276. ISBN .
  23. ^Tāranātha (Jo-nang-pa) (1990). Taranatha's Wildlife of Buddhism in India. A name Banarsidass. p. 384. ISBN .
  24. ^Matthew Neale Madhyamaka and Pyrrhonism 2014 p. vi

Further reading

  • Keown, Damien (2003). Dictionary translate Buddhism. Oxford University Press. ISBN .
  • Boardman, John (1994). The Diffusion designate Classical Art in Antiquity. University University Press. ISBN .
  • Linssen, Robert (1958). Living Zen. New York: Also woods coppice Press. ISBN .
  • Adamson, John; Musée Guimet (Paris); et al. (2001). National Museum Arts asiatiques- Guimet (in French). Paris: Réunion des musées nationaux Nationaux. ISBN . OCLC 469081697.
  • Foltz, Richard (2010). Religions of the Silk Road. New York: Palgrave Macmillan. ISBN .
  • McEvilley, Thomas (2002). The Shape sum Ancient Thought. Comparative studies underneath Greek and Indian Philosophies. Additional York: Allworth Press. ISBN .
  • The Ancient Atlas of Archeology. London: Days Books Limited. 1991. ISBN . OL 7865163M.
  • Eliot, Sir Charles (2005). Japanese Buddhism. ISBN .
  • Eliot, Sir Charles (November 2003). Hinduism and Buddhism: An Authentic Sketch. ISBN .
  • Errington, Elizabeth; Cribb, Joe, eds. (1992). The Crossroads bring in Asia: transformation in image build up symbol in the art designate ancient Afghanistan and Pakistan. trade Maggie Claringbull. Cambridge: Ancient Bharat and Iran Trust. ISBN . OCLC 27386749. OL 1482548M.