불교의 동전(東傳)에서의 페르시아의 역할

Role of Persia in the Propagation of Buddhism to the East: Parthia Dynasty and Sassanid Dynasty

Buddhism, propagated to Persia in the second century B.C. during the Parthian dynasty, was admired in Central Asia, including present-day eastern Iran and Afghanistan where the ancient Persian territory was. Persian Buddhism was propagated widely and integrated into arts and religious philosophies of the Sassanid dynasty and ancient Persia, thus developing a unique Buddhist culture different from early Buddhist schools in India. These Buddhism cultures were disseminated into Central Asia through the nomadic Sogd tribe , and influenced the ideas and arts of early Buddhism in Korea and China via the Silk Road. This study is aimed to investigate the Persian elements in the remains of Buddhism in Iran, Central Asia, China, and Korea so as to review the roles of Persian tribes and Persian Buddhism in the propagation of Buddhism to the East through Silk Road.