By the beginning of the XX century. Oriental studies has accumulated a huge amount of factual material thanks to the archaeological discoveries of the previous century. Ancient inscriptions and texts were read. A lot of scientific works of a very different nature have appeared. New branches of research have emerged. At the same time, the rapidly developing global communications set science the task of removing it from the narrow framework of specialization, as well as developing it in the direction of broad practical benefits. In this context, Yu. N. Roerich saw an urgent need to create a common history of the East and considered it a priority task. He believed that Oriental studies should not be a self-contained science, the treasures of Eastern thought should be open to the whole world. In addition, he pointed out that in addition to generalizing already known data, "work of this kind would contribute to new discoveries and, perhaps, even unexpected discoveries, and would also help scientists specializing in other fields of science" [Roerich Yu. N., 1999(2), p. 15]. he became an apologist for a single civilizational and cultural Asian community, in the formation of which he assigned a primary role to Buddhism.

Key words: Roerich Yu. N., method of synthesis in history, cultural unity of Asia, Buddhism.

Yu. N. Roerich was the founder of a new direction in historical science, which is based on synthesis, generalization, search for all possible unity and integration ties. In the light of this approach, the science of history was only part of a whole block of historical disciplines, which along with it includes archeology, cultural studies, ethnopsychology, history of philosophy and religions, and art history. The history of any country, any territory could now be presented as part of the universal history of the world, and various ethnic groups were subjects of a single historical process. From this point of view, for example, East and West developed together, in constant interaction and mutual influence.

Yu. N. Roerich set himself the task of studying Asia as a single cultural and historical space. He conceived a large work on the history of Central Asia, which, in the light of a new approach, would present a single history for all Asian peoples, not only living in states, large and small, but also roaming its steppe expanses. He planned to show all these peoples in close cooperation and mutual influence, i.e. a single cultural and historical community. And to give a large historical cross-section-from the most ancient times to the present.

Yu. N. Roerich was well aware that such work would require huge knowledge and a lot of time spent on research. All his life, he scrupulously collected new materials and added them to the already built-up research canvas. Unfortunately, the work conceived by the scientist was never published during his lifetime and remained in manuscript for several years.

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more than a thousand pages. This work was published in three volumes only in 2004-2009 under the title "History of Central Asia".

In the course of his research, Yu. N.Roerich traced a certain unity in the development of peoples not only in the large territory of Central Asia, but also in the wider whole of Asia. The scientist saw it everywhere in its geographical position, ethnological, economic, and linguistic aspects. However, he gave priority to cultural unity. Culture, in his opinion, is the universal value of humanity. Various countries, states, and civilizations may arise and perish, but they leave behind a certain universal cultural substratum, thanks to which the development of humanity continues.

Putting the principle of cultural development at the head of his research, Yu. N. Roerich acted in accordance with the concept of culture put forward by his father, N. K. Roerich, according to which it is the highest value of a person and humanity. Nikolai Konstantinovich wrote that "a person, a clan, a state can grow only on the basis of culture" [Roerich N. K., 1992(2), p. 136]. He called culture "a waypost of true evolution" (Roerich N. K., 1992(1), p. 103).

Based on this concept, Yu. N.Roerich saw Asia as a single cultural space, where the main cultural and civilizational ideas can be traced literally to all peoples throughout a large historical period, regardless of their ethnic composition, language, or even religious affiliation.

How did it happen that a universal civilization emerged in Asia, bound together by common cultural elements in a holistic and historically continuous space? To answer this question, Yu. N. Roerich proposed to consider the influence of the Buddha's teaching on the development of the peoples of Asia. It was Buddhism, in his opinion, that played a key role for a stable cultural association. Roerich considered the emergence of Buddhism a very important event in the history of the East. Having originated in India, Buddhism quickly spread throughout Asia. The scientist identified three main streams of its promotion.

