Abstract:

As a historical cultural formation, the Buddhist development is not a self-evolution of Indian culture, but results from confluence of diverse Asian cultures including Chinese culture and West Asian cultures. Through a critical examination of some original Buddhist scriptures and texts in this paper, it can be realized that such confluence finds expressions not only in the merging of Indian Buddhist culture into China, but also in the spread of Chinese native culture into India so as to influence Indian Buddhist culture and in tum flow back to China as a form of Buddhist culture.

Key words: Buddhist culture, cultural confluence, Liu Shi Li Wen (Master Liu?s Essay on Rites)