Includes bibliographical references and indexes.

Preliminary material / A. Heirman and S.P. Bumbacher -- Introduction: The Spread of buddhism / Ann Heirman and Stephan Peter Bumbacher -- The first turning of the wheel of the doctrine— Sarvāstivāda and Mahāsāṃghika controversy / Bart Dessein -- Buddhism in Gandhara / Siglinde Dietz -- The spread of buddhism in Serindia—Buddhism among iranians, tocharians and turks before the 13th century / Xavier Tremblay -- Greece, the final frontier?—The westward spread of buddhism / Erik Seldeslachts -- Vinaya: from India to China / Ann Heirman -- Early buddhism in China: Daoist reactions / Stephan Peter Bumbacher -- Tantric threads between India and China / Martin Lehnert -- The Accounts of Milbon, Hyet’ong and Myŏngnang in the Samguk Yusa / Pol Vanden Broucke -- The buddhist way into Tibet / Karénina Kollmar-Paulenz -- The later spread of buddhism in Tibet / Sven Bretfeld -- The history of buddhism among the mongols / Klaus Sagaster -- The spread of Chan (Zen) buddhism / T. Griffith Foulk -- Index of names / A. Heirman and S.P. Bumbacher -- Index of places / A. Heirman and S.P. Bumbacher -- Index of titles / A. Heirman and S.P. Bumbacher.

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In no region of the world Buddhism can be seen as a unified doctrinal system. It rather consists of a multitude of different ideas, practices and behaviours. Geographical, social, political, economic, philosophical, religious, and also linguistic factors all played their role in its development and spread, but this role was different from region to region. Based on up-to-date research, this book aims at unraveling the complex factors that shaped the presence of particular forms of Buddhism in the regions to the north and the east of India. The result is a fascinating view on the mechanisms that allowed or hampered the presence of (certain aspects of) Buddhism in regions such as Central Asia, China, Tibet, Mongolia, or Korea.