Buddhism and Indian Culture. Buddha's birth is "an important event in the history of human thought", and he is "a man revered by all as the light of Asia and the world". Indeed, Shakyamuni Buddha's thought has patterned the lives of millions of followers around the world over the past 26 centuries. With his noble virtues, wisdom, and greatness, he is honored as an incomparable guru. The Buddha was a missionary, a spiritual teacher and a great social reformer. Before his birth, the socio-religious laws of India, as found in Vedic literature, fairy tales, foretelling and other sources, were harsh, divisive, oppressive, and barbaric. for the majority of the population. Of course, the Arya people have religious beliefs, but morally they have only tribal customs, in addition they do not respect other moral values. At that time, slavery was considered normal. Contrary to the principle of freedom of belief, children of the slave class were often forced to follow the profession of their parents. The role of women is not taken seriously. In terms of education, people, the majority of the middle and lower classes of society, are denied their rights. The Brahmins and kings had a monopoly. Of all the communities, the Sudra class status is the worst. They had to respect the higher class through some barbaric laws. If they study and recite the Vedas, their tongues will be cut off; if they slandered a higher class person or expressed anger towards the upper class, they would be stabbed in the throat with a hot iron rod. Not only that, the entire social structure is based on the principle of inequality. These barbaric laws were applied to protect the rights and privileges of the upper classes. Even the punishment of offenders is based on the principle of inequality, the majority being the poor class and the minority being the Brahmin class. The Buddha opposed such barbaric social laws. He proclaimed a new philosophy of freedom, equality and friendliness, a philosophy for the common good of the many. Indeed, the Buddha was the first to break through the bastion of privilege, the caste system, ritualism, religious fanaticism, superstition and delusion. The Buddha expounded the transcendent philosophy of friendship and universal equality in all its aspects. Therefore, the Buddha is the creator of moral values ​​such as: individual freedom, tolerance, understanding, compassion, harmlessness (ahimsa), benevolence, service and sacrifice. Needless to say, the Buddha strongly opposed the caste system. The doors of the Sangha are open to all, regardless of social status. He taught that everyone is capable of attaining Nirvana. Not only that, he took further practical steps to eliminate these mistakes. These steps are: not to accept absurdities, even if they are recorded in the scriptures, supported by people of authority, the sublime myth of the Brahmin. He encouraged breaking the above wrong rules by taking food at the donors' houses; and equality in the admission of the lower castes to the Sangha. “Value” is not “born”, he said, but “value” is a human quality through practice. Obviously, thanks to the compassionate teachings of the Buddha, the Indians have turned to vegetarianism. King Ashoka, the first Buddhist emperor, was also the first Indian king to declare the sanctity of animal life. He ordered the people to avoid killing animals for entertainment or sacrifice. Harsha, the last Buddhist emperor, after ascending the throne he issued a decree for the people not to eat meat. Later, based on the Buddhist point of view, saints Vaisnava and Saiva preached vegetarianism. Education in pre-Buddhist India was characterized by two features: 1) It was limited to the upper classes of society, mainly Brahmins and kings, and 2) It was mainly based on a single god. teacher with a small group of students, the teacher's home system (gurugrha). Buddhism reformed both of these tendencies. Buddhism extended learning to all and introduced the monastic school system. The monasteries that took the form of educational institutes later became famous universities, such as: Nalanda, Valabhi, Vikramasila, Jagaddala and Odantapuri. Education in these university monasteries not only trains monks, but also produces famous scholars who have a place in the academic culture. Thousands of students come to study, not only from different parts of India but also from other countries. Thus, in India Buddhism pioneered the establishment of an education system and a library system in the modern sense. Famous libraries existed in Buddhist monasteries at Nalanda, Valabhi, Vikramasila, Jagaddala and Odantapuri. Immediately after the Buddha entered Nirvana, the worship of relics became popular. This tendency to worship gave birth to the art of sculpture because people thought it necessary to have an image in front of them for them to worship and pay their respects to. In the early stages, the Buddha was represented through symbols. His birth is depicted by the scene of Queen Maya on a lotus with a white elephant walking towards her. His ordination is described by a horse without a driver, enlightenment is an empty mound under the Bodhi tree. The scene of turning the wheel of Dharma is depicted by a wheel. On the edicts carved on the stone pillars of King Ashoka, the elephant is a symbol of the Buddha. Ashoka's stone pillars with lions, oxen etc... are masterpieces of early Indian art. The tradition started by King Ashoka was followed by