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Philip C. Almond, Emeritus Professor in the History of Religious Thought, The University of Queensland

How the West discovered the Buddha

Marco Polo Buddhism Wikimedia Commons Daniel Defoe China Religion India Australia Japan
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Buddhism is the third largest (and fastest growing) religion in Australia with approximately half a million adherents.

The celebration of the Buddha’s birthday here (on or around May 15) has become a major cultural event and the Buddhist doctrine of “mindfulness” is now a part of mainstream culture. But how and when did the West discover the Buddha?

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