Buddhism in South-East Asia: A Cultural Survey

Born in India in the sixth century B.C., Buddhism began spreading in the neighbouring countries in the third century B.C. as a result of the efforts of Asoka, the first Emperor of India, and soon it became a major faith in practically the whole of South-East Asia. In this book is presented for the first time a comprehensive survey of the Buddhist influence on Asian culture and civilization. The presentation has been divided into four sections. These are : I. Buddhist philosophy and religion. II. Buddhist influence on the cultural and spiritual development of selected countries, namely, India, Sri Lanka, Burma (Myanmar), Thailand, Laos, China, Korea, Japan, Vietnam, Tibet and Mongolia. III. Contribution of Buddhism to education, the arts and architecture of South-East Asia, and IV. Relevance and status of Buddhism in the contemporary world. All this information makes this volume a unique reference book.