THE CONTRIBUTION OF BUDDHIST CULTURE ON INDIAN SOCIETY

The word culture has extensive application in its sense. Culture so far as India is concerned, is
composite. Buddhism which moulded the Indian thoughts for several centuries contributed largely to
Indian culture in its various aspects. The contribution which Buddhism made to the cultural
advancement of India is indeed notable. The part played by the viharas (monasteries) and sangha
(order) was unique in this regard; in this paper an attempt has been made to describe some of its
important aspects, such as, culture, social ideals and political, educational system, language,
literature and artistic development based on the aesthetic ideals acquired by the people of ancient
India.