Buddhism, Gomata and Hidus

[Dr. Pal]

Dear Jona,Thanks for a precise statement on the subject of Persepolis Temples. I have been on this trail for about a decade and feel that to understand Iranian religion one has to take into consideration its close links with Hinduism and Buddhism. Some scholars have noted this but even they are not aware that southeast Iran was Hidus. I have written in my book (and also in my website http://www.geocities.com/ranajitda) that Gomata was the same as Gotama and Zoroaster was his adversary Devadatta. Herzfeld realised that GomataGÇÖs adversary was Zoroaster (probably a title) but this was denied by Sir Harold Bailey, Henning and other SOAS scholars.Did you know Van den Berg personally? I have read his work with great interest. I feel you have the advantage of actually being there in Iran. I had an invitation to attend a Teheran conference in 2002 but could not make it due to personal reasons. Then came the great archaeological discoveries from southeast Iran which I see as the cradle of world civilization. Scholars like G. Fussman, P. Bryant and even R.E. Emmerick (who has written on Iranian Buddhism in Cambridge History of Iran) do not seem to be aware that it is not possible to study Iranian Buddhism by relying solely on Indian Buddhist symbols and texts which are strongly influenced by Hellenistic trends and are not older than the 3rd century BC. Sir Aurel Stein was aware of this and he identified the shrine at Kuh-I Khwaja as a Buddhist one. I have no doubt that Kuh-I Khwaja has much to tell about not only Alexander but also early Christianity.Regards,Dr. Pal

[jona]

Thanks for addressing me personally; it feel honored, but I am afraid that the relation between Iranian and Indian religion is not my specialism.Jona

[Dr .Pal]

Dear Jona,Excuse me if I am taking liberties by elaborating on a theme which interests me greatly but may be unimportant to others. There are two main types of fire sanctuaries - one type represented by Pasargadae, Naqsh-I Rustam and the other by Susa.(there is actually a third type found at Dahan-I Ghulaman.) One leading authority writes,GÇ¥Given that it is difficult to explain the two different kinds of construction through the contrast of court and town shrines, it might still be maintained that the two types of shrines go back to two different forms of religion .. GÇ£. This is where I think one has to think of the Gomata-Zoroaster divide. Darius-I writes GÇ£As before I made the sanctuaries which Gaumata the Magian destroyedGÇ¥. This again indicates that there were differences in the sanctuaries favoured by Gomata and Zoroaster.Even in Buddhist literature there are references to fire temples the exact context of which has not been appreciated. The shrine at Kuh-I Khwaja is akin to the Susa type. The great A. Foucher had decalred that Seistan was under the Mauryas. D. Schlumberger and to some extent even Mary Boyce has also realised the great importance of Kuh-i Khwaja which I have identified as GotamaGÇÖs birthplace Kapilavastu. Ghirshman has written that the murals of Kuh-I Khwaja are the precursors of Ghandhara art. Regards,Dr. Pal