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Several instances of interaction between Buddhism and the Roman world are documented by Classical and early Christian writers. Wikipedia does not yet have an article with this exact name. ... The term Buddha is a word in ancient Indian languages including Pāli and Sanskrit which means one who has awakened. It is derived from the verbal root budh, meaning to awaken or to be enlightened, and to comprehend. It is written in devanagari script as Hindi: and pronounced as... The cultural elements of Buddhism vary by region and include: Buddhist cuisine Buddhist art Buddharupa Art and architecture of Japan Greco-Buddhism Tibetan Buddhist sacred art Buddhist music Buddhist chant Shomyo Categories: Buddhism-related stubs ... The history of Buddhism spans from the 6th century BCE to the present, starting with the birth of the Buddha Siddharta Gautama. ... Contents: Top - 0–9 A B C D E F G H I J K L M N O P Q R S T U V W X Y Z The following is a List of Buddhist topics: A Abhidharma Ahimsa Ajahn Ajahn Chah Ajanta Aksobhya Alexandra David-Néel... Buddhist beliefs and practices vary according to region. ... The percentage of Buddhist population of each country was taken from the US State Departments International Religious Freedom Report 2004 [1]. Other sources used were CIA Factbook [2] and adherents. ... There are many divisions and subdivisions of the schools of Buddhism. ... -1... Several Buddhist terms and concepts lack direct translations into English that cover the breadth of the original term. ... There are a great variety of Buddhist texts. ... // Before Common Era Trad. ... The word classical has several meanings: Pertaining to the societies of the classical antiquity, ancient Greece or Rome. ... As a noun, Christian is an appellation and moniker deriving from the appellation Christ, which many people associate exclusively with Jesus of Nazareth. ...

Pandion embassy

Roman historical accounts describe an embassy sent by the "Indian king Pandion (Pandya?), also named Porus" to Caesar Augustus around 13 CE. The embassy was travelling with a diplomatic letter in Greek, and one of its members was a sramana who burned himself alive in Athens to demonstrate his faith. The event made a sensation and was described by Nicolaus of Damascus, who met the embassy at Antioch, and related by Strabo (XV,1,73 ^[1]) and Dio Cassius (liv, 9). A tomb was made to the sramana, still visible in the time of Plutarch, which bore the mention "ΖΑΡΜΑΝΟΧΗΓΑΣ ΙΝΔΟΣ ΑΠΟ ΒΑΡΓΟΣΗΣ" ("The sramana master from Barygaza in India"). These accounts at least indicate that Indian religious men (Sramanas, to which the Buddhists belonged, as opposed to Hindu Brahmanas) were circulating in the Levant during the time of Jesus. The Pandyan kingdom was an ancient state at the tip of South India, founded around the 6th century BCE. It was part of the Dravidian cultural area, which also comprised other kingdoms such as that of the Pallava, the Chera, the Chola, the Chalukya and the Vijayanagara. ... Bust of Augustus Caesar Augustus redirects here. ... Thirteen can also refer to the cardgame Events Last year (5th) of shijianguo era of the Chinese Xin Dynasty Abgarus of Edessa is reinstalled as king of Osroene Senate passed a senatus consultum restricting the reduced Vigintisexviri to the Ordo Equester Tiberius made his triumphant procession through Rome after siege... Definition and Origin of the Term Sramana is derived from Srama --- to exert, effort, labor or to perform austerity. ... The Acropolis in central Athens, one of the most important landmarks in world history. ... Nicolaus of Damascus (Nikolāos DamaskÄ“nos) was a Greek historical and philosophical writer who lived in the Augustan Age. ... This article needs to be cleaned up to conform to a higher standard of quality. ... Strabo (squinty) was a term employed by the Romans for anyone whose eyes were distorted or deformed. ... Dio Cassius Cocceianus (155–after 229), known in English as Dio Cassius or Cassius Dio, was a noted Roman historian and public servant. ... Plutarch Mestrius Plutarchus (ca. ... Bharuch (also known as Broach) is a district in south Gujarat state in India. ... Definition and Origin of the Term Sramana is derived from Srama --- to exert, effort, labor or to perform austerity. ... A Hindu (also spelt Hindoo) is an adherent of philosophies and scriptures of Hindu religion. ... A Brahmin (pronunciation is Brahmann) is a member of the Hindu priestly caste. ... The Levant Levant is an imprecise geographical term historically referring to a large area in the Middle East south of the Taurus Mountains, bounded by the Mediterranean Sea on the west, and by the northern Arabian Desert and Upper Mesopotamia to the east. ... Jesus, also known as Jesus of Nazareth, is the central figure of Christianity, in which context he is known as Jesus Christ (from Greek Ιησούς Χριστός) with Christ not being a name but rather a title meaning Anointed. He is also considered a very important prophet in Islam. ...

