Fusion of Indian Culture on Asia

The present book deals with India's cultural contacts with South-East Asia. Further, it throws light on the impact of various aspects of Indian culture on the countries like Afghanistan, Central Asia, China, Tibet, Bhutan, Nepal, and Japan. The journey of culture was not one way traffic so it was also tried to show how much the elements of foreign culture influenced the Indian society. The author has tried his best to present not only the glorious past of the Indian culture but its continuity and importance in the world.

Dr. G. K. Lama, Professor, Department of AIHC & Archaeology, Centre of Advanced Study, Banaras Hindu University, Varanasi, having specialization in the field of Archaeology, Buddhism and South-East Asian Studies, has sixteen books in his credit namely Tibet Men Bauddha Dharma Ka Itihas-2004; Samyak Darshan -2004; Cultural Heritage of South-East Asia 2009; Indus to Ganges-2009; Pakkakot: Some New Archaeological Dimensions of Mid-Ganga Plain-2012; Buddhist Cave Temples of Ancient India-2013; A Buddhist Universe-2016; An Archaeological Journey of Nalanda-2018; Art Heritage of Nalanda-2018; India: A Journey from Lithic to Iron-2019; Footprints of the Buddha on the Roof of the World 2020, Glimpses of North-East India-2021, Indian Culture through the Ages-2021, Revealing India's Past-2021, Buddhism on the Silk Route-2022 and The Cult of Adamantine Path-2022. He has presented 67 research papers in various National and International seminars and 103 research papers have been published in various reputed journals, edited books, conference proceedings and felicitation volumes. He has completed a Major Research Project entitled Archaeological Investigation in and around Nalanda, granted by the University Grants Commission, New Delhi, which was submitted in 2014. The author has also completed 16 projects regarding archaeological investigations in Sikkim, Eastern and Western UP and Bihar with the kind permission of Archaeological Survey of India, New Delhi. He has invited twice to Sri Lanka and once to Thailand to deliver special lectures.

A number of books were already written on Indian culture which enables us to know the great and rich culture of India. While studying these books written by profound scholars of India and abroad I feel that focus of the authors was to only remind the glorious past of the Indian culture. But there are very few books which throw light on the geographical expansion of Indian culture and its continuity. So I feel that there must be a book on this topic which may fulfill the desires of the readers. Further, most of the books on the topic cover a specific geographical zone, such as South-east Asia or Northern Asia or any specific country like Afghanistan, Central Asia, China, Tibet, Nepal or Bhutan. None of the book covers the whole geographical area which was influenced by the Indian culture. While writing on these topics focus was made on to throw light on the glorious past of Indian culture. In my opinion the journey of Indian culture is unending and still its various aspects are influencing the society, religion, philosophy, art and architecture of the world.

Indian culture has been characterized in terms of the spiritual ideal which is accepted in it as the supreme value. The ideal of a spiritual life is not identical with the idea of a religious life as understood in Semitic religions. In fact, if we define religion as a way of life in conformity with some unique and literal revelation it might lead to a desirable after-life for the individual, then, whatever the dogmas implied whether of God or soul, after-life or judgment, or of the invisible efficiency of following spiritual or moral prescriptions. Such a concept would be distinct from that of following the spiritual ideal, even though the religious concept in its various forms could well be offered as an interpretation or a theoretical and practical elaboration of the latter, spiritual ideal. In fact the spiritual ideal tends to manifest itself in different but recognizably similar forms in different cultural ensembles. Spiritual idealism is a universal phenomenon but in different cultures it assumes different forms and is given different degrees of importance. Its essence consists in seeking the true nature of man as a spirit, consciousness, or experience. In fact it appears to be nothing but the self-revelation of human experience. There is no ideal higher than man provided the essence of man is found within him in the spiritual core of his being rather than in his relation to nature or other men. The spiritual quest is the search for the inner and deeper possibilities of experience.