The first flow northward, through the mountain passes of the Himalayas and Hindu Kush, captures areas from the east of the Pamir-Tien-Shan dividing line, penetrating into Tibet, Mongolia, Southern Siberia, and further east into Korea and Japan. As a result of this massive penetration of Buddhism into Central Asia in the 1st millennium AD, a latitudinal line of Buddhist cultures emerged from the shores of the Aral Sea in the west to the Pacific Ocean in the east. I will add that there was also a meridian line-from Ceylon in the south to Southern Siberia in the north.

Moreover, Roerich especially noted the penetration of Buddhism in the north-west of Russia. He wrote: "The steady movement of Buddhism to the north ended with the construction of the Buddhist vihara in St. Petersburg, < ... > which was consecrated in 1913. It still stands today, having survived the enemy bombardment during the unforgettable siege of Leningrad during World War II " [Roerich Yu. N., 2002(3), p. 15]. The fact that Buddhism in its movement from India reached the borders of Russia and became the property of the peoples living on its territory, Roerich considered an important historical fact. Russia, which at one time accepted the spiritual message of the Buddha, also entered the Buddhist world and became part of a large Buddhist civilization.

Another stream of Buddhism spread to Southeast and South Asia. The conversion of Ceylon took place during the time of the Buddhist emperor Ashoka (III century BC). Then, by land and sea routes, Buddhism penetrated the lands of Indochina: Burma (Myanmar), Thailand, Cambodia, Laos and Vietnam. Following the south-east, he penetrated the Malay Archipelago.

The third stream, according to Roerich, carried the message of the Buddha to the countries of the Middle East and the Mediterranean. There, the ideas of the Buddha's teaching were adopted by some spiritual and religious trends, such as the Essenes and Gnostics. I note that up to now

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The influence of Buddhism on the development of the countries of the Mediterranean basin and northwestern Europe is poorly understood, including how it affected the birth and development of Christianity, which became a powerful cultural and ideological force for this region.

Thus, Buddhism was spread almost all over the Eurasian continent. Yu. N. Roerich for the first time in Oriental studies spoke about Buddhism as a powerful cultural and historical force, which for more than a millennium held together numerous peoples who speak different languages.

The question arises: what has allowed Buddhism to become such a powerful and influential force in history? What inner potential for this was contained in the teachings of the Buddha, according to Yu. N. Roerich?

By Buddhism, the researcher understood not so much a religion that has undergone several stages of transformation over the centuries, but the whole set of ideas embedded in the teachings of the Buddha. The complex of ideas of the Buddha's teaching (Buddhist Dharma), according to Yu. N.Roerich, in the ideological sphere was a true philosophy of life, a kind of mental science that has a universal universal character and is not subject to aging. It is a very valuable fact that the Buddhist philosophy is largely based on propositions that are checked by logical reasoning, it does not require blind faith in dogmas, in the statements of authorities, and even more so does not turn to miracles for proof of its authenticity. It does not confine thinking to the narrow confessional dogmas, but, on the contrary, gives space to the development of thought.

Philosophical ideas of Buddhism touch on the deep foundations of being, answer the most important questions of life. They provide ways to theoretically comprehend the most important world problems, form a person's worldview and reveal the meaning of his life. They justify the progressive development of both the individual and the state, and offer far-reaching prospects for individual and collective spiritual growth. By assimilating the ideas of the Buddha's teaching, peoples could successfully advance in their evolutionary development.

Another essential feature of Buddhism: in the case of a dialogue with a different ideological system, Buddhism first of all tried to find something in common that brings the opposing sides together, and not something that could divide and lead to conflict. Buddhism has never insisted on its exclusivity. Therefore, it could coexist peacefully with other religions and beliefs.

The Buddha's teaching had an all-encompassing humanistic orientation. His spiritual message is addressed to all people, regardless of their ethnic, linguistic or social background. It speaks about the one nature of all people without exception. In his work" Cultural Unity of Asia "Yu. N. Roerich wrote:" It was Buddhism that from the very beginning stepped over national and political barriers and was the first to preach the unity of humanity regardless of nationality " [Roerich Yu. N., 1999(1), p. 20]. It is the universal orientation of Buddhism that has made it an influential ideological force.

