How did Buddhism reach China?

(Natasha Yehenara) How did Buddhism reach China? Buddhism in China, Greco-Buddhism, the Buddha (Scythian Prince Siddhartha Gautama) was from Gandhara (Central Asia), modern Afghanistan (likely Buddhas of Bamiyan, Mes Aynak, and Kabul as one of the three seasonal capitals all collectively referred to as Kapilavastu). See Dr. Ranajit Pal: Non-Jonesian Indology and Alexander  #academia #Buddhism #historyfacts #Gandhara #GrecoBuddhism #ChineseCulture

Aryan non-Muslims of Pakistan: Kalash

The last pagans (non-Muslims) of Pakistan 🇵🇰

Matt Shoe visits Indo-Aryan Afghanistan

(Matt Shoe) In this video, I set out on a ride from Islamabad to the Kalash Valley to find the last remaining (Indo-Aryan) Kalash people — one of the most original and ancient cultures in the region.

• Hunza Valley for longevity (criticalhealthnews.com)
• [The blue-eyed historical Buddha was from Central Asia, Afghanistan (likely in the three seasonal capitals of Bamiyan, Kabul or Kapilavastu, and Mes Aynak in ancient Gandhara), from the foothills of the Hindu Kush, part of the Himalayan Range.]
• Shout out to pakistanbikers.com who set me up with the motorcycle for this adventure! 💪

Indo-Aryan peoples in Pakistan? (wiki)

I rented a motorcycle from PakistanBikers and started the long ride through rainstorms, mountain roads, and small villages. Along the way, I met friendly locals, saw incredible landscapes, and got a real taste of life in northern Pakistan.

After hours of riding, I finally reached the Kalash Valleys — Birir, Rumbur, and Bumburet. I spent the night in Birir, learning about their history, traditions, and the stories passed down for generations.

The next day, I visited Rumbur, where I witnessed something truly rare — an ancient funeral ceremony that few outsiders ever get to see. This was one of the most meaningful trips I’ve ever done — a glimpse into a culture fighting to keep its identity alive in the modern world.

My eBooks: Guides: mattshoe.travel/guides. Follow on socials: Instagram (themattshoe), Facebook (mattshoeyoutube), TikTok (mattshoetravel). Business enquires: contact@mattshoe.travel

•  Matt Shoe, Oct. 11, 2025; Amber Larson, Pat Macpherson, Dhr. Seven (eds.), Wisdom Quarterly

Greco-Buddhism in Hellenistic Far East

BOOK: Greco-Buddhist Relations in the Hellenistic Far East

Dr. Olga Kubica, University of Wroclaw

Author Dr. Olga Kubica has 4.4 out of 5 stars with four ratings. This book provides the first comprehensive and interdisciplinary view of the relationship between the Greeks and Buddhist communities in ancient Bactria and Northwest India [Scythian Gandhara, now Afghanistan and Pakistan], from the conquests of Alexander the Great to the fall of the Indo-Greek kingdom circa 10 AD.

Greco-Buddhist Relations...

The main thesis is the assumption that, despite the presence of mutual relationships and interactions between the Greeks and Buddhist inhabitants of the Hellenistic Far East, the phenomenon known conventionally as "Greco-Buddhism" never truly occurred.

The individual chapters of this book provide an analysis of the main sources for Greco-Buddhist relations, mainly textual, but also archeological [excavated sites] and numismatic [coinage].

• Greco-Buddhist art
• Buddhism in Central Asia
• Greco-Buddhist monasticism
• Indo-Greek Kingdom
• Buddhism in Afghanistan
• Buddhism in Pakistan
• The historical Buddha had golden skin and blue eyes? (Yes)
• The Questions of the King Milinda (Greek King Menander I)
• Oldest "Buddhism" in world: Gandhāran Buddhist texts

(Sam Taylor) Is this really Afghanistan? Bluest lake in world: Band-e Amir

Who are the Hazara people?

The methods of philological and historical research are used in combination with postcolonial approaches to the study of the Greeks in India, drawing from sociological research on ethnicity and intercultural relations.

It is a rich source of information for anyone interested in Greco-Buddhist relations and is a great starting point for further research in this area.

