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How Ancient Greeks Spread Buddhism to the Known World
Greek Reporter ^ | Arunansh B. Goswa

Posted on 03/11/2025 3:01:00 PM PDT by nickcarraway

click here to read article


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1 posted on 03/11/2025 3:01:00 PM PDT by nickcarraway
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To: nickcarraway

There is a lot of overlap between Buddhism and stoicism so this tracks.


2 posted on 03/11/2025 3:08:58 PM PDT by pepsi_junkie ("We want no Gestapo or Secret Police. F. B. I. is tending in that direction." - Harry S Truman)
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To: nickcarraway

I took a Buddhism class in university and they never said anything about this.

Thanks.


3 posted on 03/11/2025 3:15:34 PM PDT by packagingguy
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To: nickcarraway

I forwarded this to a professor at Otani U (Buddhist) who was my high school classmate in Yokohama; I’ll see what he has to say.

By the time Paul is preaching Christ in Asia Minor, Macedonia, and Greece, any Buddhist connections to the Greco-Roman pantheon would have long been forgotten, I think.


4 posted on 03/11/2025 3:20:42 PM PDT by chajin ("There is no other name under heaven given among people by which we must be saved." Acts 4:12)
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To: nickcarraway

Buddhism is cool, but it is NOT a religion, except some have tried to make it one. If you read even a Dummies book on the Buddha you would know he would be appalled to have been considered any kind of deity. He rejected Hinduism for many reasons.


5 posted on 03/11/2025 3:35:37 PM PDT by montag813
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To: montag813

Perhaps, but he isn’t in charge. Even atheism is a religion.


6 posted on 03/11/2025 3:38:16 PM PDT by nickcarraway
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To: nickcarraway

Namu Amida Butsu.


7 posted on 03/11/2025 3:42:27 PM PDT by tet68
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To: nickcarraway

“The Greeks were known by the name Yona in Pali and Yavana in Sanskrit”

A note:

AI Overview

In Sanskrit, “Yavana” (यवन) generally translates to “Greek” or “Ionian,” and can also refer to foreigners or barbarians.


8 posted on 03/11/2025 3:46:45 PM PDT by Jyotishi (Seeking the truth, a fact at a time.)
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To: Jyotishi

Yevani is Hebrew for Greek (person). Plural Yevanim is in several Hanukah songs. Mityavnim is the Hebrew word for (non-Greek) Hellenists, the actual bad guys in Hanukah.


9 posted on 03/11/2025 4:06:55 PM PDT by jjotto ( Blessed are You LORD, who crushes enemies and subdues the wicked.)
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To: nickcarraway

Overheard at a Spartan training center: “You will be ready to go when you can snatch the javelin from my hand”.


10 posted on 03/11/2025 4:28:48 PM PDT by GingisK
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The rest of the Buddhism keyword, sorted:

11 posted on 03/11/2025 5:29:08 PM PDT by SunkenCiv (Putin should skip ahead to where he kills himself in the bunker.)
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To: nickcarraway; StayAt HomeMother; Ernest_at_the_Beach; 1ofmanyfree; 21twelve; 24Karet; ...

12 posted on 03/11/2025 5:29:43 PM PDT by SunkenCiv (Putin should skip ahead to where he kills himself in the bunker.)
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To: nickcarraway

“IT WON’T BE BUDDHA SITTING ON THRONE...”


13 posted on 03/11/2025 5:50:35 PM PDT by Democrat = party of treason
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To: nickcarraway; SunkenCiv

They misspelled buttism........


14 posted on 03/11/2025 5:57:19 PM PDT by Red Badger (Homeless veterans camp in the streets while illegals are put up in 5 Star hotels....................)
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To: pepsi_junkie

Stoicism borrowed heavily from Theravada Buddhism


15 posted on 03/11/2025 9:55:39 PM PDT by Cronos
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To: montag813

Theravada Buddhism is not a religion, but it is the minor sect of Buddhism. Mahayana Buddhism as espoused by Dhammapada and its multitude of Boddhisatvas IS a religion, and much more popular.

Original Buddhism as derived from Jainism is staunchly atheistic, believing there is no creator god, and the deities are just higher evolved beings also subject to karma.

Btw, Gautama didn’t reject Hinduism.

The Hinduism of today didn’t exist. The majority followed Vedic Hinduism, a Veda ritualized religion focused on purely Indo European gods like Indra/Perun/Thir/Tiw, Vasu/Vayu/Wiatr, Agni/Ogien etc and those gods are capricious.

Around 300 AD we see the current form of Hinduism, with a focus on personal gods like Krishna or Rama and the creation of the Hindu trinity: Brahma vishnu Shiva


16 posted on 03/11/2025 10:02:05 PM PDT by Cronos
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To: nickcarraway

“Even atheism is a religion.”

With all due respect, that isn’t going to fly.

Atheism is just lack of “any religion period”. Atheists do not label themselves or consider themselves as a religion. That false label is forced on them by other faiths without their consent.

Why is it someone can’t just “opt out” of all religion period? Zero zip? Simply choose not to go to the party at all?

Same with Buddhism, it is not a religion it is technically an “education”. But other religions falsely label it a religion.


17 posted on 03/12/2025 2:22:55 AM PDT by Openurmind
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To: Cronos

Thank you for the clarification!


18 posted on 03/12/2025 7:33:51 AM PDT by montag813
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To: Openurmind
Atheism is absolutely a religion. So, your argument is the government can establish atheism as state "religion" and force everyone to follow it? Since it's not a religion, you are saying the First Amendment does not protect citizens against it being forced on them?
19 posted on 05/01/2025 6:37:21 PM PDT by nickcarraway
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To: nickcarraway

Zero forced religion of any kind.

“Atheism is absolutely a religion.”

No it isn’t, it is simply the LACK of ANY religion at all. Atheists do not claim religion. Labeling it a religion is an absolute lie and ignorant myth perpetuated by dishonest radical extreme doctrine. Opting out of all religion altogether is just not allowed by certain faiths and doctrines. They just absolutely have to have a “Religion” to hate... And they can’t justify the hate unless they label it a religion whether it is or not.

Now “environmentalism and Liberalism” should indeed be labeled as religions and should also be separated from State and not forced by State. Because they are truly new Religions...


20 posted on 05/01/2025 7:16:22 PM PDT by Openurmind
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