The influence of Indian thought on Korean Buddhism and its impact on development of kingship in Korea

For over 1000 years, Indian monks exerted a direct influence on Korean Buddhism. Indian thought, brought into Korea along with Buddhism, impacted both the development of kingship and the Buddhist doctrine of ahimsa. Korea absorbed incoming cultural concepts as an additional layer of belief on top of the indigenous shaman system. Its arrival at a time when tribal based political organizations were becoming centralized states resulted in the identification of kingship with Buddhism and the particularly Korean idea of Buddhism as national protection. Development of Buddhism in Korea made significant contributions to early Mahayana through translation and commentaries.