This volume (1st edition) is a valuable resource for students and scholars working on the Greco-Bactrian and Indo-Greek kingdoms, both classicists and those working on early Indian history, as well as those working on cultural exchange in the Hellenistic world. More

• VIDEO: Dave Mani travels through old Afghanistan
• VIDEO: Dark Reality of visiting Kabul, Afghanistan
• Escape with Emily and Danny; Samantha Taylor, female traveler through Afghanistan; Dr. Olga Kubica; Amber Larson and Dhr. Seven, (eds.), Wisdom Quarterly

Buddhist Bamiyan, Afghanistan, today

Will the Taliban bring the Buddhas of Bamiyan back to formerly Buddhist Afghanistan?

[CIA-ISI's] Taliban destroyed a 2,000-year-old wonder of Afghanistan 🇦🇫

.

Note big man near right foot.

(Matt Shoe) Sept. 13, 2025: ⚠️ [Lithuanian Matt Shoe hits the road in Central Asia , ancient Gandhara, where the Buddha was born, Saka Land or Kapilavastu, for an adventure.] I begin my journey in front of the legendary Buddha statues of Bamiyan, Afghanistan — the ones destroyed by the [CIA and ISI-created] Taliban in 2001.

I break down the real story behind the destruction, separating myth from truth, and explaining how political motives — not religious extremism — led to the tragic demolition of these ancient marvels [which Madame Blavatsky claimed were far older than two millennia].

How to eat in Muslim Afghanistan

(Matt Shoe) 24 Hours of Eating in Afghanistan 🏳️🇦🇫, gluten, dead meat

Matt Shoe — Travel Content Creator

🕳️ Then, I venture deep into the surrounding Buddhist monastic caves carved into the Bamiyan cliffs — ancient Buddhist monasteries (viharas) — guided by a group of curious local Afghan kids.

The history etched into these walls is as haunting as it is beautiful. [This is the site of the world's oldest oil paintings.] 📜 I then reveal a lesser-known truth: The Taliban is actually considering rebuilding the Bamiyan Buddhas. Is it be a shift in ideology or a strategic political move?

🍽️ From there, I head into the town of Bamiyan to explore local Afghan cuisine — sampling some must-try dishes that reflect the heart of the Hazara culture.

American guy pulls up in American muscle car like Billie Eilish's on his way to go camping.

Where Siddhartha swam? Bamiyan Province

💦 The journey continues to [the Himalayan lakes of the Hindu Kush near Bamiyan called] Band-e Amir, Afghanistan’s first national park — a surreal set of turquoise lakes surrounded by towering cliffs.

Around the world in a purple muscle car?

Here, I meet Keith, an adventurous soul driving a purple American muscle car around the world. We join forces and go camping together in the Afghan wilderness.

(Sinclairs Search) Crossing Kazakhstan Desert in a muscle car

The Buddha's from Bamiyan

⚔️ In a twist few would expect, we encounter the legendary Taliban — not in conflict, but in conversation. They show us their weapons, speak openly about Islam, and offer insight into their worldview. It’s a raw, complex moment that challenges many stereotypes and headlines.

🏳️ Sinclairs (Keith the Muscle Car Guy) YouTube: ‪@sinclairs_search. Sinclairs Instagram: @sinclaires_search. My e-Books: Guides: mattshoe.travel/guides. Follow: Instagram: themattshoe. Facebook: mattshoeyoutube. TikTok: mattshoetravel. Business enquires: contact@mattshoe.travel.

• Matt Shoe, Sept. 13, 2025, and Keith (Sinclairs Search); Dhr. Seven, Amber Larson, Pfc. Sandoval (eds.), Wisdom Quarterly

Travel to N. Tibet: Road to Heaven

China's invasion took lots more land than Lhasa

Greater Tibet [7] is a region in the western part of East Asia, covering much of the Tibetan Plateau and spanning about 470,000 square miles (1,200,000 km2) [8].

It is the homeland of the largely Vajrayana Buddhist/Bon Tibetan people.

Also resident on the plateau are other ethnic groups such as Mongols, Monpa, Tamang, Qiang, Sherpa, Lhoba, and since the 20th century the invading Mahayana Buddhist Han Chinese (that account for more than a billion uncounted Buddhists in the world due to official communist atheism) and Muslim Hui [9].