Support for Buddhism in the broadest strata of the population was ensured by the fact that the Buddha's sermon had a strong social message. Roerich wrote: "From the very beginning of its spread, Buddhism, following the words of its Founder:' Go and take care of the welfare and well-being of many, in compassion for the world', - inspired and joined movements that sought social justice and equality" [ibid.]. Moreover, wherever Buddhism penetrated, it tried to convey its ideas in a language accessible to the masses. The Buddha and his disciples used only vernacular dialects for their teachings.

Thus, Buddhism, on the one hand, had a strong theory - a whole complex of philosophical ideas, on the other - combined theory with practice. The ethics of Buddhism were all-encompassing. Roerich wrote: "Spreading across the Asian continent, Buddhism

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He was distinguished by a twofold attraction - the influence of both his philosophical thought and universal orientation was amazing" [Roerich Yu. N., 2002(1), p. 10].

Buddhism provided ample opportunities for enlightenment and moral education of the people, as well as for the development of culture and art. "Wherever Buddhism penetrated, it shaped the spiritual life and character of the people, enriched their literature and art, and gave them a certain unity of views, which is probably one of their greatest achievements" [Roerich Yu. N., 1999(1), p. 20]. That is, Buddhism was a strong cultural factor.

This was especially evident in Central Asia, where Buddhism penetrated during the Kushan era in the first century AD. Despite the complex multi-ethnic environment, Buddhism in this region has taken a strong position due to its focus on cultural development. In a relatively short time, a number of significant cultural centers of Buddhism emerged in Central Asia. Yu. N. Roerich especially noted Khotan in the south of the Tarim basin and Kuchu in its north. Important for the development of culture were, in his opinion, Bamiyan in Afghanistan with its famous colossal Buddhas, the cave complexes of Dunhuang (more often called Mogao after the main cave) in Northwestern China, as well as Wutaishan in Northern China.

Buddhism's respect for national cultures made Central Asia an area of intense cultural exchange during the Buddhist era. Cultural interpenetration was deep and diverse. Such ancient cultural trends with the participation of Buddhism as Greco-Bactrian (Afghanistan), Iranian-Buddhist (northern Afghanistan, Tajikistan, the Tarim basin), Indo-Iranian-Buddhist (Khorezm), Indo - Chinese (Northwestern and Northern China), and later-Indo-Tibetan (Tibet), Tibeto are well known- Mongolian (Mongolia). In the melting pot of various national cultures (India, Iran, China, Greece and other countries of the Ancient and Medieval East), universal cultural elements were crystallized, which later became the property of new, replaced Buddhist civilizations. Thanks to well-established cultural relationships, a single cultural belt has emerged throughout the Buddhist world. "Such a cultural belt," Roerich writes, "could not but contribute to the establishment of the ideal of cultural unity" [Roerich Yu. N., 1999(1), p. 21].

The basis of synthetic Buddhist cultures, as N. K. Roerich noted, is the culture of Ancient India. He wrote:

"In all these vast territories, Indian culture has had a huge impact on the development of local cultures, and in fact these regions have become part of the cultural heritage of India. < ... > This crossroads of different cultures has created a unique and colorful mixed culture, the basis of which is mostly Indian. < ... > For about one thousand two hundred years, the influence of Indian art Indian secular sciences, such as astronomy, medicine, drama, poetry, and grammar, became known in Central Asia through Buddhist channels, and were accepted by peoples living from the steppes of southern Russia to the shores of the Pacific Ocean" (cit. by: [Roerich Yu. N., 2002(2), p. 7]).

Yu. N. Roerich noted the cultural significance of Sanskrit as a language that has rightfully become the language of culture:

"The spread of Sanskrit in a foreign environment was in itself an amazing event in the cultural life of the region. This showed that a language that carries a high culture and civilization can, despite its grammatical complexity, become a lingua franca [language of culture] for a large region inhabited by various peoples " [Roerich Yu. N., 2002(2), p. 8].

Unfortunately, Roerich noted, in India itself, the importance of Buddhism as a global cultural factor, as well as its contribution to the cultural development of the whole world, is still underestimated. On the occasion of the 2500 th anniversary of the birth of the Buddha, he wrote an article "India in India".

