Buddhism

==Cultural influence==
{{Main|Culture of Buddhism}}
[[File:Potala Palace, Tibet.jpg|thumb|Lhasa's [[Potala Palace]], today a [[UNESCO]] [[World Heritage Site]], pictured in 2019]]
[[File:Mahabodhitemple.jpg|thumb|India's [[Mahabodhi temple]], built under the [[Gupta Empire]], 6th century CE]]
Buddhism has had a profound influence on various cultures, especially in Asia. [[Buddhist philosophy]], [[Buddhist art]], [[Buddhist architecture]], [[Buddhist cuisine]] and [[Buddhist festivals]] continue to be influential elements of the modern [[Culture of Asia]], especially in [[East Asia]] and the [[East Asian cultural sphere|Sinosphere]] as well as in [[Southeast Asia]] and the [[Indosphere]]. According to Litian Fang, Buddhism has "permeated a wide range of fields, such as politics, ethics, philosophy, literature, art and customs", in these Asian regions.<ref>Fang, Litian (2018). ''"Chinese Buddhism and Traditional Culture,"'' p. 212. Routledge.</ref> Buddhist teachings influenced the development of modern [[Hinduism]] as well as other [[Religion in Asia|Asian religions]] like [[Taoism]] and [[Confucianism]]. Buddhist philosophers like [[Dignāga|Dignaga]] and [[Dharmakirti]] were very influential in the development of [[Indian logic]] and [[Pramana|epistemology]].<ref>{{cite book |last=Dreyfus |first=George |date=1997 |title=Recognizing Reality: Dharmakirti's Philosophy and its Tibetan Interpretations |publisher=SUNY |pages=15–16}} {{ISBN?}}</ref> Buddhist educational institutions like [[Nalanda]] and [[Vikramashila]] preserved various disciplines of classical Indian knowledge such as grammar, astronomy/astrology and medicine and taught foreign students from Asia.{{sfnp|Dutt|1988|pp=332–333}}

In the Western world, Buddhism has had a strong influence on modern [[New Age]] spirituality and other alternative spiritualities. This began with its influence on 20th century [[Theosophists]] such as [[Helena Blavatsky]], which were some of the first Westerners to take Buddhism seriously as a spiritual tradition.<ref>Cush, Denise. "British Buddhism and the New Age" in ''The Encyclopedic Sourcebook of New Age Religions'', editedg by James R. Lewis.</ref> More recently, Buddhist meditation practices have influenced the development of modern [[psychology]], particularly the practice of [[Mindfulness-based stress reduction]] (MBSR) and other similar [[mindfulness]] based modalities.<ref>Fromm, Erich (1989, 2002). ''The Art of Being''. NY: Continuum. {{ISBN|0-8264-0673-4}}.</ref><ref>Kabat-Zinn, Jon (2005). ''Coming to Our Senses: Healing Ourselves and the World Through Mindfulness''. pp. 12–13. Hyperion. {{ISBN|0-7868-8654-4}}.</ref> The influence of [[Buddhism and psychology|Buddhism on psychology]] can also be seen in certain forms of modern [[psychoanalysis]].<ref>Hoffer (ed.); ''Freud and the Buddha: The Couch and the Cushion''.</ref><ref>[[Erich Fromm|Fromm, Erich]], [[D. T. Suzuki]] & Richard De Martino (1960). ''Zen Buddhism and Psychoanalysis''. pp. 77–78, NY: Harper & Row. {{ISBN|0-06-090175-6}}.</ref>

[[Shamanism]] is a widespread practice in some Buddhist societies. Buddhist monasteries have long existed alongside local shamanic traditions. Lacking an institutional orthodoxy, Buddhists adapted to the local cultures, blending their own traditions with pre-existing shamanic culture. Research into Himalayan religion has shown that Buddhist and shamanic traditions overlap in many respects: the worship of localized deities, healing rituals and exorcisms. The shamanic [[Gurung]] people have adopted some of the Buddhist beliefs such and rebirth but maintain the shamanic rites of "guiding the soul" after death.