Tibet is the highest region on Earth, with an average elevation of 14,000 feet (4,380 m) [10, 11].

Located in the Himalayas, the highest elevation in Tibet is Mount Everest (part of which is in neighboring Nepal), Earth's highest mountain (though not the tallest), rising 29,000 feet (8,848 m) above sea level [12]. More

Tibetan Vajrayana Buddhism

Why do monastic robes differ in color?

Tibetan Buddhism [a] is the form of Buddhism practiced in Tibet, Bhutan, and Mongolia. It also has a sizable number of adherents in the areas surrounding the Himalayas, including the Indian regions of Ladakh, Darjeeling, Sikkim, and Arunachal Pradesh, as well as in Nepal.

Smaller groups of practitioners can be found in Central Asia, some regions of China such as Northeast China, Xinjiang, Inner Mongolia, and some regions of Russia, such as Tuva, Buryatia, and Kalmykia.

Tibetan Buddhism evolved as a form of Mahāyāna Buddhism, stemming from the latest stages of Indian Buddhism (which included many Vajrayāna elements). It thus preserves many Indian Buddhist tantric practices of the post-Gupta early medieval period (500–1200 CE), along with numerous native Tibetan developments [1, 2].

Do I regret my CIA involvement as Pope-King?

In the pre-modern era, Tibetan Buddhism spread outside of Tibet primarily due to the influence of the Mongol Yuan dynasty (1271–1368), founded by Kublai Khan, who ruled China, Mongolia, and parts of Siberia.

In the Modern era, Tibetan Buddhism has spread outside of Asia because of the efforts of the Tibetan diaspora (post-Chinese invasion, 1959 onwards). As the Dalai Lama escaped to India (Dharamshala), the Indian subcontinent is also known for its renaissance of Tibetan Buddhism monasteries, including the rebuilding of the three major monasteries of the Gelug tradition.

Apart from classical Mahāyāna Buddhist practices like the Ten Perfections, Tibetan Buddhism also includes tantric practices, such as deity yoga and the Six Dharmas of Naropa, as well as methods that are seen as transcending tantra, like Dzogchen. Its main goal is Buddhahood [3, 4].

The primary language of scriptural study in this tradition is classical Tibetan. Tibetan Buddhism has four major schools, namely... More

Chinese Buddhism

Han Buddhism (漢傳佛教, 汉传佛教, Hànchuán Fójiào, Hàn-thoân Hu̍t-kàu) is the Chinese form of Mahayana Buddhism. The Chinese Buddhist canon [1] draws from the traditions of Confucianism and Taoism as well as the rituals of local folk religions. Chinese Buddhism emphasizes the study of Mahayana sutras and treatises, such as the Lotus Sutra, Flower Ornament Sutra, Vimalakirtī Sutra, Nirvana Sutra, and Amitābha Sutra [2, 3]. Chinese Buddhism is the largest institutionalized religion in mainland China [4]. More

• JamYang Tours, Tibet; CC Liu, Seth Auberon (eds.), Wisdom Quarterly Wiki edit

Meditation 'n magic in the Himalayas

Ancient Buddhist monks found alive in remote Himalayas: Experts fear what they’re guarding

In Lhasa, Tibet, 1924

(Voyager) April 28, 2025: In the remote, icy Himalayan peaks, ancient monks have been reportedly found alive, sitting in deep meditation and untouched by time. These mysterious figures, seemingly defying death, have sparked awe and fear among experts. What secrets are they guarding, and why are they hidden in isolation? Whispers of divine rituals and ancient relics have surfaced, leaving the world to wonder if these monks hold knowledge that could reshape humanity—or destroy it. What lies beyond the veil of their silence? #Voyager Subscribe ➡ @voyagerspace 

Magic and Mystery in Tibet

Alexandra David-Neel, 1886

Western author Alexandra David-Neel has garnered 4.5 out of 5 stars with 160 ratings (and reviews). This is the Number 1 best seller in Tibet travel guides.

For centuries Tibet has been known as the last home of mystery [excluding the even more mysterious Bhutan, Sikkim, and to some extent Nepal], the hidden, sealed land, where ancient mysteries still survive that have perished in the rest of the Orient (Asia).