Western knowledge of Buddhism

Some knowledge of Buddhism existed quite early in the West. In the 2nd century CE, Clement of Alexandria, the father of Christian dogmatism, wrote about the Buddha: (1st century - 2nd century - 3rd century - other centuries) Events Roman Empire governed by the Five Good Emperors (96–180) – Nerva, Trajan, Hadrian, Antoninus Pius, Marcus Aurelius. ... Clement of Alexandria (Titus Flavius Clemens), was the first member of the Church of Alexandria to be more than a name, and one of its most distinguished teachers. ...

"Among the Indians are those philosophers also who follow the precepts of Boutta, whom they honour as a god on account of his extraordinary sanctity." (Clement of Alexandria "The Stromata, or Miscellanies" Book I, Chapter XV ^[2]).

He also recognized Bactrian Buddhists (Sramanas) and Indian Gymnosophists for their influence on Greek thought: Definition and Origin of the Term Sramana is derived from Srama --- to exert, effort, labor or to perform austerity. ... Gymnosophists is the name (meaning naked philosophers) given by the Greeks to certain ancient Hindu philosophers who pursued asceticism to the point of regarding food and clothing as detrimental to purity of thought. ...

"Thus philosophy, a thing of the highest utility, flourished in antiquity among the barbarians, shedding its light over the nations. And afterwards it came to Greece. First in its ranks were the prophets of the Egyptians; and the Chaldeans among the Assyrians; and the Druids among the Gauls; and the Sramanas among the Bactrians ("Σαρμαναίοι Βάκτρων"); and the philosophers of the Celts; and the Magi of the Persians, who foretold the Saviour's birth, and came into the land of Judaea guided by a star. The Indian gymnosophists are also in the number, and the other barbarian philosophers. And of these there are two classes, some of them called Sramanas ("Σαρμάναι"), and others Brahmins ("Βραφμαναι")." (Clement of Alexandria "The Stromata, or Miscellanies" ^[3]).

The birth of Siddhartha Gautama, Gandhara, 2–3rd century CE.

The story of the birth of the Buddha was also known: a fragment of Archelaos of Carrha (278 CE) mentions the Buddha's virgin-birth, and Saint Jerome (4th century CE) mentions the birth of the Buddha, who he says "was born from the side of a virgin". Queen Maya came to bear the child by the intervention of the Tusita spirit of the Buddha. This is similiar to Jesus being conceived in connection with the visitation of the Holy Ghost to the Virgin Mary. Map showing the location of Tel Kaif, Iraq and the neighboring areas. ... This article concerns the Assyrian people. ... Druidry or Druidism was the religion of the ancient druids, the priestly class in ancient Celtic and Gallic societies through much of Western Europe north of the Alps and in the British Isles. ... Gallia (in English Gaul) is the Latin name for the region of western Europe occupied by present-day France, Belgium, western Switzerland and the parts of the Netherlands and Germany on the west bank of the Rhine river. ... Definition and Origin of the Term Sramana is derived from Srama --- to exert, effort, labor or to perform austerity. ... Bactria (Bactriana) was the ancient Greek name of the country between the range of the Hindu Kush (Caucasus Indicus) and the Amu Darya (Oxus), with the capital Bactra (now Balkh). ... A Celtic cross. ... Magi (Μάγοι) were Zoroastrian astrologer-priests from ancient Persia. ... The Persians of Iran (officially named Persia by West until 1935 while still referred to as Persia by some) are an Iranian people who speak Persian (locally named Fârsi by native speakers) and often refer to themselves as ethnic Iranians as well. ... Desert hills in southern Judea, looking east from the town of Arad Judea or Judaea (יהודה Praise, Standard Hebrew Yəhuda, Tiberian Hebrew Yəhûḏāh) is a term used for the mountainous southern part of historic Palestine, an area now divided between Israel, Jordan and the West Bank. ... Gymnosophists is the name (meaning naked philosophers) given by the Greeks to certain ancient Hindu philosophers who pursued asceticism to the point of regarding food and clothing as detrimental to purity of thought. ... Definition and Origin of the Term Sramana is derived from Srama --- to exert, effort, labor or to perform austerity. ... Young Indian brahmachari Brahmin A Brahmin (less often Brahman) is a member of the Hindu priestly caste. ... Download high resolution version (895x653, 368 KB)The birth of Siddharta, Gandhara, 2-3rd century. ... Download high resolution version (895x653, 368 KB)The birth of Siddharta, Gandhara, 2-3rd century. ... Standing Buddha, ancient region of Gandhara, northern Pakistan, 1st century CE. Gautama Buddha was a South Asian spiritual leader who lived between approximately 563 BCE and 483 BCE. Born Siddhartha Gautama in Sanskrit, a name meaning descendant of Gotama whose aims are achieved/who is efficacious in achieving aims, he... Gandhāra (also Ghandara, Ghandahra, Chandahara, and Persian Gandara) is the name of an ancient country in eastern Afghanistan and north-west province of Pakistan. ... Queen Mayas white elephant dream, and the conception of the Buddha. ... Saint-Jérôme, Quebec is a town in Quebec, near Mirabel, about 40 kilometers (25 miles) northwest of Montreal along Autoroute des Laurentides. ... Queen Mayas white elephant dream, and the conception of the Buddha. ... The Holy Spirit, from the Christian viewpoint, while related to Gods will, is not Gods will personified. ... Saint Mary and Saint Mary the Virgin both redirect here. ...

