Afghanistan - Secret sutra found in rubble of Bamiyan Buddha: report

Agence France-Presse (excerpt) ^ | November 11, 2006

[HAL9000]

Excerpt -

TOKYO (AFP) - A part of a Buddhism sutra was found inside one of the two giant Buddhas of Bamiyan, providing a hint for unveiling the mystery surrounding the creation of the statues, a Japanese news agency has reported.

The fragment of the scripture was believed to be the original Sanscrit document, written with the letters often used in the sixth and seventh century, according to a Kyodo news dispatch from Kabul.

A German team of researchers from the International Council on Monuments and Sites found the sutra in July inside the rubble of the remains of the Buddhas, said the report, printed in major Japanese newspapers.

The researchers believed it was placed inside the eastern side of what used to be the world's tallest standing Buddha statues. They were destroyed in 2001 by Taliban Islamic extremists.

~ snip ~

[HAL9000]

fyi

[Larry Lucido]

Idiot taliban try to squelch a culture and only help uncover more about it.

[CarrotAndStick]

Chandragupta, the founder of Mauryan dynasty was living in Taxila when Alexander captured this city. Here he met Kautilya, who remained his chief adviser throughout his career. Gandhara was won back from the Greeks by Chandragupta Maurya. Having defeated Seleucus Nicator (Alexander's successor in Asia) in 305 BCE, the Mauryan Emperor extended his domains up to and including Southern Afghanistan. Using this Gandhara as his base Chandragupta led a rebellion against Magadha Empire and ascended to the throne at Pataliputra in 321 BC. [comment: There is very little known about the sequence of events leading to Chandragupta's defeat of the Nanda emperors of Magadha. There are no contemporary Indian records of Chandragupta Maurya and almost all that is known is based on the diaries of Megasthenes, the ambassador from Seleucus.] He was the first ruler of Mauryan dynasty.

Ashoka, the grandson of Chandragupta was the one of the greatest rulers the world has ever known. Like his grandfather, Ashoka also started his career from Gandhara as a governor. Later he became a Buddhist and promoted this religion in his empire. He built many stupas in Gandhara. Mauryan control over northern frontagers including the Yonas, Kambojas and the Gandharas is attested from the Rock Edicts left by Ashoka, who shows special solicitude for these frontier highlanders. His successors, however, failed to cast such imperial shadows throughout the Indian sub-continent.

[SevenofNine]

Is that same Budda got destroy by the Tailband when they were in power or differnt Budda

[SunkenCiv]

Thanks HAL9000.

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[HAL9000]

Right, the same one. This would make a good Indiana Jones movie.

[SunkenCiv]

The Edicts of King Ashoka
Colorado State University Computer Science Department | 1993 | An English Rendering by Ven. S. Dhammika
Posted on 07/18/2004 10:46:23 AM EDT by SunkenCiv
http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-bloggers/1173637/posts

India enshrines Buddha's remains after 2000 years
The Scotsman | Sun 29 Oct 2006 | The Scotsman
Posted on 10/31/2006 10:16:59 AM EST by CarrotAndStick
http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/1729144/posts

2,300-Year-Old Artefacts May Change Ashoka-Buddhist History
Delhi India Organiser | July 9, 2006
Posted on 07/04/2006 6:25:30 PM EDT by blam
http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/1660376/posts

[SuziQ]

These are the same ones. Archaeologists are now going through the rubble to study them. They had to wait until the Taliban were defeated and removed from power to have this chance.

I'm glad to hear the stories about the statues on the news. It always reminds everyone just how irrational the Taliban is.

[wodinoneeye]

Stamping out the competition (going even as far as murder) is not necessarily irrational. Ruthlessness can be employed quite easily in a rational way. What might be irrational is them expecting everyone else to accept their actions and to not expect revulsion and reaction to their acts.

[indcons]

Trust the muslims to destroy what they can't create/understand. Is there a greater curse than these barbarians in all annals of human history?

[Dustbunny]

The two giant Buddhas of Bamiyan were no longer a religious symbol. They were a piece of antiquity. What a waste to destroy them.

At the rate things are now going, 20 or 25 years from now we will probably see more of the same.

[metmom]

Not that I can think of.

[Thombo2]

"Stamping out the competition is not necessarily irrational....ruthlessness can be employed quite easily in a rational way."Unfortunately too easy...Stalin,Pol Pot,Mao....

[SunkenCiv]

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[Reily]

To all

The Muslim Brotherhood (where Zawahiri cut his Islam-fanatical teeth!) has said numerous times that if they get power they will destroy the “idolatry” in Egypt.
Meaning all the great antiquities of ancient Egypt.