2024, Vol. 10, Issue 2, Part B

A few monasteries were built to offer offerings to the Buddha and Sangha in extensive gardens to create conditions to reside in during the rainy season and guide believers during the Buddha's time in the world, in addition to living in seclusion in the forest or begging from place to place to educate followers. Following the Buddha's Parinirvana, the monastic tradition steadily evolved to satisfy the needs of its followers in terms of social, local, legal, and spiritual matters.

We can still sense the noble virtue of being ordained in the Buddhist tradition through monastic Buddhism, and this existence upholds and animates the Buddha's teachings to spread the message of peace and happiness to all people. Even if we know that locations once the golden age of Buddhism are no longer present in some parts of the world, we can hope that the spirit of love and peace that enhances human dignity never fades.

This paper will discuss several critical aspects of monastic Buddhism in India, recounted by two prominent Chinese pilgrims, and discuss monastic Buddhism's vicissitudes in Kashmir. Kashmir is one of the most important areas where Buddhism grew and spread outside India, particularly to China via the Silk Road. However, Buddhism decreased over time and could not be restored to its current level.