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The idea of a Greek influence on the development of Buddhism has been particularly advocated by Étienne Lamotte [62] and Thomas McEvilley, who has speculated that “like the Gandharan art style, the Gandharan Buddhist style must have had a prominent Hellenic factor”, [63] although he does not employ the term "Greco-Buddhism" for this ...
Most scholars believe there is no historical evidence of any influence by Buddhism on Christianity. [verification needed] Leslie Houlden states that although modern parallels between the teachings of Jesus and Buddha have been drawn, these comparisons emerged after missionary contacts in the 19th century and there is no historically reliable evidence of contacts between Buddhism and Jesus. [28]
They also adopted other elements of Greek culture. Art themes derived from Greek mythology were common initially but later Buddhist imagery dominated. [23] The Nahapana, ruler of the Western Kshatrapas, in broadly the same era and south of the Kushan Empire, established the Kshatrapa coinage, derived from Indo-Greek coinage.
Buddhism was spread to Greek communities by the Mauryan Emperor Ashoka. Scholars believe that Mahayana Buddhism began around the 1st century BCE in the North-western Indian subcontinent, corresponding to the time and place of Indo-Greek florescence. Intense multi-cultural influences have indeed been suggested in the appearance of Mahayana.
Most countries adopted Indian writing and culture, together with Hinduism and Mahayana and Theravada Buddhism. The influence of Greco-Buddhist art is still visible in most of the representation of the Buddha in Southeast Asia, through their idealism, realism and details of dress, although they tend to intermix with Indian Hindu art , and they ...
The Greek expansion into Indian territory may have been intended to protect Greek populations in India, [264] and to protect the Buddhist faith from the religious persecutions of the Shungas. [265] The city of Sirkap founded by Demetrius combines Greek and Indian influences without signs of segregation between the two cultures.
[11] [38] Buddhist scholar Masao Abe pointed out that while "the event of the Cross" is central to Christianity, it is not possible for Buddhism to accept its importance. [38] Buddhist philosopher D. T. Suzuki stated that every time he saw a crucifixion scene it reminded him of the "gap that lies deep" between Christianity and Buddhism. [39]
Indian coinage of Agathocles, with Chaitya-hill, and tree in railing. From around 180 BCE, Agathocles and Pantaleon, probable successors to Demetrius I in the Paropamisadae, and the earliest Greek kings to issue Indian-standard square bilingual coins (in Brahmi), depicted the Buddhist lion together with the Hindu goddess Lakshmi.