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Outlines of the History of Buddhism in Indo-China

By Ramesh Chandra Majumdar

Vol. 3 · No. 2June - 1927pp. 429–429English

Summary

This short piece summarises a longer article by Professor L. Finot on the development of Buddhism in Indo‑China. It outlines the major phases of transmission from India to the mainland Southeast Asian kingdoms of Funan, Champa and Dvāravatī. Indian traders and monks introduced Theravāda doctrines and Pāli scriptures, while Mahāyāna ideas arrived later through maritime routes and contacts with China. The summary notes that local rulers often patronised both Hinduism and Buddhism, leading to a syncretic religious landscape. The article also mentions the role of monasteries in education and the production of inscriptions in Sanskrit and Khmer. Overall, it highlights Finot’s contribution to reconstructing the chronology of Buddhist expansion in the region.

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Conclusion

The piece functions as a digest of Finot’s research, emphasising that the history of Buddhism in Indo‑China involved multiple waves of transmission and produced a unique blend of Theravāda, Mahāyāna and indigenous elements.

Key passages

Chosen by AI from the article's text. Each one is checked word for word against the text before it is shown.

  • “Afterwards we have no more document. Nevertheless, a fragment which seems 10 date from the second half of the thirteenth century begins with the invocation ‘‘om mame Buddkiya” which at least proves that Buddhism was not yet extinet पा that time,””
  • “This statement must be due to an oversight on the part of the learned 5૦10181. For the Kim Choua Inscription of Jaya Paramesvara- varman [Journal Asiatique, 1888 (1) pp. 92-93, no. 411] contains the names of Buddhist divinities such as Sri Jina, Sri Jina Viddhesvari, Sr1 Jina Lokesvara, दिए Saugatadevesvara and जि Jinadevadevi.”

Works cited in this article

  1. Journal Asiatique, 1888 (1) pp. 92-93, no. 411
  2. Visiamagram Makaraja’s College Magazine [બા October, 1922

Discussed in this article

Places

Dynasties, sects & groups

  • Salankdyanas

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Vol. 3 · No. 2

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