Encyclopedia of India–China Cultural Contacts v1.c7.s7.t10.46

v1.c7.s7.t10.46

**Spread and Influence in China -** The theories of the Samkhya school were spread to China along with Buddhism and exerted some influence on the intellectual scene of ancient China. It’s worth noting that the spread of the school in China was mostly related to Buddhism. The school had been violently criticised by Buddhism in its native India, with Samkhya thoughts widely cited in Indian Buddhist scriptures. These Indian Buddhist records were later translated into Chinese and introduced to China. Some of the major Samkhya texts were also brought to China by Buddhist monks and translated into Chinese, including the *Samkhya-karika* and the *Suvarṇasaptati* (translated by Master Zhen Di), the latter of which had also been incorporated into the Chinese Buddhist Canon, a phenomenon rarely seen among Indian philosophical literature, allowing Chinese people to gain a systematic understanding of the theoretical framework and characteristics of the Samkhya school.