Many people have written about Tibet and its secret lore, but few have actually penetrated it to learn its ancient wisdom. Among those few was Madame Alexandra David-Neel, a French Orientalist.

A practicing Western Buddhist, a profound historian of religion, and linguist, she actually lived in Tibet for more than 14 years.

• She had the great honor of being received by the 14th Dalai Lama;
• she studied philosophical Buddhism and Tibetan Tantra at Tibet's great centers;
• she meditated in lonely caves and on wind-swept winter mountains with yogi hermits; and
• she witnessed forbidden corpse-magic in the forests.
• Her experiences are unique.

The Secret Oral Teachings in Tibetan Buddhist Sects

Magic and Mystery in Tibet tells the story of her experiences on the Rooftop of the World, among lamas and magicians.

It is neither a travel book nor an autobiography but a study of psychic discovery, a description of the occult and mystical theories and psychic training practices of Tibet.

She tells of great sages and sorcerers that she met, of the system of monastic education, the great teachers and their disciples, Tibetan folklore about their spiritual athletes, reincarnation (rebirth) and memory from previous lives.

She also discusses elaborate magical rites to obtain the siddhis (supernormal powers), the horrible necromantic magic of the pre-Buddhist Bonpa shamas (Bon shamans), mental visualization exercises to create disembodied thought forms (tulpas), visions, strange phenomena derived from physical yoga postures, control of the body-heat mechanism (tumo), breathing exercises; sending “messages on the wind,” and much similar material.

An unusual aspect of Madame David-Neel’s book is that she herself experienced many of the phenomena she describes, yet she describes them with precision and in a matter-of-fact manner, permitting the reader to draw his own conclusions about validity, interpretation in terms of psychology, and value.

Particularly interesting for the modern experiencer are her detailed instructions for tumo (the yoga of heat control) and the creation of thought projections. More

ABOUT THE AUTHOR

Author becomes an adept in Tibet, 1933

At the age of 18, Alexandra David-Néel had already visited England, Switzerland, and Spain on her own, and she was studying in Madame Blavatsky's Theosophical Society.

"She joined various secret societies – she would reach the thirtieth degree in the mixed Scottish Rite of Freemasonry – while [both] feminist and anarchist groups greeted her with enthusiasm...

"Throughout her childhood and adolescence, she was associated with the French geographer and anarchist Elisée Reclus (1820–1905). This led her to become interested in the anarchistic ideas of the time and in feminism, that inspired her to publish Pour la vie (For Life) in 1898.

"In 1899, she composed an anarchist treatise with a preface by Reclus. Publishers did not dare to publish the book, though her friend Jean Haustont printed copies himself and it was eventually translated into five languages."

In 1891, she visited India for the first time and met her spiritual preceptor, Swami Bhaskarananda Saraswati of Varanasi [7].

She was 21 years old when she converted to Buddhism in 1889, according to Raymond Brodeur, which she noted in her diary published under the title La Lampe de sagesse (The Lamp of Wisdom) in 1896. More

• Introduction by A. D'Arsonval, June 1, 1971
• See all formats and editions
• Voyager, April 28, 2025; Alexandra David-Neel, Magic and Mystery in Tibet (amazon.com); Amber Larson and Dhr. Seven (eds.), Wisdom Quarterly

Aryans: Zoroastrians of Iran (video)

Iranian goddess from Austria Maria Orsic

Aryan Bible (Avesta): The 16 Sacred Lands of the Aryans | OBELISK TV

(OBELISK TV) Jan. 1, 2025: The Aryan Bible story is a captivating journey into the heart of ancient [Iranian and Near Eastern] history and mythology, exploring the sacred [Zoroastrian] scripture of the Aryan people — the Avesta, known as the "Aryan Bible."

This epic narrative unveils the creation of 16 divine lands by the supreme god Ahura Mazda [possibly an Asura titan in Buddhist cosmology], a testament to light, truth, and harmony.

The Indus Valley Civilization disappeared

However, this perfection is challenged by the destructive force of Angra Mainyu [Mara Devaputra], the embodiment of chaos and darkness, whose counter-creations bring plagues, winters, and turmoil to these lands.

