Early Buddhism and the Greeks
Greek thinkers are important witnesses for the Buddhism of the fourth to first centuries BCE in India. Both Pyrrho and his teacher Anaxarchus were exposed to Buddhist ideas while travelling with Alexander in India in 326 BCE. Buddhist forms of argument, such as the tetralemma, reappear in Pyrrho. S...
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Universitat Autònoma de Barcelona
2024-12-01
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| Series: | Karanos |
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| Online Access: | https://revistes.uab.cat/karanos/article/view/143 |
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| author | Richard Stoneman |
| author_facet | Richard Stoneman |
| author_sort | Richard Stoneman |
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Greek thinkers are important witnesses for the Buddhism of the fourth to first centuries BCE in India. Both Pyrrho and his teacher Anaxarchus were exposed to Buddhist ideas while travelling with Alexander in India in 326 BCE. Buddhist forms of argument, such as the tetralemma, reappear in Pyrrho. Some scholars have argued that key elements of Buddhism, including the Four Noble Truths, and the doctrine of no self, only arose much later; but archaeological evidence, such as the sculptures of Sanchi, indicate that key doctrines, as enshrined in the jatakas, were circulating in the Indo-Greek period in India. Anecdotes about Anaxarchus also suggest familiarity with the idea of no self, while the Pali work The Questions of King Milinda suggests that the Greek king Menander could have raised questions about Buddhist doctrine at an early date (ca. 150 BCE).
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| format | Article |
| id | doaj-art-ba0683b79e9b4da7ba6f05946dcb213c |
| institution | Kabale University |
| issn | 2604-6199 2604-3521 |
| language | ell |
| publishDate | 2024-12-01 |
| publisher | Universitat Autònoma de Barcelona |
| record_format | Article |
| series | Karanos |
| spelling | doaj-art-ba0683b79e9b4da7ba6f05946dcb213c2025-01-04T03:13:03ZellUniversitat Autònoma de BarcelonaKaranos2604-61992604-35212024-12-01710.5565/rev/karanos.143Early Buddhism and the GreeksRichard Stoneman Greek thinkers are important witnesses for the Buddhism of the fourth to first centuries BCE in India. Both Pyrrho and his teacher Anaxarchus were exposed to Buddhist ideas while travelling with Alexander in India in 326 BCE. Buddhist forms of argument, such as the tetralemma, reappear in Pyrrho. Some scholars have argued that key elements of Buddhism, including the Four Noble Truths, and the doctrine of no self, only arose much later; but archaeological evidence, such as the sculptures of Sanchi, indicate that key doctrines, as enshrined in the jatakas, were circulating in the Indo-Greek period in India. Anecdotes about Anaxarchus also suggest familiarity with the idea of no self, while the Pali work The Questions of King Milinda suggests that the Greek king Menander could have raised questions about Buddhist doctrine at an early date (ca. 150 BCE). https://revistes.uab.cat/karanos/article/view/143BuddhismIndiaGreek philosophyPyrrhoAnaxarchusKing Menander |
| spellingShingle | Richard Stoneman Early Buddhism and the Greeks Karanos Buddhism India Greek philosophy Pyrrho Anaxarchus King Menander |
| title | Early Buddhism and the Greeks |
| title_full | Early Buddhism and the Greeks |
| title_fullStr | Early Buddhism and the Greeks |
| title_full_unstemmed | Early Buddhism and the Greeks |
| title_short | Early Buddhism and the Greeks |
| title_sort | early buddhism and the greeks |
| topic | Buddhism India Greek philosophy Pyrrho Anaxarchus King Menander |
| url | https://revistes.uab.cat/karanos/article/view/143 |
| work_keys_str_mv | AT richardstoneman earlybuddhismandthegreeks |