Article: "Buddhist tourism in Pakistan: The Buddha’s gift to the world"

[xyxmt]

AOA brothers and sisters. ALHUMDULILAH I have just published an article about Pakistan's rich Buddhist history in one of the top Buddhist magazines in the world.

This piece is quite close to my heart as it shares how much Buddhist history and heritage there is in Pakistan. I wanted it to be featured by a Buddhist magazine so people of the faith and others worldwide would understand the significance of Pakistan vis-a-vis Buddhism. The article has beautiful images of Pakistan as well as details about Buddhist artifacts and sights in the country. I hope someone abroad gets motivated and travels to Pakistan because of all this rich heritage. And I hope you share this article as much as it helps the nation's narrative. I also want to thank Buddha Weekly for publishing this. PAKISTAN ZINDABAD!

Here is the link. Hope you like it and share.

https://buddhaweekly.com/buddhist-t...-20-picture-tour-of-important-buddhist-sites/

tourism is an industry and it is run like an industry which is managed by tourism dept with collaboration with tour operators who will do the advertisement in their countries. Govt jobs is to provided facilities, like transportation between 100s of site spread around 100s of KMs, lodging and food. In Pakistan tourism dept is run by nieces and nephews of rulers with no knowledge about this field. If I was a budhist living in Korea, China or Japan I would read your article and find myself interested in going to Pakistan but then I go around asking for tour packages and there i find none, i ask travel agents and they have no information about these sites because they did not read your article. But I was very persistent and start inquiring about these places and how to get there and i find none. I am not knowledgeable about Pakistan, their language and culture then how would some expect me to go there with all these issues.

 

[Sarmad Ishfaq]

Brother You Should Have This Translated In Japanese Korean Thai and Sinhalese.They Will Be Quite Happy To Pay Top Dollar To Come Here

Thats actually an excellent idea. Thank you. I will try to do something about this!
Thanks again for the great suggestion!

 

[Chhatrapati]

The Statue Is From Gandhara Hence Gandharan

That's a mystic figure. It can't be compared to the clothing of that time, which is the point I was making. I'm not talking about the place of origin of those statues. Buddhist at the time do not give much credit to ornaments. But they put Bodhisatva/Rimpoche in elaborate dressing and styles.

 

[Dubious]

You can read it wikipedia.

that is not a source as compared to a book!

tourism is an industry and it is run like an industry which is managed by tourism dept with collaboration with tour operators who will do the advertisement in their countries. Govt jobs is to provided facilities, like transportation between 100s of site spread around 100s of KMs, lodging and food. In Pakistan tourism dept is run by nieces and nephews of rulers with no knowledge about this field. If I was a budhist living in Korea, China or Japan I would read your article and find myself interested in going to Pakistan but then I go around asking for tour packages and there i find none, i ask travel agents and they have no information about these sites because they did not read your article. But I was very persistent and start inquiring about these places and how to get there and i find none. I am not knowledgeable about Pakistan, their language and culture then how would some expect me to go there with all these issues.

working on it

Thats actually an excellent idea. Thank you. I will try to do something about this!
Thanks again for the great suggestion!

May I ask how and where did you do your research?
Why this topic?

 

[Chhatrapati]

that is not a source as compared to a book!

Wikipedia articles give sources to the claim. The very same claim that Bodhidharma was from "Central Asia or Persia" comes from the wikipedia source. Don't know where Gandhara comes there, but meh.

 

[Dubious]

give sources to the claim

Maybe that source is supposed to be used to address the references not "wiki" said so

The very same claim that Bodhidharma was from "Central Asia or Persia" comes from the wikipedia source.

The member posted a reference from a book ....I am not sure if Wiki sited that book

How can wiki contradict itself from central Asia/ Persia then also from South India?

 

[Chhatrapati]

Maybe that source is supposed to be used to address the references not "wiki" said so

haha it's quite hard, you just see the number [x] and ''viola it must be true''. Takes time to dig into full page books. That's why we have wiki, to make it easier.

The member posted a reference from a book ....I am not sure if Wiki sited that book

How can wiki contradict itself from central Asia/ Persia then also from South India?

Wiki didn't contradict, wiki said what it is, there are two reports on his place of origin. One is that he is from Central Asia and another that he is from South Asia. But all the sources are Chinese and Japanese which were written after his death.

The pictorial representations also do not substantiate as Chinese and Japanese have habbit of drawing eye so big that they look like eyeballing someone. (Apparently big eyes are represented as such)
Bodhidharma

A different Guru venerated by Buddhists.

Off topic @Dubious if it's not much trouble, can you clear this post Link

 

[Samlee]

That's a mystic figure. It can't be compared to the clothing of that time, which is the point I was making. I'm not talking about the place of origin of those statues. Buddhist at the time do not give much credit to ornaments. But they put Bodhisatva/Rimpoche in elaborate dressing and styles.
View attachment 567794

No I'm Saying That The Statue Is From Gandhara.Not Commenting On Who The Figure Is

 

[Dubious]

haha it's quite hard, you just see the number [x] and ''viola it must be true''. Takes time to dig into full page books. That's why we have wiki, to make it easier.

