I am presenting it which is a part (India’s Contributions to Chinese Mathematics
Through the Eighth Century C.E.∗
R. C. Gupta1
R-20, Ras Bahar Colony, P. O. Lahar Gird, Jhansi, UP 284003, India) from a good book "Ancient Indian Leaps into Mathematics"
The rock edicts of King A´soka (third century b.c.e.) show that he had already
paved the way for the expansion of Buddhism outside India. Subsequently,
Buddhist missionaries took Buddhism to Central Asia, China, Korea, Japan,
and Tibet in the north, and to Burma, Ceylon, Thailand, Cambodia, and
other countries of the south. This helped in spreading Indian culture to
these countries. It is aptly observed that “Buddhism was, in fact, a spring
wind blowing from one end of the garden of Asia to the other end causing
to bloom not only the lotus of India, but the rose of Persia, the temple
flower of Ceylon, the zebina of Tibet, the chrysanthemum of China and the
cherry of Japan. It is also said that Asian culture is, as a whole, Buddhist
culture.” Moreover, some of these countries received with Buddhism
not only their religion but practically the whole of their civilization and
culture.
The generally accepted view is that China received Buddhism from the
nomadic tribes of Eastern Turkestan toward the end of the first century
b.c.e., although there is evidence to show that Indians had gone there earlier
to propagate the faith.4 The Chinese tradition narrates that the Han
emperor, Ming-Ti (first century c.e.), had sent an embassy to India to bring back Buddhist priests and scriptures.5 Consequently, two Indian monks,
Kia-yehMo-than (Ka¯´syapaMa¯tan˙ ga) and Chu-fa-lan (probably Dharmaratna
or Gobharana), reached the Han capital, Loyang. They learned Chinese and
translated Buddhist books, the first of which was Foshuo-ssu-shih-erh-chengching
(the S¯utra of 42 Sections Spoken by Buddha).6 With the arrival of more
monks, both from India and Central Asia, the Loyang monastery became a
centre of Indian culture. A large number of Indian books were translated,
and people began to adopt Buddhist monastic rituals. Buddhism prevailed so
extensively that by the sixth century, the number of monasteries had rise to
about 30,000, and the number of monks and nuns to two million.7
The tradition of the Buddhist educational system gave birth to largescale
monastic universities. Some of these famous universities were N¯aland¯a, Valabh¯i, Vikram´sil¯a, Jagaddala, and Odantapur¯i. They attracted students
and scholars from all parts of Asia. Of these, the N¯aland¯a university was
most famous, with about ten thousand students and fifteen hundred teachers.
The range of studies covered both sacred and secular subjects of Buddhist as
well as Brahminical learning. The monks eagerly studied, besides Buddhist
works (including Abhidharma-ko´sa), the Vedas, medicine, arithmetic, occult
sciences, and other popular subjects.8 There was special provision for the study of astronomy, and it is said that the university included an astronomicalobservatory.9
According to the findings of a modern Chinese historian (Liang Chi-Chao),
more than 160 Chinese pilgrims and scholars came to India between the fifth
and eighth centuries.10 Of these, Fa-Hien (fifth century), Yuan Chwang (seventh
century), and I-tsing (eighth century) are the most famous. Some of them
stayed and studied in India for several years. They returned to their homeland
with many Pali and Sanskrit works, hundreds of which were translated into
Chinese.
Through the Eighth Century C.E.∗
R. C. Gupta1
R-20, Ras Bahar Colony, P. O. Lahar Gird, Jhansi, UP 284003, India) from a good book "Ancient Indian Leaps into Mathematics"
The rock edicts of King A´soka (third century b.c.e.) show that he had already
paved the way for the expansion of Buddhism outside India. Subsequently,
Buddhist missionaries took Buddhism to Central Asia, China, Korea, Japan,
and Tibet in the north, and to Burma, Ceylon, Thailand, Cambodia, and
other countries of the south. This helped in spreading Indian culture to
these countries. It is aptly observed that “Buddhism was, in fact, a spring
wind blowing from one end of the garden of Asia to the other end causing
to bloom not only the lotus of India, but the rose of Persia, the temple
flower of Ceylon, the zebina of Tibet, the chrysanthemum of China and the
cherry of Japan. It is also said that Asian culture is, as a whole, Buddhist
culture.” Moreover, some of these countries received with Buddhism
not only their religion but practically the whole of their civilization and
culture.
The generally accepted view is that China received Buddhism from the
nomadic tribes of Eastern Turkestan toward the end of the first century
b.c.e., although there is evidence to show that Indians had gone there earlier
to propagate the faith.4 The Chinese tradition narrates that the Han
emperor, Ming-Ti (first century c.e.), had sent an embassy to India to bring back Buddhist priests and scriptures.5 Consequently, two Indian monks,
Kia-yehMo-than (Ka¯´syapaMa¯tan˙ ga) and Chu-fa-lan (probably Dharmaratna
or Gobharana), reached the Han capital, Loyang. They learned Chinese and
translated Buddhist books, the first of which was Foshuo-ssu-shih-erh-chengching
(the S¯utra of 42 Sections Spoken by Buddha).6 With the arrival of more
monks, both from India and Central Asia, the Loyang monastery became a
centre of Indian culture. A large number of Indian books were translated,
and people began to adopt Buddhist monastic rituals. Buddhism prevailed so
extensively that by the sixth century, the number of monasteries had rise to
about 30,000, and the number of monks and nuns to two million.7
The tradition of the Buddhist educational system gave birth to largescale
monastic universities. Some of these famous universities were N¯aland¯a, Valabh¯i, Vikram´sil¯a, Jagaddala, and Odantapur¯i. They attracted students
and scholars from all parts of Asia. Of these, the N¯aland¯a university was
most famous, with about ten thousand students and fifteen hundred teachers.
The range of studies covered both sacred and secular subjects of Buddhist as
well as Brahminical learning. The monks eagerly studied, besides Buddhist
works (including Abhidharma-ko´sa), the Vedas, medicine, arithmetic, occult
sciences, and other popular subjects.8 There was special provision for the study of astronomy, and it is said that the university included an astronomicalobservatory.9
According to the findings of a modern Chinese historian (Liang Chi-Chao),
more than 160 Chinese pilgrims and scholars came to India between the fifth
and eighth centuries.10 Of these, Fa-Hien (fifth century), Yuan Chwang (seventh
century), and I-tsing (eighth century) are the most famous. Some of them
stayed and studied in India for several years. They returned to their homeland
with many Pali and Sanskrit works, hundreds of which were translated into
Chinese.