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duty to Buddhism " (1955), the very title of which expresses Roerich's attitude to the situation that then developed around Buddhism in India. Therefore, he has always advocated for a revival of attention to Buddhism, and not only among scientists.

The picture of the cultural influence of Buddhism will be incomplete if we do not mention one more important point. As a way to promote and assimilate the Dharma, Buddhism has put forward a certain form of community of people united by a single task. The main structural element of Buddhist civilization was the community (sangha), which was most developed in the form of a monastery.

It is impossible to overestimate the contribution of Buddhist monasteries to the cultural development of countries. The history of Buddhist countries is primarily the history of large Buddhist monasteries. Communities of monks were not only engaged in religious and philosophical training and practice, but also conducted a wide range of activities. They often served as the main functional unit in such areas as culture, education, art, philosophy and ideology, economics and finance.

Buddhist monasteries became the first centers of printing in the world's history, the place of origin of various schools of literature, painting, practical study of man and nature, and medicine. In fact, they were the first universities and scientific schools.

The role of monasteries in the economy is very important. Performing partly the function of banks, they became stimulators of socially significant works. Under their leadership and on their initiative, the construction of roads, the creation of agricultural infrastructure, irrigation and other works to improve the country were carried out. They invested heavily in the development of crafts and construction.

Buddhist monks could go far away from their monasteries, performing a variety of tasks. Pilgrims made extensive use of trade routes, including the Silk Road, which also became a way of spreading culture. The composition of both monasteries and wandering monks was multinational. Yu. N. Roerich gave the following example: "When the Chinese preacher Jianzhen visited Japan in 753 AD, he was accompanied by 14 Chinese Buddhist monks, 2 Iranian monks from Central Asia, a native of Kulong (Indonesia) and a monk from Lingyu (Champa)" [Roerich Yu. N., 1999(1), p. 24]. Monks went to other monasteries to exchange experience, and when they returned, they often brought rare books that they had copied, adding to the monastery's library. Communication between different parts of the Buddhist world, including the most remote ones, was quite well maintained. All this contributed, on the one hand, to the development of Buddhism, on the other-to the cultural unity of peoples.

In this regard, the text chosen by Yu. N. Roerich for translation is interesting, which tells about the journey of the Tibetan pilgrim monk Dharmaswamin (1197-1264) to Northern India during one of the tragic periods of its history - the Islamic conquest, when the largest monasteries known in the Buddhist world were mercilessly destroyed. Thus, at that time Nalanda Monastery was in its last days, and Vikramashila Monastery was already in ruins. Yu. N. Roerich took up the English translation of this text with a certain meaning, which was then published in Patna in 1959. The Russian translation under the title " The Life of Dharmasvamin (Chag-Lotsava Chojepel), a Tibetan pilgrim monk It was published in Samara in 1999 and in Moscow in 2002 under the title "An Amazing Biography of Chag-Lotsava, compiled by Juba Choidar".

The idea of the Buddhist sangha, embodied in the form of a monastery, was so vital that it was accepted as a model for the functioning of a religious community by such world religions as Christianity and Islam. Following the example of Buddhist viharas, Christian monasteries and Muslim madrasas were built. Roerich wrote: "So, Sufi madrasas in medieval Bukhara were created on the model of Buddhist viharas, and even the name Bukhara itself goes back to the word vihara, which means Buddhist monastic school" [Roerich Yu. N., 1999(1), p. 20].

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Thus, due to the universal nature of the Buddhist system in the vast territory of Eurasia, it was possible to create a Buddhist civilization capable of forming and preserving a single culture in conditions of high polyethnicity and a very heterogeneous language environment. And such a civilization could have existed for more than a thousand years, which is in itself the greatest experience of mankind in its significance - the idea of creating a certain cultural and ideological unity was historically tested, and this fact entered the cultural memory of peoples, which is very important for building the future.

In his work" The Legend of Rama in Tibet " (1960), Yu. N.Roerich investigated the transmission to Buddhist Tibet of the tradition of ancient Indian poetics (kavya), based on the Indo-European culture of epic tales.