Buddhism and Gnosticism

Early 3rd–4th century Christian writers such as Hippolytus and Epiphanius write about a Scythianus, who visited India around 50 CE from where he brought "the doctrine of the Two Principles". According to these writers, Scythianus' pupil Terebinthus presented himself as a "Buddha" ("He called himself a Buddas" Isaiah ^[4]). Terebinthus went to Palestine and Judaea ("becoming known and condemned" Isaia), and ultimately settled in Babylon, where he transmitted his teachings to Mani, thereby creating the foundation of Manicheism. Hippolytus, was a writer of the early Church. ... Epiphanius was a Fourth century Church Father and strong defender of orthodoxy, known for tracking down deviant teachings (heresies) wherever they could be traced. ... According to 3rd-4th century writers such as Hippolytus and Epiphanius, Scythianus was an Alexandrian who visited India around 50 CE. Scythianus apparently lived on the border between Palestine and Arabia, and was active in trade between the Red Sea ports and India. ... Events Londinium is founded by the Romans, taking over as capital of the local Roman province, from Colchester (approximate date) Roman Emperor Claudius appoints Agrippa II governor of Chalcis. ... Terebinthus (also Terebinthus of Turbo ) was the pupil of Scythianus, during the 1st-2nd century CE. According to early Christian writers of the 3rd-4th century, Terebinthus presented himself as a Buddha ( He called himself a Buddas Isaiah ). Terebinthus went to Palestine and Judaea (becoming known and condemned Isaia), and... Map of the British Mandate of Palestine. ... Desert hills in southern Judea, looking east from the town of Arad Judea or Judaea (יהודה Praise, Standard Hebrew Yəhuda, Tiberian Hebrew Yəhûḏāh) is a term used for the mountainous southern part of historic Palestine, an area now divided between Israel, Jordan and the West Bank. ... Babylon is the Greek variant of Akkadian Babilu, an ancient city in Mesopotamia (Location: 32°32′11″N, 44°25′15″E, modern Al Hillah, Iraq). ... Mani (in Persian مانی), born in western Persia (approximately 210-276 A.D.), was a religious preacher and the founder of Manichaeism, an ancient gnostic religion that was once prolific but now considered extinct. ... Manichaeism was one of the major ancient religions. ...

In the 3rd century, the Syrian writer and Christian Gnostic theologian Bar Daisan described his exchanges with the religious missions of holy men from India (Greek: Σαρμαναίοι, Sramanas), passing through Syria on their way to Elagabalus or another Antonine emperor. His accounts were quoted by Porphyry (De abstin., iv, 17 ^[5]) and Stobaeus (Eccles., iii, 56, 141). // Events The Sassanid dynasty of Persia launches a war to reconquer lost lands in the Roman east. ... Gnosticism is a blanket term for various religions and sects most prominent in the first few centuries A.D. General characteristics The word gnosticism comes from the Greek word for knowledge, gnosis (γνῶσις), referring to the idea that there is special, hidden mysticism (esoteric knowledge) that only a few possess. ... Bar Daisan (154-222), also latinized as Bardesanes, was a Syrian gnostic and an outstanding scientist, scholar, and poet. ... A bust depicting Elagabalus. ... For other meanings of Porphyry, see Porphyry Porphyry (c. ... Joannes Stobaeus, so called from his native place Stobi in Macedonia, was the compiler of a valuable series of extracts from Greek authors. ...