In the West, wiki cant be used as a reference

It can only be used as a quick definition of things or a quick overview of certain procedures but never as reference/ source of claim!

 

[Chhatrapati]

In the West, wiki cant be used as a reference

It can only be used as a quick definition of things or a quick overview of certain procedures but never as reference/ source of claim!

I work in an accounting firm (MNC) and I use wiki sources. Provided they can be substantiated. And yes, you're right we don't link it to the wiki article but to the original article which I found from wiki. So, it helps a lot but I wouldn't take wiki for an absolute source. Just a median in between.

No I'm Saying That The Statue Is From Gandhara.Not Commenting On Who The Figure Is

Oh I didn't disagree on that, kindly look at what I disagreed on.

 

[Talwar e Pakistan]

Sure the name Takshila is persian rather than sanskrit right ? What is with this wierd obsession to dissasssioate yourself from hinduism ... Its very funny imo ...

and where did I say that? Sanskrit was thought to have formed in the Indus Region and later introduced Eastwards. Also, Sanskrit does not equate to Hinduism.

Neither am I trying to disassociate from Hinduism as we were hardly associated with it in the first place, and even if we were; I see no issue in that. However, the fact is that the people of the Indus Region historically considered Hinduism as incompatible to their culture; rejecting the caste system, eating meat, burying their dead, and many other practices which were considered taboo in Hinduism. This is highlighted in the Mahabharata which depicts the people of the five rivers and it's tribes/kingdoms in a very negative and hostile light, considering them followers of the "Nastadharam" (destroyed religion) and referring to them as "Vahika" (outsiders).

“Where these five rivers, Shatadru, Vipasha, the third Iravati, Chandrabhaga and Vitasta flow and where there are Pilu-forests and (where) Sindhu is the sixth to flow out, this country is called Aratta…”


“that (region) where these five rivers, emerging from the mountains flow, this Aratta (country) is called Balhika where the Arya should not stay even for two days”.


"The regions are called by the name of Arattas. The people residing there are called the Vahikas. (VIII.30.47) The lowest of brahmanas also are residing there from very remote times. They are without the Veda and without knowledge, without sacrifice and without the power to assist at other's sacrifices. They are all fallen and many amongst them have been begotten by Shudras upon other peoples' girls. The gods never accept any gifts from them. The Prasthalas, the Madras, the Gandharas, the Arattas, those called Khasas, the Vasatis, the Sindhus and the Sauviras are almost as blamable in their practices.'" (VIII.30.74)

Madras were people of North Punjab, Gandharas were a people of KPK, parts of Afghanistan and parts of West Punjab, Arattas was an umbrella term for all of them, Sindhus were a people that inhabited Sindh and South Punjab, Sauviras were a people that lived to the East of Sindh, most likely Thar region of Sindh and parts of Rajasthan, Khasas were in modern-day Kashmir, and we don't know much about the Vasatis.

 

[Crusher]

and where did I say that? Sanskrit was thought to have formed in the Indus Region and later introduced Eastwards. Also, Sanskrit does not equate to Hinduism.

Kalasha people's language is directly descended from rigvedic Sanskrit but their indigenous unadulterated religion hardly shares more than "few" aspects with modern Gangu religion of Hindusim originated in Ganga valley. Modern Hiduism is a mixture of the religion of the ancestors of Kalasha Sanskrit speakers and the aboriginal religions of Gangu people in Ganga valley.

 

[Mamluk]

That's statue of Maitreya, a Bodhisattva who will appear in the future. It's not statue of a regular Buddhist.

You are claiming it's not Gandharan. So my question is simple - where is it from? You should be able to answer it.

 

[Chhatrapati]

You are claiming it's not Gandharan. So my question is simple - where is it from? You should be able to answer it.

It is Gandharan, but it has no connection with the pictures you showed of a modern Sufi guy dresses.

Kalasha Sanskrit speakers and the aboriginal religions of Gangu people in Ganga valley.

Kalash people do not speak Sanskrit language at all they speak Dardic language families the ones spoken in Kashmir, GB etc... They do not even venerate Rig Veda, they don't recite them either only a fraction of them follow Rig Vedic dieties, rest follow some sort of animalism. Dardic language speaking people i.e the Kambojas at the time were ousted following a brief war and they remained in their animalistic and ritualistic approach.

By the looks of it, the Kambojas become aboriginals while the rest of the regions integrated well into following Vedas and Upanishads then further into other philosophies and sciences.

Modern Hiduism is a mixture of the religion of the ancestors of Kalasha Sanskrit speakers and the aboriginal religions of Gangu people in Ganga valley.

haha there is no ancient or modern Hinduism. The Rig Vedic dieties are still venerated in Hinduism in rituals, that also include Brahma, Vishnu and Shiva then incarnations of them.

 

[Rasengan]

The Statue Is From Gandhara Hence Gandharan

https://twitter.com/x/status/1084432283396911104

These statues are definitely from the period of Gandhara. Their style was influenced by the Greeks. I hope we can promote this civilization and history to bring in tourism.