• [The Buddha, in "The Story of the Lineage" as translated by Thomas William Rhys Davids (Pali Text Society), speaks of his descent from "Aryans," the solar race, which came to mean "nobles" in two senses. First, they were "warriors," not exactly kshatriyas (ruling class, master race) in the Vedic caste system sense and, second, came to mean "enlightened" or arya. Hitler's Propaganda Minister Goebbels appropriated this ancient mythology and repurposed it for Nazi ends, ruining the swastika, the legendary race of enlightened beings, and the belief in a world monarch or chakravartin ruler, making these things racist, elitist, white supremacist, and hateful. India, Tibet, and much of the Buddhist sphere still remembers the goodness in these things without the racist Western cultural baggage of modern interpretations and misusages.]

As the story unfolds, we follow the migrations of the Aryan people across vast regions of the ancient world — from the fertile steppes of modern Ukraine to the mountains of Iran, the lush valleys of India, and the crossroads of Central Asia [the Saka/Scythian land of the Buddha].

Each land reflects not only divine creation but also the resilience and ingenuity of the Aryans as they navigate environmental hardships, cultural fusion, and spiritual evolution.

(Robert Sepehr) Aryan Bloodlines of Ancient Babylon

The Aryan Bible [like the Vedas of the Indus Valley Civilization and proto-India] introduces us to a rich pantheon of gods and goddesses like Mithra [like Buddhist Maitreya], the god of covenants and light; Anahita, the goddess of waters and fertility; and Spenta Armaiti, the spirit of devotion and earth.

These deities embody the values of truth, resilience, and harmony that guided the Aryans in their quest for survival and unity.

Beyond its mythological depth, this story resonates with timeless themes of unity, hope, and the human spirit. It reminds us that the Aryan legacy lives on in the languages, traditions, and people scattered across Iran [Iranian = Aryian], Europe, Afghanistan, Kurdistan, Northern India, Tajikistan, and Uzbekistan [all formerly Buddhist countries along the Silk Road].

The tale envisions a future where these descendants rediscover their shared roots, forge peace, and defeat the forces of division, building a world of light, prosperity, and harmony.

Join us as we delve into the Aryan Bible Story, a powerful [Zoroastrian] tale of creation, migration, and the enduring human spirit.

• Obelisk TV, 1/1/25; Robert Sepehr, 8/30/20; Pat Macpherson, Dhr. Seven, Sheldon S. (eds.), Wisdom Quarterly

The Buddha of Bamiyan, Skateistan

(Journeyman Pictures) Skateistan: Afghan punk youths are skateboarding to a brighter future

• Where on the world map is Skateistan? 😊

Zawia: Zaman Buddhas of Bamiyan Shamama | زمان بت شمامه بامیان

(ZAWIA) Renegade Indian historian Dr. Ranajit Pal, Ph.D., has determined that Bamiyan town is one of the three seasonal capitals that comprise "Kapilavastu," the hometown of the historical Buddha Gautama, formerly Prince Siddhartha the Sage of the Scythians/Shakyians (Shakyamuni). He grew up here in the foothills of the Himalayas, in a part of the Himalayan range known as the Hindu Kush, far from Nepal and India but linked geographically. The prince renounced his life of luxury, here in wealthy but far off place along the Silk Road. He traveled East on a spiritual quest and arrived in the Kingdom of Magadha. (There was no "India" yet, which would come centuries later under the rule of Buddhist Emperor Ashoka, who united many kingdoms and republics to form or re-form Great "Bharat," India, as a nation that included Pakistan and part of Afghanistan (ancient Gandhara), which may have been a country previously at the time of the Indus Valley Civilization, 5-10,000 years before the present, when Brahmin priests treasured the Vedas, the ancient Knowledge Books, and shaped a society to their advantage. The Buddha, Mahavira (founder of Jainism) and other separatists were part of the "wandering ascetic" or shramana (shaman) movement, seeking direct experience of the Truth and teaching a Doctrine and Discipline (Dhamma-Vinaya) open to all regardless of caste or sex. So Mahavira accepted female wandering ascetics (sadhvis, sramaneris, and bhikkhunis) and then the Buddha did, and there were other dharmas that did not survive to the present, like the teachings of Makkhali Gosala. But the Old Vedic Religion was eventually claimed by Hinduism, which came centuries later as it was organized and systematized by Sri Shankara and others trying to make a fully "Indian" religion apart from outsiders and foreigners like the Buddha, who was a Scythian (as the Greeks called them) or Saka, as they are still known from the Northwestern frontier, which includes the strange and rare out of the way land now known as Afghanistan.

