http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Greco-Buddhism
In fact, I’ve heard that the orange robes of he Buddhist monks were copied from Greek togas, which makes sense to me.
There is a book by Martin Palmer that tells the story of Nestorian Christianism in China: The Jesus Sutras. Some excerpts from the ancient texts:
The Sutra of the World-Honored One says, “Pay no attention to outsiders but worship the One Sacred Spirit. The One will become visible to you, and then you should worship only the One.” (1:3-4)
The sutra says, “Knock and the door will open: but if you don’t receive what you requested, or the door is not opened, it is because what you asked for isn’t right for you. No matter how hard you ask, you won’t be given what is bad for you.” (2:23-26)
The sutra says, “If you ask your father for food, you will get food. But if you asked for a stone you would be wasting your time and would never be given it because it is not right.” (2: 27)
The World Honored One’s Teachings on Charity, Part Three (Chinese Title) 641 C.E.
“Those who know the True Way (zhen dao) of the One Sacred Spirit and have read the Good Book, but do not follow this or the One Sacred Spirit’s commands, will dwell with evil spirits and ghosts in the Earth Prisons, and serve the evil ghosts forever.” (8:32)
“Don’t follow the evil dao, but go the way of the King’s entrance and find heaven. Few have achieved this. Others travel the broad dao and have a great time, but it leads to the Earth Prisons.” (2:40-41)
“He showed the holy transformation beyond all previous reckoning. While his five attributes passed away (transformed) he did not die.” (4:14)
“Through his [Jesus’] wonders all can escape becoming ghosts.” (4:22)
“If you do not worship him, you will end up worshipping evil spirits. You will be impure and unclean, and you will be dragged into the darkness of the Earth Prisons From there you cannot return to the Good Place but must dwell with the Great Evil Ghost.” (7:9-11)
“The evil follow the evil spirits and dwell with them in the Earth Prisons, hell-dwellers, and ghosts. When the time comes for all life to end, evil spirits will seize people and judgment will come.” (8:22)
“The Evil Ghost Spirit makes people create false deities….” (7:30)
“(the followers of the false way) are as bad as those who worship the sun, moon, stars or even the fire gods.”
]]>Greg, if this is the case (post 7th century AD) then it’s certainly within the realm of possibility that there was a Christian influence. I would recommend Philip Jenkin’s new book about the growth of Christianity in the East and Far East. Although it was mostly Nestorian, Christianity penetrated into China very early. At one time, the Patriarch of Babylon pastored a Church that was larger than Rome’s and Constantinople’s.
]]>Source: Tibetan Buddhism
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