Buddhism In Central Asia Research Articles

중앙아시아 불교유적의 분포현황과 의의

Buddhist remains in Central Asia are found in five regions: Bactria-Toharistan region in southern Uzbekistan and in southwestern Tajikistan, Fergana region in eastern Uzbekistan and Sogdiana region in central Samarkand, Merv region in eastern Turkmenistan, and Semirechiye region in north-eastern Kyrgyzstan. They are dated from around the 1st century to the 9th and 10th centuries. Most of the Buddhist remains in the northern part of Bactria-Toharistan region are Buddhist temples, but there are only stupas remained without temple buildings such as the Jurmala Stupa and Airtam Stupa. The Karatepa Buddhist Temple, the Fayaztepa Buddhist Temple, and the Buddhist Temples inside and outside the capital city Dalverzintepa are built on the Kushan period in the 2nd and 4th centuries and stupas are found in all these temples. Semirechiye is the region where Buddhist remains are clustered following Bactria-Toharistan region and was influenced by Chinese Buddhism after the 7th century and Tibetan Buddhism later. Not stupas but a large Buddha statue and a large statue of nirvana are found at Akbeshim Buddhist Temple and Ajinatepa Buddhist Temple, respectively, that represents the change in the object of worship. The Buddhist remains of Central Asia are largely divided into two periods. The Bactria-Toharistan Buddhist culture from the 2nd to the 4th centuries was the first period of Buddhist culture in Central Asia, when Buddhism was first introduced and settled in Central Asia along with the expansion of the Kushan Empire. The late Buddhist culture of the Central Asia flourished in Bactria-Toharistan and Semirechiye regions in the 7th and 8th centuries was the second period, and the center of Buddhism moved to East Asia. It was confirmed that Buddhism in Central Asia was developed by exchanging influences with other religions, such as Zoroastrianism previously propagated through traces of rituals related to fire or murals in Buddha statue with a flame-shaped halo. In Buddhist architecture, the use of drying bricks and the construction of stone cave temple that dug into the sandstone layer are reflected in consideration of the material and climate characteristics of the site. As such, it can be seen that the Central Asia did not simply serve as a messenger of civilization, but rather accepted, developed, and spread it to other regions.

The Travelogues of Buddhist Monks and the Knowledge of the Western Regions during the Fourth to the Sixth Centuries

In the context of monks traveling westward in search of Buddhist scriptures, their travelogues emerged during the fourth to the sixth centuries as a new channel for producing knowledge about the Western Regions, distinct from official sources. The fundamental reason monks wrote these travelogues was to enhance the sanctity of their journeys and the scriptures. Additionally, they fulfilled the demands among Buddhists for information about Buddhism in Central Asia and India. The knowledge about the Western Regions in these travelogues was referenced in works by Chinese scholars, such as the Weishu, Beishi, Shuijing zhu, and Luoyang qielan ji, thereby expanding the audience for such knowledge. Even after the original texts were lost, their content continued to be transmitted through these citations. However, while Chinese scholars often criticized these travelogues for some absurd accounts and made adaptations or deletions, they were nonetheless compelled to utilize the unique knowledge these travelogues offered about the Western Regions.

Buddhism in Central Asia II: Practice and Rituals, Visual and Material Transfer, edited by Kasai, Yukiyo, & Henrik H. Sørensen

Buddhism in Central Asia II: Practice and Rituals, Visual and Material Transfer, edited by Kasai, Yukiyo, & Henrik H. Sørensen

The help of letters published in the work "Xuan-Tszan Kechmishi" is a classic of the Turkish epistolary genre quality samples

The biography of Suan-Tsang is an important and valuable work of ancient Chinese and Turkish literary and cultural relations. In the early Middle Ages, the spread of Buddhism in Central Asia developed cultural, literary, and linguistic relations between the Turkic peoples and the peoples of the East. The work was translated from Chinese into ancient Turkic during those times. His translator, Singqu Seli Tudun, was a prominent writer of his time, a great Buddhist scholar and scholar of the Chinese language. In the process of translation, he took full advantage of the Turkic language and introduced the wonderful work to Turkic literature.

Buddhism in Central Asia I: Patronage, Legitimation, Sacred Space, and Pilgrimage, edited by Meinert, Carmen, & Henrik H. Sørensen

Buddhism in Central Asia I: Patronage, Legitimation, Sacred Space, and Pilgrimage, edited by Meinert, Carmen, & Henrik H. Sørensen

A BRIEF ANALYSIS OF THE INFILTRATION AND SPREAD OF BUDDHISM IN CENTRAL ASIA

The article discusses the views on a brief analysis of the entry and spread of Buddhism in Central Asia.

