The International Conference on Land Transportation, Locomotive Heritage and Road Culture - 2017
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Item Development of Syncretic Mystical Christianity in China - A resultant of its spread by the Silk Road:-A brief comparative overview of the pattern of evangelization, the cross- influences and the result(The International Conference on Land Transportation, Locomotive Heritage and Road Culture - 2017, 2017) Johns, J.The Silk Road which passed through Central Asia to the East- linked the West with regions like India and China, facilitating the trade of silk and other commodities like horses and tea, but as a by-product, exchange of ideas and culture too was also facilitated. As a result of various factors, Nestorian Christianity began to spread to the East, one of the routes taken was the Silk Road- thus helping Christianity to reach China during the Tang Dynasty (618-907 AD).This Christianity had already been influenced by Greek culture and Syriac culture, and on its way to China got influenced by Zoroastrian culture- the influences were part of the syncretic culture of the caravan Silk Road. At its destination, China- Christianity was met with Indian Culture, Buddhist Culture (Mystical- Vajrayana Buddhism) and Chinese Culture- the result here again was an amalgamation of all of these cultures leading to the development of syncretic Christianity and literature which has a clear Buddhist and Mystical touch to it. Through this paper the researcher will examine the various art-archaeological evidences like the Nestorian Stele at Xian and literature called the Jesus Sutras like “the Sutra on the Origin of Origins”, “Da Qin Hymn to the Transfiguration of the Great Holy One” etc. Along with previous research done in this area. An attempt has also been made to study the pattern of evangelization on the Silk Road, segregation of the influences by the land route and other routes, the result and further cross -influences that this Syncretic Mystical Christianity had on other areas.Item The Clues on the Silk Road in the Pali Cannon, the Commentaries and the Chronicles(The International Conference on Land Transportation, Locomotive Heritage and Road Culture - 2017, 2017) Kumara, V; Ven.Nanda, S.The importance of the Pali Canonical and Commentarial literatures cannot be narrowed to the religious teachings only. It, indeed, incorporates the essential information that gives light on the other subjects such as culture, history, politics, etc. The issue herein is that all the scholars draw their much attention on the Vedic and the Brahmanic texts written in Sanskrit only. Yet, it should be noted that the evidences found in the Pali literature shed lights to develop the innovative research works in the humanities. The history of the Silk Road extended to both the land and sea could be re-read by referring the relevant Pali sources. In particular, the history of the land map can be revised through the information related to the trading system and the stories of the merchants come to light with the Canon. The Mahā Niddesa, the Mahā Parinibbanāsutta, the Commentary of the Udāna, the Commentary of the Petavattu, the Buddhavaṃsa and its commentary, the Milinda Pañha and the Commentary on the Dhammapada are dealing with vital evidences regarding the trading culture. Except the above sources, a few chronicles such as the Chakesa Dhātuvaṃsa, the Sāsanavaṃsa and the Nalāṭa Dhātuvaṃsa are also giving considerable facts. This paper aims to inquire what contribution could be made by the Pali sources to review the Indic history, particularly, the Silk Road. I herein would refer three sorts of literary layers related to the Pali literature only. The key method in this research will be the analytical method and in relevant arguments, the comparative method also would be applied.