[Assam] Buddhism & Hellenic culture

[Himendra Thakur]

Dear Rajen,

I have a question: Whereas Buddhism spread from India to China and Japan in the pre-Islamic & pre-Christian days, why Buddhism did it not spread to Greece and other Mediterranean civilizations? 

The highest tribute to India in recorded history is contemporary to Alexander the Great. He inherited the throne Macedonia, Greece, in 336 BC at the age of 20. He belonged to an age about 300 years before Christianity and 1000 years before Islam. We can study him without going through the balancing act of simultaneous conciliation of Christianity and Islam, because they were not there.  

Soon after ascending the throne, Alexander started his campaign of conquering the world. After 10 years of conquests that included the victory over the massive Persian army and Persian Emperor Darius III in 331 BC.    

In 326 BC, when he invaded India, Alexander was 30 year old. Very skillfully using the technique of night attacks (which remained a weak point of Indian defense even at the time of Islamic invaders 1500 years later), Alexander defeated King Porus at the epic Battle of Hydaspes.  Alexander turned the enemy into a friend, remained in India for one year, cancelled his eastward campaign, and returned in July 325 BC. He never reached his motherland. He died in Babylon in 323 BC at the age of 33.

The reasons for his return from India are cited by many historians as a combination of persuasion by Alexander's own general Coenus and other subordinates, and the refusal of his army who were tired of long stay away from home, actually afraid of the battle elephants of the Magadha kingdom in the east in those pre-gunpowder wars. 

These reasons appear to be created for public consumption. These reasons were contrary to the world-conquering character of Alexander. 

During the continuous battles in the previous ten years, Alexander developed a practice of bringing fresh recruits from Macedonia by recycling his soldiers with one year home leave after every two years of battlefield duty. He also had the manpower of the entire Persian empire behind him. 

As for the battle elephants in those pre-gunpowder days, Alexander perfected a tactic of deactivating the elephant by attacking the mahout and his replacements with arrow and javelins. Battle elephants did not save India in the pre-gunpowder invasions by Islamic marauders 1500 years later. 

As for the advice of Coenus or any other subordinate, the leadership quality of a world-conquering king of ancient times was unlikely to be guided by subordinates. We must look for more convincing reasons.

Surprised by the indifferent behaviour of a group of Jain monks during his stay in India, Alexander asked them why they ignored a world-conquering King. Recorded by Greek writer Arrian (92-175), the Jain monks replied, "You are but human like rest of us. Every man can possess only so much of earth as he is standing on. When you will be dead, you will own just as much land as will suffice to bury you. So, why conquer the world?" 

Unlike the Islamic invaders who massacred people and imposed their "religion" 1500 years later, Alexander did not put the Jain monks to death or destroy their temple. He showed them respect, reminiscent of his famous saying to the old philosopher Diogenes: "If I was not Alexander, I would be Diogenes." 

 

Evidence is not extensive to suggest whether Alexander, or the Greek scholars, understood Advaita, the supreme wisdom that led India to follow the path of sat-chit-ananda: Reality-Consciousness-Joy which baffled Alexander. Our own Pandit Jawaharlal Nehru proudly recorded in 1945 that he did not understand Advaita, probably to glorify his socialism which was rather an erroneous tunnel-view of what Karl Marx tried to establish for human welfare. Very stylishly, Nehru went on using "monism" to mean Advaita to the last day of his life.

 

To the Greek scholars of ancient times, India remained a mystery land. The writings of Arrian (92 AD-175 AD), Strabo (64 BC-24 AD), Diodorus (90 BC-30 BC), Flavius Philostatus (170 AD-247 AD) are full of praise of India. The most adulatory account was from Magasthenes (350 BC-290 BC), contemporary to Alexander. However, some of these praises exceed commonsense and may not be considered as a truthful report. 

 

Even before coming to India, Alexander showed respect to other people's culture by adopting Persian costumes and following their customs which were opposed by his own countrymen. The idea of "One World" --- a strange concept in those ancient times --- was rising as a hazy cloud in his young mind. He followed this idea the only way he knew: Conquer the World. In India, he found his answer. He returned. It was not necessary for him to advance any further. 

 

Alexander came to the throne about 150 years after the Mahaprayan of Lord Buddha, and about 50 years before Emperor Ashoka started to spread Buddhism all over the known world.  During Ashoka's time, the contact between India and Greece was well established through the Seleucid Empire, Greco-Bactrin Kingdom of Diodotus I, and others. 

Whereas Buddhism spread to China and Japan at the time of Emperor Ashoka, it is a mystery why Buddhism could not influence the Greeks. 

I'll be thankful if you could enlighten on this topic.

With the best wishes,
Himendra
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