Then you can call such a work of Yu. N. Roerich as " The Legend of Caesar of Ling "(1942). It is known that Gesarkhan is the most famous hero of Central Asia in the pre-Buddhist era. He was especially revered by the ancient Indo-Aryan nomadic tribes. In the Buddhist era, the epic of Gyoserkhan was not forgotten, it harmoniously entered the Buddhist literary and artistic tradition. There are still many versions of the Heseriad in Ladakh, Tibet, and Mongolia. As Roerich pointed out, Gesarkhan was included in the Buddhist pantheon, and his images can be found in Tibetan paintings on silk (tanks). Moreover, Yu. N. Roerich wrote that in the Tibetan province of Amdo, " among the followers of the Gelugpa school, one often hears an unexpected statement that Tsonghava himself, a Tibetan reformer, was once a priest (amchod) of King Kesar of Ling!" [Roerich, 1999(3), p.63].

In this regard, I would like to emphasize that almost all of Yu. N. Roerich's scientific works are united by a single idea-the desire to study the continuity and unity of the great cultures of Asia. How important the idea of cultural unity of Asia was for Roerich is shown by the fact that he wrote special works: "The Cultural Unity of Asia" ("The Cultural Unity of Asia"), which he published in English in 1950 in Delhi, and the article "Buddhism and the Cultural unity of Asia" ("Buddhism, the Basis of Asian Culture"), also published in English in 1955.

Noting the contribution of Buddhism to the development of cultural unity in Asia, Roerich set the task of stimulating interest in the study of the great heritage of the Buddha. He noted that indologists of the older generation-I. P. Minaev (1840-1890), S. F. Oldenburg (1863-1934), F. I. Shcherbatskoy (1866-1942) - laid down excellent traditions of Buddhist research. In his work" Indology in Russia " (1945), giving a brief overview of the development of Russian Indology, Yu. N.Roerich devoted a significant part of the research to the analysis of the results of studying Buddhism.

After returning to Russia in 1957 and joining the Institute of Oriental Studies of the Russian Academy of Sciences, Yu. N. Roerich consistently pursued the idea of reviving scientific interest in Buddhism. In 1958, when the Department of India and Pakistan raised the issue of resuming the publication of the series "Bibliotheca Buddhica" ("Bibliotheca Buddhica"), which would publish scientific works on Buddhism, Yu. N.Roerich led this work. In 1960, under his editorship, the Dhammapada, which is part of the Buddhist canon, was published in this series (translated from Pali by V. N. Toporov).

Yu. N. Roerich put forward the idea of the need for an international association of scientists to study the Kushan era, during which Buddhism created a unique synthetic culture in the territories of modern Central Asia, Afghanistan, Pakistan, Northern India and East Turkestan. On the part of the Soviet committee for the East-West project, it was decided to apply to UNESCO with a corresponding proposal. Yu. N. Roerich was instructed to develop a research project by Russian scientists.

The idea of the scientist was embodied in 1966 in the approved UNESCO project for the study of Central Asian Civilizations and the subsequent creation of an International Organization for the Study of Central Asian Civilizations.

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associations for the study of Central Asian Cultures. This work was relevant and timely at that time.

Events in modern Asia once again confirm the significance of the ideas put forward by Yu. N.Roerich. Central Asia is once again becoming the center of many countries ' geopolitical interests. Knowledge of its history and cultural and spiritual heritage is necessary and can contribute to solving problems related to this region.

It also confirms Roerich's idea that Buddhism has a timeless meaning, its cultural, philosophical and ethical content does not become obsolete. Thus, the research of modern scientists shows that the legacy of Buddhism continues to feed society with its ideas at the present stage of history. For example, in India, despite the fact that there are relatively few Buddhists who profess Buddhism as a religion, the ideas of the Buddha's teachings permeate many areas of modern society.

As researchers [Safronova, 2013] note, since the 19th century and up to the present, it is increasingly possible to observe the conversion to Buddhism among Indian universalist thinkers who began to preach the equality and equivalence of all religions (for example, M. K. Gandhi). J. Nehru (1889-1964) and subsequent leaders of the Indian National Congress (INC) party also turned to the moral and ethical principles of Buddhism, which provide the basis for unity of Indians within a society divided by ethnic, religious, social and caste barriers.

