India is perhaps the only country in the world which conquered large parts of the world without sending a single soldier ! This was due to Buddhism, and Emperor Ashoka, who got converted to that religion after the battle of Kalinga, and sent missionaries to many places. China, Japan, Thailand, Vietnam, Srilanka, Afghanistan, Tibet, Kazhakstan, Tadjikstan, Uzbegistan, Indonesia,etc. all became Buddhist. This was really marvellous !
In Japan I saw hundreds of Buddha statues, e.g. the Kamakura Buddha, which is huge. In Bangkok I saw the golden Buddha.
I have never been to China ( except Hong Kong, which I visited a few times ), but I have with me the book ' The Quest of the Buddha : A Journey on the Silk Road ' by Sunita Dwivedi ( wife of my friend Rakesh Dwivedi, senior advocate, supreme court ) which is a remarkable book, describing Sunita's journey in much of Asia, where she found thousands of Buddha statues.
Of course Hinduism also spread to many parts of Asia. Bali, where I went a few years ago, is Hindu, and the famous Khmer city of Angkor Wat in Kampuchea ( Cambodia ) shows Hindu influence. Even in Indonesia, which is largely Muslim, many people have Hindu names, and the Indonesian Airlines is called ' Garuda '
In Japan I saw hundreds of Buddha statues, e.g. the Kamakura Buddha, which is huge. In Bangkok I saw the golden Buddha.
I have never been to China ( except Hong Kong, which I visited a few times ), but I have with me the book ' The Quest of the Buddha : A Journey on the Silk Road ' by Sunita Dwivedi ( wife of my friend Rakesh Dwivedi, senior advocate, supreme court ) which is a remarkable book, describing Sunita's journey in much of Asia, where she found thousands of Buddha statues.
Of course Hinduism also spread to many parts of Asia. Bali, where I went a few years ago, is Hindu, and the famous Khmer city of Angkor Wat in Kampuchea ( Cambodia ) shows Hindu influence. Even in Indonesia, which is largely Muslim, many people have Hindu names, and the Indonesian Airlines is called ' Garuda '
Great informative article sir , kindly enlighten us with the reasons behind complete wipe out Buddhism from India
ReplyDeleteFor those who believe 'religion' is nonsense and for those who get into quarrels / fights in the name of various religions, this is a proof that religion has the power to unite nations. Thank you for the information sir.
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