Buddhism in Central Asia and Russia: History and Present Stata

The article considers the history of Buddhism in Central Asia and in Russia. It outlines the main periods of development and special features of Buddhism in the region, its influence on the local culture. It explorers the contemporary state of the Buddhist sangha in Russia and Central Asian countries.Central Asia has played an important role in the development of Buddhism as a world religion. In I-III centuries A.D. missionaries from Central Asia carried out the sermon of the Buddhist teachings. The archeological findings illustrate the massive spread of Buddhism on the wide territories of the region which were part of the Kushan Kingdom. The second period of the flourishing of Buddhist teaching falls on the V – first part of the VIII centuries, when the geography on Buddhism in the region expanded, and it peacefully co-existed with other religions.By IX century, when the territories of the contemporary Uzbekistan, Kyrgyzstan, Turkmenistan and Tadjikistan stayed under the rule of Umayyad and Abbaside Caliphate, Islam eventually ousted Buddhism from these lands.The third period of rise of Buddhism in the region started with the appearance of Dzungars who aspired to take hold of the lands of Kazahstan. From 1690 to 1760 Central Asian region had become an area of struggle for the hegemony between the Buddhist Dzungarian khanate and China. The Dzungars promoted the spread of Buddhism in the Eastern part of Kazahstan and Northern part of Eastern Turkestan. The entry of Western Turkestan into the Russian Empire put an end to external threats and internal feudal strife. It gave the start to the process of consolidation of the Central Asian nations, which recognized their belonging to Muslim Ummah. In the absence of Dzungar and Chinese factors the influence of Buddhism in the region almost stopped.By the end of the XX century with the renaissance of religiosity on the post-Soviet space the interest to Buddhism slightly raised. However, at the present moment the number of the Buddhists in the region is insignificant. Among the followers of Buddhism the main place is taken by the Korean diaspora, residing in Central Asia since 1937. There also exist some single neo-Buddhist communities in the region.Buddhism made its contribution to the development of the unique socio-cultural identity of Russia as Eurasian by it’s nature. Buryatia, Kalmykia, Tuva, as well as several parts of Altai, Irkutsk and Chita regions represent historical areas of the spread of Buddhist teaching. At the present moment the Russian Buddhist sangha contains of the major independent centers in Buryatia, Kalmykia, Tuva, Moscow and St.Petersburg.Buddhism plays and important part in socio-cultural space of Russia, gradually moving far beyond the borders of the regions of its traditional location. Popularity of the Buddhist philosophy derives from the range of grounds, among which are the closeness of some of its principles to contemporary scientific ideas, first of all to cognitive sciences, as well as openness to dialogue with other cultural and religious traditions, humanism, ethics of non-violence and ideas of common responsibility.

KARAKORAM HIMALAYAS AND CENTRAL ASIA. THE BUDDHIST CONNECTION

The Karakoram-Himalayan region is the cradle from where ancient Indian culture including Buddhism spread to different directions in Central Asia, East Asia and South East Asia. Gilgit, Chilas, Chitral, Baltistan, Ladakh, Zanskar and other frontier areas have been important mileposts on the famous Silk Route. Buddhist savants from India contributed to the spread of Buddhism in Central Asia and East Asia. One of the eminent scholars was Kumarajiva (344-413 AD) who broke political, geographical, cultural and linguistic barriers for propagation of Buddhism. Hieun Tsiang mentions four important centres of Buddhism in Central Asia - Shan-shan (Kroraina), Khotan, Kucha and Turfan. Kashmir played an important role in introducing Buddhism to Khotan, which in turn played a key role in the transmission of Buddhism to China. Several important places on the Silk Route system such as Kucha, Balkh, Bamiyan, Khotan, Kashgar etc. developed into important centres of Buddhism when parts of Central Asia and north-western India were integrated into a single kingdom under the Kushans.)

Greek Buddha: Pyrrho's Encounter with Early Buddhism in Central Asia

Greek Buddha: Pyrrho's Encounter with Early Buddhism in Central Asia

Greek Buddha: Pyrrho's encounter with early Buddhism in Central Asia

Preface vii Acknowledgements xv On Transcription, Transliteration, and Texts xix Abbreviations xxi Prologue: Scythian Philosophy: Pyrrho, the Persian Empire, and India 1 Chapter 1 Pyrrho's Thought: Beyond Humanity 22 Chapter 2 No Differentiations: The Earliest Attested Forms of Buddhism 61 Chapter 3 Jade Yoga and Heavenly Dharma: Buddhist Thought in Classical Age China and India 110 Chapter 4 Greek Enlightenment: What the Buddha, Pyrrho, and Hume Argue Against 138 Epilogue: Pyrrho's Teacher: The Buddha and His Awakening 160 Appendix A The Classical Testimonies of Pyrrho's Thought 180 Appendix B Are Pyrrhonism and Buddhism Both Greek in Origin? 218 Appendix C On the Early Indian Inscriptions 226 Endnotes 251 References 257 Index 269

Buddhism in Central Asia

Buddhism in Central Asia is a saga of peaceful pursuit by Buddhist scholars from Kashmir and Kabul to propagate the message of the Buddha. The present study provides an account of the political forces confronting each other during the course of history of this region between the Tien-Shan and the Kunlum ranges.

Contemporary European Studies on Buddhism in Central Asia

Contemporary European Studies on Buddhism in Central Asia