Finally, from the 3rd century to the 12th century, some Gnostic religions such as Manichaeism, which combined Christian, Hebrew and Buddhist influences (Mani, the founder of the religion, resided for some time in Kushan lands), spread throughout the Old World, to Gaul and Britain in the West, and to China in the East. Some leading Christian theologians such as Augustine of Hippo were Manicheans before converting to orthodox Christianity. Gnosticism is a blanket term for various religions and sects most prominent in the first few centuries A.D. General characteristics The word gnosticism comes from the Greek word for knowledge, gnosis (γνῶσις), referring to the idea that there is special, hidden mysticism (esoteric knowledge) that only a few possess. ... Manichean priests, writing at their desk, with panel inscription in Sogdian. ... Mani (in Persian مانی), born in western Persia (approximately 210-276 A.D.), was a religious preacher and the founder of Manichaeism, an ancient gnostic religion that was once prolific but now considered extinct. ... Boundary of the Kushan empire, c. ... Map of Gaul circa 58 BC Gaul (from Latin Gallia, c. ... St. ... See also: Timeline of Christianity Beliefs Jesus crucifixion as portrayed by Diego Velázquez. ...

Such exchanges, many more of which may have gone unrecorded, suggest that Buddhism may have had some influence on early Christianity: "Scholars have often considered the possibility that Buddhism influenced the early development of Christianity. They have drawn attention to many parallels concerning the births, lives, doctrines, and deaths of the Buddha and Jesus" (Bentley, "Old World Encounters"). See also: Timeline of Christianity Beliefs Jesus crucifixion as portrayed by Diego Velázquez. ... Jesus, also known as Jesus of Nazareth, is the central figure of Christianity, in which context he is known as Jesus Christ (from Greek Ιησούς Χριστός) with Christ not being a name but rather a title meaning Anointed. He is also considered a very important prophet in Islam. ...

See also

• Greco-Buddhism

Greco-Buddhism, sometimes spelled Græco-Buddhism, is the cultural syncretism between the culture of Classical Greece and Buddhism, which developed over a period of close to 800 years in Central Asia in the area corresponding to modern-day Afghanistan and Pakistan, between the 4th century BCE and the 5th...

Notes

• 1. ^  Strabo on the immolation of the Sramana in Athens, Paragraph 73
  2. ^ Clement of Alexandria "The Stromata, or Miscellanies" Book I, Chapter XV
  3. ^  Clement of Alexandria "The Stromata, or Miscellanies" Book I, Chapter XV
  4. ^  "he called himself Buddas" ISAIAH xlv. 16, 17. (Sept.): Full text
  5. ^  Porphyry "On abstinence from animal food" Book IV, Paragraphs 17&18.

References

• "Dictionary of Buddhism" by Damien Keown (Oxford University Press, 2003) ISBN 0198605609
• "The Diffusion of Classical Art in Antiquity" by John Boardman (Princeton University Press, 1994) ISBN 0691036802
• "Living Zen" by Robert Linssen (Grove Press, New York, 1958) ISBN 0802131360
• "National Museum Arts asiatiques- Guimet" (Editions de la Reunion des Musées Nationaux, Paris, 2001) ISBN 2711838978.
• "Religions of the Silk Road" by Richard Foltz (St. Martin’s Griffin, New York, 1999) ISBN 0312233388
• "The Shape of Ancient Thought. Comparative studies in Greek and Indian Philosophies" by Thomas McEvilley (Allworth Press, New York, 2002) ISBN 1581152035
• "The Times Atlas of Archeology" (Times Books Limited, London, 1991) ISBN 0723003068
• "Japanese Buddhism" by Sir Charles Eliot, ISBN 0710309678
• "Hinduism and Buddhism: An Historical Sketch" by Sir Charles Eliot, ISBN 8121510937
• "The Crossroads of Asia. Transformation in Image and symbol", 1992, ISBN 0951839918