Page 46 - A History of Siam

A HISTORY OF SIAM
44
immaterial. Certain it is that it was somewhere in the
Indo-Chinese Peninsula, and that the Buddhist Church
which was founded there gradually spread its teaching
over the whole of the countries now known as Siam,
Burma and Cambodia.
Another as to which there has been some di-
point
of is whether Brahmanism or Buddhism
vergence opinion
was first introduced into Siam. It seems
possible
that there were Indian settlers in times.
pre-iBuddhistic
They must have professed Brahmanism. On the other
hand, Brahmanism is not, and never was, a missionising
faith. Early Buddhism was strong in missionary
and we therefore assume that the
endeavour, may
first the Mohn-Khmers
foreign religion adopted by
was Buddhism.
About the end of the first century of the Christian
a certain Kanishka was over the realm
era, King ruling
of Gandhara in northern India. This monarch set up his
at He like
capital Purushapura (Peshawar). was, King
Asoka, a great supporter of the Buddhist faith. He
called a Buddhist at which the Sanscrit
together Council,
was as the of Bud-
tongue adopted religious language
dhism, and at which a large number of innovations in
faith and were admitted. This Council resulted
practice
in the division of the Buddhist world into two sections ;
those in the north of India followed the so-called
Mahayana, or Greater Vehicle, those in the south
clung to the original teaching of Buddha, which
was the name of or
distinguished by Hinayana,
Lesser Vehicle. Among the Buddhists of to-day the
and
Nepalese, Tibetans, Chinese, Japanese Annamites,
follow various forms of the Mahayana. The Cinga-
lese, Burmese, Siamese and Cambodians adhere to the
Hinayana.