The Sacred Asian Gate Tradition in Europe (SymbolicCrossings from the Mundane to the Sacred)

This letter introduces a hypothesis of a cultural connection between the sacred gateway tradition found across Asia and the Szekler gates of Transylvania in the Carpathian Basin. Traces of this theory were mentioned by two 19th century historians James Fergusson and Robert Sewell. Fergusson in the’ Tree and Serpent Worship’(1868)and Sewell’ Early Buddhist Symbolism’ (1886) describe the interesting similarities between certain symbols and ornaments of ancient Buddhist stupas and others in Eastern Europe and Western Asia. They expressed the hope that this topic would be considered for further research.

Spreading of Buddhism & Buddhist Art

After Alexander the Great’s campaigns, the Silk Roads were loaded with numerous dier-ent religious, intellectual traditions and beliefs. Buddhism was a concept that quickly

becamesuccessfulandacceptedacrossAsia,especiallyafterithadbeenembracedbyemperorAshoka(Frankopan, 2015). Certain researchers are using terms such as ‘social conversion ‘ or ‘in-tegration’ to describe the way Buddhism gained acceptance in countries of Asia. The artof dierent cultural backgrounds synergising with Buddhism created new unique styles like the Greco-Buddhist world of Gandhara. In China it fused with Taoism and Confucianism, in

Japan it created Shinto-Buddhism and in Southeast Asian countries like Indonesia and Bali it gave birth to Hindu-Buddhist art (Shashibala, 2003; Albanese, 2007). Buddhism was the cultural connecting element that stretched from the Greco-Buddhist world of Gandhara to the Hindu-Buddhist Majapahit candies of Java
.
Academia Letters, June 2021

Corresponding Author: Katalin Puskas Khetani, katalin.mark.vince@gmail.com
Citation:

Puskas Khetani, K. (2021). The Sacred Asian Gate Tradition in Europe (Symbolic Crossings from the Mundane to the Sacred).
Academia Letters


 
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Academia Letters, June 2021

Corresponding Author:

Katalin Puskas Khetani, katalin.mark.vince@gmail.com

Citation:

Puskas Khetani, K. (2021). The Sacred Asian Gate Tradition in Europe (Symbolic Crossings from theMundane to the Sacred).
Academia Letters
, Article 1335.


©2021 by the author — Open Access — Distributed under CC BY 4.0

 
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Corresponding Author:
 
Katalin Puskas Khetani, katalin.mark.vince@gmail.com
Citation:
 
Puskas Khetani, K. (2021). The Sacred Asian Gate Tradition in Europe (Symbolic Crossings from theMundane to the Sacred).



©2021 by the author — Open Access — Distributed under CC BY 4.0
 
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Corresponding Author:

Katalin Puskas Khetani, katalin.mark.vince@gmail.com
Citation:

Puskas Khetani, K. (2021). The Sacred Asian Gate Tradition in Europe (Symbolic Crossings from theMundane to the Sacred).
Academia Letters

https://doi.org/10.20935/AL1335

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