China’s action like Pol Pot’s, says Dalai Lama

[sinait]

This doesn't look ancient- more like a modern sketch- Ancient times people painted in caves- All existing Buddhist paintings are in caves- like the one I showed above-

Valid point. It never say where that impression is taken from. So do we agree that the Buddha is a Shakyan, and is Not an Indian or whatever. Regarding the cave painting, you may want to read post #49 by patman. We can disagree on whether he is a mongoloid. Other than a DNA check, you are not going to convince me that the Buddha is not of East Asian ancestry.

Most of Buddhist texts were destroyed in Islamic invasions- the library of Nalanda was burnt down- so I doubt the claim of this photo being ancient unless British took the whole mountain to London-

There you have it. Most of what we hear of the Buddha is from the Indian influenced interpretation and Hindu hearsay, and there is no Hinduism during that time. The Indians keep spreading this narrative that the Buddha is born in India until recently. Now they have mostly abandoned that, but keep spreading propaganda that Buddhism is from India when there is no India during the Buddha life time. I am not sure if the Buddha did attain enlightenment at Bodh Gaya because Indians keep claiming that the Buddha is the reincarnation of Vishnu. I am not Buddhist so I am not bothered where the Buddha attain enlightenment. We don't know who are the people populating the areas that the Buddha live just like the people in South Vietnam now are not Cham, the original occupiers. There is also controversy on the origin of the Indus Valley Civilization.
What I know is the Buddha is Shakyan, is Not an Indian and Buddhism is Not from 1947 India.
@faithfulguy

 

[faithfulguy]

Valid point. It never say where that impression is taken from. So do we agree that the Buddha is a Shakyan, and is Not an Indian or whatever. Regarding the cave painting, you may want to read post #49 by patman. We can disagree on whether he is a mongoloid. Other than a DNA check, you are not going to convince me that the Buddha is not of East Asian ancestry.



There you have it. Most of what we hear of the Buddha is from the Indian influenced interpretation and Hindu hearsay, and there is no Hinduism during that time. The Indians keep spreading this narrative that the Buddha is born in India until recently. Now they have mostly abandoned that, but keep spreading propaganda that Buddhism is from India when there is no India during the Buddha life time. I am not sure if the Buddha did attain enlightenment at Bodh Gaya because Indians keep claiming that the Buddha is the reincarnation of Vishnu. I am not Buddhist so I am not bothered where the Buddha attain enlightenment. We don't know who are the people populating the areas that the Buddha live just like the people in South Vietnam now are not Cham, the original occupiers. There is also controversy on the origin of the Indus Valley Civilization.
What I know is the Buddha is Shakyan, is Not an Indian and Buddhism is Not from 1947 India.
@faithfulguy

Since India was never a countryuntil 1947, but a geographical expression. So when I refer to India in my post, I'm talking about the Indian subcontinent.

The political situation in India is fluid. With many kingdoms in existence and lots of external invasions. Records were not kept well. So history is mainly from archeological evidence or heresay. From historgraphical perspective, India never cross from prehistoric period to historical period until the last few hundred years.

Buddha existed 2500 years ago in prehistoric India (the subcontinent). Most of knowledge about his life were handed down through oral traditions. So who knows really what happened. To accept the events in Buddahs life, we have to accepted with religious faith. No different than the how we would view the lifes of Moses or Jesus.

 

[sinait]

Since India was never a countryuntil 1947, but a geographical expression. So when I refer to India in my post, I'm talking about the Indian subcontinent.

The political situation in India is fluid. With many kingdoms in existence and lots of external invasions. Records were not kept well. So history is mainly from archeological evidence or heresay. From historgraphical perspective, India never cross from prehistoric period to historical period until the last few hundred years.

Buddha existed 2500 years ago in prehistoric India (the subcontinent). Most of knowledge about his life were handed down through oral traditions. So who knows really what happened. To accept the events in Buddahs life, we have to accepted with religious faith. No different than the how we would view the lifes of Moses or Jesus.

True. Best to avoid mention of the word "India" though. Non-Indians know where you are coming from. Some Indians like to claim credit from everything. Imagine there are Indians who believe that Nehru declined an UNSC seat and offered it to China and that 36% of NASA are Indians. I usually avoid arguing with them, a gargantuan task. But I need to put in a statement into this "Buddhism is from India" narrative to stop this notion of great India cultural export. Anyway I don't know much, and no time to research deeply, all this are told to me by a Sikh friend. I thought maybe you or somebody else have more info on this and better able to continue this discussion with them.
Thks.

 

[Mangus Ortus Novem]

True. Best to avoid mention of the word "India" though. Non-Indians know where you are coming from. Some Indians like to claim credit from everything. Imagine there are Indians who believe that Nehru declined an UNSC seat and offered it to China and that 36% of NASA are Indians. I usually avoid arguing with them, a gargantuan task. But I need to put in a statement into this "Buddhism is from India" narrative to stop this notion of great India cultural export. Anyway I don't know much, and no time to research deeply, all this are told to me by a Sikh friend. I thought maybe you or somebody else have more info on this and better able to continue this discussion with them.
Thks.

To find answers, dear friend, look towards the Esoteric Buddhism.

Look at the direction of this Thought spreading... you also have to look at the opposition Buddhism encountered in the plains of south asia.

But most importantly you have to look at the unqiue Thought of the Teacher...how it fundamentaly varries from hindu religion.

Look at Kashmir and Northern Areas, KPK province of Pak and also how China adopted Buddhism and Sinofied it before gifting it to JP where it became Nipofied as Zen.

Our indians friends can claim all they want...just hollow words...

Would be interesting to dig in the histroy and spread of this Thought to SL and South East Asia... look at the Stupas in Indonesia...Look at Thailand.

Anyhow, great thread and relevant in grand scheme of things.

Buddha is as indian as Mars is vedic!