Syncretism between Buddhism and Ancient Greece, and Buddha Coins

 

Buddhism originated around the 6th century BC. Greeks trade with India started centuries before Alexander's invasion in India that was in 326 BC. Greco-Buddhism is the cultural syncretism between Hellenistic culture (started during the time between the death of Alexander the Great in 323 BC to the death of Cleopatra VII, or 30 BC) and Buddhism, which developed between the 4th century BC and the 5th century AD and flourished for a period of more than 800 years. The philosophical, peaceful and liberating teachings of Buddha had a great impact on Hellenism. Following Alexander's death, after he left India, the successors founded their own kingdoms in Asia minor and Central Asia.

                       

Kushan Empire, Kanishka I, 128-150 AD, Buddha standing facing.

Greco-Buddhism followed the Mauryan Empire (322-183 BC), Seleucid Empire, the Indo-Greek Kingdoms and the Kushan Empire (1st to 3rd century AD). In fact, Chandragupta Maurya's wife was Seleucus I Nicator's (Seleucid Empire) daughter Helena.   Buddhism spread to Gandhara, Central Asia and through the silk route to China, Korea, Japan, East and Southeast Asia. 

                     

Buddhist expansion in Asia during Kushan Era (2nd century BC to the 3rd century AD), through the silk route. Overland and maritime route was interlinked forming the ''great circle of Buddhism''.

Pyrrho of Elis travelled with Alexander, during the Greek invasion from 334-324 BC, and met with Buddhist masters. They impacted and shaped the philosophy of Pyrrho, who preserved these. Pyrrho's Buddhist thought had a major impact on Western philosophy and on Pyrrhonism. 

While the term ''Buddha'' is used in the Agamas (scriptures of ancient Buddhist schools, in Prakrit and Sanskrit) and the Pali Canon, (collection of scriptures preserved in Pali language, now translated in various other languages), the oldest surviving written records of the term ''Buddha'' is from the middle of 3rd century BC, in several Edicts of Ashoka (269-232 BC).

                        

      Thai Pali Canon, standard edition.

The Indians referred to the Greeks as Yonas (Yavana). Greek was one of the first languages in which part of Buddha's teachings were recorded, including the inscriptions of Emperor Ashoka who followed Buddhism. Greeks were the first Europeans to embrace Buddhism, centuries before the advent of Christianity. There is one school of thought that believes that the first sculptors to depict the Buddha in the form of statues, particularly, the standing statues, were of Greek descent (1st century AD). Before this, Buddha was only represented through his symbols (empty throne, Bodhi Tree, Buddha footprints, the Dharam chakra or the Umbrella). The 14th Dalai Lama says, ''One of the distinguishing features of Gandharan school of art is that it has been clearly influenced by Classical Greek style''.

                        

The Buddha in long, heavy robe, Ajanta Caves, 5th century AD, probably derived from Gandhara art.

The arts of the Indian subcontinent were quite affected by Hellenistic art. The iconograph of Vajrapani is clearly that of the Greek divine hero Heracles (Hercules), with varying degrees of hybridization. Menander I (Indo-Greek king, 165-130 BC, whose capital was Sangala, present day Sialkot) was one of the patrons of Buddhism.

                       

Herculean depiction of Vajrapani as protector of Buddha, 2nd century AD, British museum. 

Mahadharmaraksita was a Greek Buddhist master who lived during the 2nd century BC, during the reign of Menander I travelled with 30,000 Greek Buddhist monks from Alexandria in the Caucasus (located to the South of Bactria, in the mountains of the Hindu Kush), to Anuradhapura in Sri Lanka (according to Mahavamsa, a historical chronicle of Sri Lanka written in Pali language, 543 BC).  

                        

Alexandria in the Caucasus is located to the south of Bactria, in the mountains of the Hindu Kush.

Buddhist gravestones decorated with depictions of the ''Dharma Wheel'' have been found in Alexandria, indicating the presence of Buddhism in Ptolemaic Egypt/. Buddhism spread along the river Nile. The ''Meroitic script resembles Kharosthi signs. In fact, 34 of the 42 signs or 81 percent matched. 

Today, there is a sizable Buddhist community in Greece. There are presently many Buddhist Centres in Greece, four Centres formed by the Diamond Way, other Centres are in Athens, Thessaloniki, Sparta and Rhodes.  

Buddhist traditions recognize, Emperor Asoka, Menander and Kanishka as the greatest benefactors of Buddhist faith. Kushan monks, such as Lokaksema (178 AD), travelled to the Chinese capital of Loyang, where they became translators of Buddhist scriptures into Chinese.

Although Buddha was depicted on coins by the Buddhist symbols since the 2nd century BC, the iconographic imagery of Buddha was introduced during the Kushan rule on Kanishka I coins, 127-150 AD. 

                         

The Bimaran Casket, 1st century AD, gold, in the British museum, with a depiction of Buddha, discovered in Afghanistan between 1833 and 1838 from the Stupa at Bimaran near Jalalabad. 

Buddha and Coins

                           

Tillya Tepe gold coin, 1st century BC -1st century AD, found in tomb IV (the male warrior), in Afghanistan's Jowzjan Province, in 1987. Obverse: Kharosthi legend, vigatabhayo, ''The lion who dispelled fear'', Reverse: Kharosthi legend, Dharmacakrapravata, ''the one who turned the Wheel of the Law''

The coin is assumed to be destroyed or melted by Taliban in March 2001.

                       

Kushan, Kanishka I, 128-150 AD, gold, weight 7.9 gm, Obverse: Crowned king standing, holding spear and sacrificing at altar at left, Bactrian legend, ''king of kings Kanishka Kushan'', Reverse: Buddha standing, left hand holding robe, right hand in abhayamudra, ''have no fear'', tamgha at right.

                       

Kushan, Kanishka, 128-150 AD, Tetradrachm, weight 16.4 gm, Obverse: King standing facing, holding spear and sacrificing at altar at left, Bactrian legend, King Kanishka, Reverse: Sakyamuni Buddha standing facing, left hand holding robe, right hand in abhayamudra, ''have no fear.''

                        

Indo-Greek, Menander II, 90-85 BC, Drachm, weight 2.2 gm, Obverse: King wearing aegis, brandishing a spear, Greek legends, ''King Menander the Just'', Reverse: Zeus enthroned, holding Nike and scepter, Nike handing a victory wreath over an eight-spoked wheel to left, monogram to right, Kharosthi legend ''Maharajas Dharmikasa Minamdrasa (King Menander follower of the Dharma).

                       

                                     

Kushan, Kanishka I, 128-150 AD, Bronze, weight 16.2 gm, Obverse: Crowned king standing, holding spear and sacrificing at altar at left, legend around, ''King Kanishka'', Reverse: Maitreya Buddha seated facing a meditation platform, legend around, MHTPATO BOYAO,'' Sakyamuni Buddha.''

                        

                                   

Kushan, Kanishka I, 127-152 AD, Tetradrachm, bronze, weight 16.7 gm, Obverse: Kanishka standing front, head to left, sacrificing with his right hand over altar and holding trident in his left, Reverse: Sakyamuni Buddha standing wearing monk's robe, raising his right in abhayamudra (gesture of reassurance).

                         

Kushan, Kanishka I, 127-152 AD, Tetradrachm, weight 16.6 gm, Obverse: Kanishka standing, head left, holding standard and goad, altar to left, Reverse: Buddha standing facing, hand raised in gesture of abhayamudra, tamgha to outer left.

                      

Buddhism

Greco Buddhism

Buddha and Coins