Ancient Buddhist Kingdom of Afghanistan (video)

NHK via Svart3n, 9/09; Text: Amber Larson, Dhr. Seven, P. Macpherson (eds.), Wisdom Quarterly

Ancient Buddhist Kingdom in Afghanistan

World's largest Buddha statue, Bamiyan (NatGeo)

Bamiyan, Afghanistan is a UNESCO World Heritage Site. There's good reason for that. Although the CIA and Pakistan's intelligence service [(ISI) conspired to have the artificially-created "Taliban" blow it up and cause worldwide outrage, Bamiyan -- the Buddha's hometown according to Dr. Ranajit Pal (ranajitpal.com).

The Silk Road was a crossroads in Scythia

It was at least of the three seasonal capitals of the Scythians/Shakyians country or janapada in ancient Central Asia, the "Shakya Land" called Gandhara in those days, which later became Sakastan, the "Country of the Sakas" (Sakae, Scythians, Shakyians, etc.)

Afghanistan and neighboring Indo-Pakistan continue to yield up archeological treasures, including the world's largest Buddha statue, a 1,000 foot reclining Buddha thought to rest somewhere in the vicinity of the two massive standing Buddhas that were destroyed. There is a third standing Buddha in a nearby valley.

The future of the Bamiyan Buddhas
(NATO in Afghanistan, Save 1st, March 2nd, 2011) On the 10th anniversary of the CIA/ISI-Taliban's destruction of the Bamiyan Buddhas, it will be decided whether to go ahead and reconstruct the famous statues with the fragments from the explosion that remain. The people of Bamiyan say it's important that the world never forget the dark days of the former (and current) regime in their province.

Saving Mes Aynak

And nearby Mes Aynak is the site of the world's oldest and largest Buddhism monastic complex, 4 square km site threatened to be destroyed by a Chinese mining concern more interested in copper, gold, and rare earth minerals than Buddhist cultural riches.

While Afghanistan was the farthest point from civilization until the British ruled in India and conducted the Great Game spying against the Russian Empire, the USA really brought this Silk Road transcultural area to world attention by carrying on the longest war in its history.

Afghanistan used to be "Russia's Vietnam," and now it's "America's Second Vietnam," an unwinnable quagmire and military disaster replete with human rights abuses, large-scale war crimes, and endless turmoil.

"Chahârbaiti Koshki" by artist Gada Mohammad, from the album Afghanistan: The Traditional Music of Herât licensed to YouTube by The Orchard Music (on behalf of Smithsonian Folkways Recordings / Auvidis-UNESCO).