Buddhists, and in the second century B.C., Buddhist art entered a period of vigorous activity. Sculptures on balustrades and tower gates in Sanchi, Bharut (central India), Amaravati and Nagarjunakonda (Andhra Pradesh) belong to this period. Indeed, the Great Buddhist Stupa at Bharut is the earliest type of sculpture found in India, remaining next to the Indus Valley Civilization. During the reign of King Kanisha (1st century AD) Buddha sculpture also became popular. The two important schools of art and sculpture of Buddhism are Gandhara and Mathura. The Mathura Museum also houses masterpieces of the Mathura school of art. The Buddha statues sculpted at Mathura in the 5th century C.E. are considered the greatest creation of Indian art. Another example of the splendor of Buddhist art are the world famous Ajanta-Ellora caves. Rock caves, splendidly sculpted with beautiful paintings on the walls, columns and ceilings. They are the most valuable legacies of ancient Indian art. In art or in architecture, Ancient Indian stories start from Buddhism. Buddhist architecture focuses on three points: the top of the tower, the shrine and the stone cave. These types are found all over the country and are a source of inspiration for modern architects. The famous architecture and art of the Sanchi gate, the Ajanta cave window influences modern times through the architecture of government and private buildings. After independence, constitution builders turned to history to find an idea, they were not disappointed. Buddhists have all they want. They took the "Lion" symbol on the stone pillar of King Ashoka at Sarnath as the national symbol. The symbol of the Dharma Wheel (Dharma-Chakra) is placed in the middle of the national flag. They also accepted the concept of a secular and welfare state as preached by King Ashoka. The Ashoka dynasty was indeed a prosperous dynasty. King Ashoka's only wish was to make everyone happy in the present as well as in the future. “Nothing is more important to me than to benefit everyone,” he said. Buddhism contributed greatly to Indian thought. Much influenced by Hindu scholars. According to Dr. Surendranath Das Gupta: “Most of the sublime teachings of the Puranas can be found in the Buddhist scriptures. Most of the myths and stories of the Puranas are derived from the stories of the Forerunners and the Parables. All works on Yoga, like Vyasabhasya are really a Hinduized version of Buddhist Yoga.” Famous Hindu works such as the Ramayana, the Maha-Bharata and the Bhagvad Gita are not only post-Buddhist but also borrow Buddhism in many respects. Even Sankara, the greatest Hindu philosopher of the eighth century, borrowed the Vedanta philosophy, dialectic from Buddhist teachings. Dr. Das Gupta continued, “I have great respect for the great master Sankara, but careful analysis of his writing shows that for the most part he has borrowed teachings, phrases, dialectic from Buddhism. Not only Sankara but also many of his disciples such as Sriharsa, Anandjnana... built Vendata into a philosophical system of reasoning in the manner of Nagarjuna and some other Buddhist scholars." There is no doubt that Buddhism has left a deep imprint on Indian culture. Dr. S. Radhakrishnan, the second president of India said: “Buddhism left a permanent imprint on Indian culture. Its influence can be seen in all directions. Hindu beliefs have absorbed the positive moral aspect of Buddhism. A new aspect to life, Indians have a benevolent way of living with animals, responsibility and strive for a higher life. The Brahmin system, thanks to the influence of Buddhism, has broken down some of the customs." In summary, Buddhism has made significant contributions to Indian culture as follows: By preaching that "values" are not "born" but by human qualities, Buddhism has helped to loosen strict class system. By extending education to all, Buddhism opened the door to the development of the lower class in society. By breaking down superstition, blind beliefs, rituals, and intellectual slavery, Buddhism broadens the horizons of popular thinking and prepares the ground for social reforms. By preaching harmlessness and compassion, Buddhism helps people to appreciate life and keeps them away from bloody sacrifices. By replacing the former morality, Buddhism correctly interprets the word "dhamma" for everyone. The quintessence of Buddhist saints, scholars, poets and philosophers greatly influenced later Hindu thought. Indian art and architecture has its roots in Buddhism and is accomplished. Through Buddhism, Indian culture spread throughout Asia. It was the Buddhist missionaries who raised the torch of Indian civilization and culture everywhere and turned Indian culture into the world's leading culture.. Through Buddhism, Indian culture spread throughout Asia. It was the Buddhist missionaries who raised the torch of Indian civilization and culture everywhere and turned Indian culture into the world's leading culture. Through Buddhism, Indian culture spread throughout Asia. It was the Buddhist missionaries who raised the torch of Indian civilization and culture everywhere and turned Indian culture into the world's leading culture.END=NAM MO SAKYAMUNI BUDDHA.( 3 TIMES ).WORLD VIETNAMESE BUDDHIST ORDER=BUDDHIST DHARMA WHEEL GOLDEN MONASTERY=VIETNAMESE BUDDHIST NUN=THE WOMEN OF THE SAKYA CLAN CHAN TANH.AUSTRALIA,SYDNEY.14/9/2022.VIETNAMESE TRANSLATE ENGLISH BY=VIETNAMESE BUDDHIST NUN=THE WOMEN OF THE SAKYA CLAN CHAN TANH.