What's there to eat? Rice, pizza, dead bird?

How people live and what they eat in Afghanistan villages

Future female leaders of Skateistan, Kabul, AF

Evidence of Afghanistan's ancient Buddhist past (not some later territory conquered by the Silk Road spread of Buddhism) rests on such strange facts that Afghanistan is home to the largest unexcavated Buddhist temple complex (Mes Aynak), larger than Borobudur, Java, Indonesia and its pyramid temple topped by bell stupas (possible mimics of time machine technology rediscovered by the Germans and their WWII Die Glocke ET technology), the most ancient Buddhist writings (Gandhāran Buddhist texts), stupa (Buddhist burial mound) treasures found in Tillya Tepe and in neighboring Tajikistan's Ajina Tepe, and the most extensive rock hewn structures and art (like the world's oldest oil painting in Bamiyan), which spread throughout the Stans and into what is now India at its famous cave monastery complexes like Barabar and others, which seem to be miracles of advanced technology built by celestial devas ("shining ones") or works of magical feats (siddhis) wielded by powerful adepts and meditators. The Buddhist marvels at Sanchi are hard to explain as ordinary architecture planned by humans alone.

• Vegetarian in Afghanistan – the must try list 2024
• 10 best vegan restaurants in Kabul, updated 2024

Vegan Afghan comfort food: Bolani (flatbread)

Real history is much stranger than fiction.

• Invisible History researches the causes of the Soviet and American invasions of Afghanistan

It can also boast the largest Buddha statues in the world, with the largest still untouched, a reclining Buddha buried somewhere in Bamiyan not too far from the massive standing Buddhas that were destroyed by the CIA and ISI and their creation the "Taliban," whose ranks were filled in by released Islamist prisoners from neighboring countries fomented into a war against the West and Western imperialism, taught an extreme brand of Islam known as Wahhabism, which seems like the creation of CIA cubicle workers in Virginia or elsewhere rather than any kind of grassroots movement. The Buddhas of Bamiyan were detonated in public to create outrage and raise support for an American invasion of "Russia's Vietnam." Afghanistan was and remains "a land where empires go to die," England, Russia (USSR), and China's next. The CIA, Pentagon, and American forces (NSA, NSC, and other alphabet agencies we never hear about in the mainstream press) wanted to invade -- to create an oil pipeline, to secure the DNA of redhaired Nephilim cannibal giants for transhuman super soldiers, to recover time well vimana technology, to control a geopolitical Middle East from the best vantage point, to frustrate the Russian Empire's ambitions, to slow China down (with the CIA recruiting Tibet in its fight, compromising the Dalai Lama to become an asset, training and arming his close relatives in Colorado in exchange for favors and publicity), to help India and intervene by playing up both sides of a long-simmering conflict between archrivals Pakistan and India (a single country that was only divided at Partition in 1947, when the British ensured the ruination of the world as they exited by their "divide and conquer" tactics, much as they ruined and ensured misery for Palestine/Israel); in fact, so much of the world's troubles today can be laid squarely at the feet of the British and their Anglo-Afghan wars and the "Great Game" intrigue against other superpowers, with the USA just being the latest, greatest spear tip for those old United Kingdom/British ambitions to rule the world, which seem rooted in their Germanic and ancient Roman mentality to conduct endless war and banking and imperial religion to rule the world one way or another.

Zawia - Zaman Buddhas of Bamiyan Shamama | زمان بت شمامه بامیان Welcome, everyone, to Zawia’s channel. Hope everyone enjoys these videos. Please make sure to like, subscribe, and share this channel with others. Much love, and thank you, all. #Bamiyan #Buddha #ZAWIA

Follow: Twitter: zawiamedia, Facebook: zawiamedia, Instagram: zawiamedia. PLEASE DO NOT RE-UPLOAD THIS VIDEO ON YOUTUBE OR ELSEWHERE. Re-uploaded videos will be reported! #ZAWIA #Buddha #Bamiyan

• Zawia, Aug. 15, 2020; text and commentary, Eds., Wisdom Quarterly