Buddhism as Iranian heresy?

[Richard Salomon]

I agree with John Huntington (below) that Mair & Mallory's statement as
quoted (I hope not out of context!) is way beyond the pale. But it should
also be pointed out that an Iranian component in some forms of Buddhism is
not out of the question, though controversial. A sober treatment of the
issue is David Alan Scott's "The Iranian Face of Buddhism," in East and West
n.s. 40 (1990): 43-77.

Richard Salomon

----- Original Message -----
From: "John Huntington" <huntington.2 at OSU.EDU>
To: <INDOLOGY at liverpool.ac.uk>
Sent: Tuesday, November 05, 2002 1:09 PM
Subject: Re: Buddhism as Iranian heresy?


> >Mallory and Mair say in page 171 of _The Tarim Mummies_ that:
> >
> >"It might be recalled that the Buddha was Zakyamuni ('Sage of the
Zakyas',
> >i.e. the Sakas) and, within an Indic context, Buddhism was a kind of
> >'Iranian heresy'."
> >
> >I have never heard of Buddha's teaching linked with Iranians -- at least
> >during his lifetime. Is this true?
> >
> >Dean Anderson, PhD
>
>
>
>
> I am afraid that this belongs in the same pile as the "Orissa as the
> Birthplace of the Buddha' theory
>
> John C. Huntington
>