J. Nehru admired the wisdom of the Buddhist ruler Ashoka and highly appreciated his contribution to the development of Indian society and the state. He wrote that "it is a special pleasure for an Indian to think about this period of Indian history" [Nehru, 1975, p. 114]. Like Ashoka in his time, he advocated the unity and indivisibility of India and, adhering to the Buddhist concept of the "middle way", put forward and justified the doctrine of political centrism, social harmony. The recognition of some Buddhist ideas resulted in the proclamation of a policy of non-alignment with any military geopolitical blocs, which ensured the development of India's national identity and the preservation of its independence.

Such modern Indian philosophers as S. Radhakrishnan, S. N. Dasgupta, P. T. Raju and others were interested in the philosophical ideas of the Buddha's teaching, and Buddhist ethics was considered in the context of the ideas of Marxism and scientific socialism (B. R. Ambedkar [Ambedkar V. R., 1979], E. M. S. Nambudirinad and others).

Yu. N. Roerich, despite his opinion about the lack of attention to Buddhism in India, still recognized that "there is a new revival of interest in Buddhism in India, and the fact that several scientific institutes dedicated to the study of Buddhism were founded gives hope for a new revival of Buddhist research" [Roerich Yu. N., 2002(1), p. 12]. He wrote that "cultural unity based on Buddhism enables modern India to play a prominent role in the noble struggle for peace and understanding between nations; it is a legacy to which the Indian people remain loyal" [ibid.]. Roerich himself, while living in Kalimpong, India, in the 1950s, advocated the formation of a Buddhist research institute in Gangtok (Sikkim).

Yu. N. Roerich wrote: "In our search for unity, in our attempts to build new bridges for the unification of peoples, we should not forget the lessons of the past, but, on the contrary, we should carefully preserve the remnants of former unity and, wherever possible, rekindle the sacred fire of cultural unity, cultural exchange, which once brought good fruits to humanity and which is so lacking in the modern world"[Roerich Yu. N., 1999(1), p. 27].

list of literature

Nehru J. Vzglyad na mirovnuyu istoriyu [A Look at the World History], vol. 1. Moscow: Progress, 1975.

Roerich Yu. N. Cultural unity of Asia // Tibet and Central Asia. Samara: Agni Publ., 1999 (1).

Roerich Yu. N. The Rise of orientalism // Tibet and Central Asia. Samara: Agni Publ., 1999 (2).

Roerich Yu. N. Skazanie o tsare Kesarsovsky [The Legend of King Kesarsovsky]. Samara: Agni Publ., 1999 (3).

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Buddhism and cultural unity of Asia // Buddhism and cultural unity of Asia, Moscow: ICR, 2002 (1).

Roerich Yu. N. Indiya v dolgu peredu buddhizmom [India in debt to Buddhism]. Buddhizm i kul'turnoe edinstvo Azii [Buddhism and Cultural Unity of Asia], Moscow: ICR, 2002(2).

Roerich Yu. N. Tibetskiy budd'izm (pervyi opekt) [Tibetan Buddhism (the first version)].

Roerich N. K. Zov o Kul'tury [Call of Culture]. The Holy Watch. Riga: Visda Publ., 1992 (1).

Roerich N. K. Slava samuraev // The Power of Light. The Holy Watch. Riga: Vieda Publ., 1992 (2).

Safronova A. L. [Interpretation of Buddhist values in the ideological and political life of modern India]. Internal, regional and global aspects. Proceedings of the Scientific conference (electronic edition), Moscow: IV RAS, 2013.

Safronova A. L. Istoriko-kul'turnoe nasledie v formirovanii indiskoi identichnosti: budhizm kak natsionalnoe dostoyanie [Historical and cultural heritage in the formation of Indian identity: Buddhism as a national heritage]. Episode 13. Oriental studies. 2013. № 4.

Ambedkar BR. Writings and Speeches. Vol. 3. Bombay, 1979.

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