Sino-Indian Cultural Synergy

Abstract

This is the presentation of the joint project on twenty centuries of civilisational dialogue between India and China, India and China: Twenty Centuries of Civilizational Interaction and Vibrations, with Professor Geng Yinzeng. The ‘Clash of Civilisations’ and ‘Civilisational Dialogue’ marks the major difference between the historical development of the Western and Eastern Hemispheres. In the West, Clash of Civilisations seems to have never ended since the emergence of ancient Egypt and Babylon. But, there has never been a Clash of Civilisations in the Eastern Hemisphere thanks to the dominance of India and China as well as their mutual interactions and vibrations throughout history. Ancient civilisations in the West pursue a ‘face-to-face’ relationship with each other. Under the impact of hegemony, each civilisation aspires to be ‘on top of the world’, striving to destroy its rival. In the East, India and China never underwent such a course vis-à-vis each other and pursue a ‘back-to-back’ relationship. The book is an overview of the ‘back-to-back’ India–China civilisational dialogue which distinguished itself by three elements: (1) pilgrimage, (2) translation of Buddhist scriptures from Pali and Sanskrit into Chinese, and (3) trade and diplomacy.