Friday, March 20, 2009

Buddhism in ancient Egypt



“It would seem that Buddha was an Egyptian priest, chased from Memphis by the persecution of Cambyses. This tradition would justify the portrayal of Buddha with woolly hair. Historical documents do not invalidate this tradition…There is general agreement today on placing in the sixth century not only Buddha but the whole religious and philosophical movement in Asia with Confucius in China, Zoroaster in Iran. This would confirm the hypothesis of a dispersion of Egyptian priests at that time spreading their doctrine in Asia. (p.287)”

Anta Diop in The African Origin of Civilization .

Diop's mention of Memphis is quite interested because it is here that Petrie (1908) found evidence of Buddhist colonist, which he claimed dated back to the Persian period of Egypt (c 525-405BC). he wrote:

"on the right side, at the top is the Tibetan Mongolian, below that the Aryan woman of the Punjab, and at the base a seated figure in Indian attitude with the scarf over the left shoulder. These are the first remains of Indians known on the Mediterranean. Hitherto there have been no material evidences for that connection which is stated to have existed, both by embassies from Egypt and Syria to India, and by the great Buddist mission sent by Asoka as far west as Greece and Cyrene. We seem now to have touched the Indian colony in Memphis, and we may hope for more light on that connection which seems to have been so momentous for Western thought" (p.129).

If Petrie's dating is correct this puts Buddhists in Egypt two hundred years before Asoka, sent Buddhist missionaries to Egypt.

Reference:

W. M. Flinders Petrie, The peoples of the Persian Empire, Man (1908) No.71:pp.129-130.

1 comment:

RAVIKUMAR PILLAY said...

Dear Dr. Clyde winters,

Thanks to your post i wish to inform you that Siddhartha Gautama Buddha the third Buddha[ as you may be aware that there were 28 Buddhas = Enlightened ones] is dated to be Buddha's actual period was between 1887-1807 BCE. BUDDHIST MISSIONS TO YAVANA COUNTRIES DURING THE REIGN OF MAURYA ASHOKA (1529 BCE)

Mahavamsha relates that Maurya Ashoka sent Dharmarakshita Thera and Maharakshita Thera to Yavana countries to preach Buddhism after the third Buddhist Council (1529 BCE). Thus, Buddhism spread to the countries in the west beyond Gandhara. The Cairo, Saqqara Buddhist sites of Egypt and Hellenic Buddhist sites clearly indicate that Buddhism was established in these regions around 1529-1300 BCE.

Al Beruni rightly records that Buddhism spread beyond Syria before the birth of Zoroaster (1307-1230 BCE). The rise of Zoroastrianism in the 13th century BCE led to the decline of Buddhism in the west.

Evidently, Buddha lived at least few hundred years before the birth of Zoroaster but modern historians foolishly date Buddha after Zoroaster.

If you wish you can read free book of my friend named ''CHRONOLOGY OF ANCIENT INDIA ~VICTIM OF CONCOCTIONS AND DISTORTIONS~ VEDVEER ARYA' in academia.. If u like i can also email you the same. https://independent.academia.edu/VedveerArya

Incidentally there were 2 Zarathusthra one in 6000BCE and second one in 12th Century BCE.

Thank you