| Buddhism is a variety of teachings
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| | The atheists believed it was "man, who
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| described as a religion or way of life.
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| | created God in his own image," whilst the
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| One point of view says it is a body of
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| | agnostics believed that the search for
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| philosophies influenced by the teachings
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| | and contemplation of God was "an exercise
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| of Siddhartha Gautama, known as Gautama
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| | in futility." Both of these beliefs were
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| Buddha. Another point of view says it is
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| | in stark contrast to Hinduism's worship
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| teachings to guide one to directly
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| | of a pantheon of Gods. Buddha championed
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| experiencing reality. Many scholars
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| | the benefits of meditation and reflective
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| regard it as a plurality rather than a
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| | practises over prayer, ritual fasting and
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| single entity. Buddhism is also known as
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| | sacrifices. Buddha's philosophy taught
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| Buddha Dharma or Dhamma, which means
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| | that salvation lay in one's own hands.
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| roughly the ""teachings of the Awakened
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| | This belief was certainly a revelation to
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| One"" in Sanskrit and Pali, languages of
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| | low caste Hindus, who had been brought up
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| ancient Buddhist texts. Buddhism began
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| | to believe that their only hope was to
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| around the 5th century BCE with the
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| | observe the laws of dharma (duty to one's
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| teachings of Siddhartha Gautama, commonly
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| | caste) in order to be reborn into a
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| referred to as ""the Buddha"".
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| | higher position in the next life. The
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| At the time Siddhartha Gautama (Buddha)
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| | importance stressed on dharma effectively
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| founded his system of beliefs, Hinduism
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| | immobilised lower caste Hindus into a
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| was the dominant religion accessible to
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| | lifetime of servitude and oppression, it
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| the educated people only.
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| | also served to perpetuate the hegemonic
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| India, during the lifetime of Gautama
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| | nature of Indian society. Buddha's
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| Buddha was "in a state of religious
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| | teachings liberated lower caste Hindus.
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| ferment," it was a period during which
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| | For the first time they were given a
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| the authority of The Vedas was in doubt;
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| | feeling of control over their own lives,
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| this was significant as The Vedas were
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| | in the sense that salvation was
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| central to Hinduism. Therefore,
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| | attainable through a course of right
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| scepticism regarding their authority was
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| | conduct and action rather than adherence
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| seen as scepticism regarding the Hindu
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| | to rules made by those in power. Thus
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| religion itself. The Buddha addressed
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| | Buddhism gained support by espousing the
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| what he perceived to be the shortcomings
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| | virtues of freedom for all beings, and by
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| of Hinduism; he rejected the inequitable
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| | preaching that salvation was attainable
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| nature of the caste system and preached
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| | inside oneself.
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| instead that all beings were equal; by
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| | As well as placing emphasis on the
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| doing this he challenged the supremacy of
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| | attainability of salvation, Buddhism also
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| the Brahmins. It is also interesting to
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| | stressed a great deal of importance on
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| note that Buddhism was the first
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| | the accessibility of its teachings. It
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| "Religion" to indoctrinate women into its
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| | was for this reason alone that The Buddha
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| religious order or sangha. The Buddha
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| | preached in Pali, the then common
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| also held the superstitious nature of
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| | language of the Gangetic Plain. Spears-
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| Hinduism in disdain, as Spears says, "He
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| | "Buddha was an opponent of hiding the
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| (Buddha) was an opponent of the
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| | truth in the mystery of a strange
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| priesthood, magic and sacrifice." Buddha
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| | language and unintelligible books…his
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| advocated rightful conduct over spells
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| | message was for all equally…" Thus, a
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| and charms. This line of thought held
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| | factor crucial to determining the success
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| particular resonance with members of the
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| | of Buddhism in India was the level of its
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| middle class, who were growing
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| | accessibility, particularly to the common
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| increasingly critical of the aristocratic
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| | man who had long been deprived of
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| privilege bestowed upon Brahmin priests.
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| | religious or philosophical education,
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| The priests, in turn maintained their
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| | accessibility also fostered a sense of
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| stronghold over Hinduism by way of
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| | inclusiveness.
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| performing rituals, which were often in
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| | Buddhism's success in India lay in its
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| the form of spells and sacrifice.
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| | attempts to be tolerant of, yet distinct
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| Buddha's open rejection of Hinduism was
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| | from Hinduism. Initially this worked,
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| highly inflammatory, especially to the
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| | however as time went on the fusing of
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| Brahmins. However, Buddha's message of
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| | Hindu and Buddhist traditions eventually
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| equality for all strongly appealed to the
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| | meant that Buddhism was simply absorbed
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| lower castes within Hindu society. Thus,
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| | by the dominant Hinduism. Thus, the early
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| the egalitarian nature of Buddhism, as
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| | success of Buddhism in India can be
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| well as its renunciation of Hindu
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| | attributed to its egalitarian, accessible
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| ritualism and Brahmanism contributed to
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| | and peaceful nature, it's addressing of
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| its success.
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| | the social tensions of the day
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| The Buddha rejected the idea of man's
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| | (particularly those regarding Hinduism),
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| salvation being reliant upon an external
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| | and the support and promulgation it
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| force or being such as God. In this
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| | received under several rulers. The social
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| sense, Buddhism is not a religion, but
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| | atmosphere of the time was calling for
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| rather a philosophy. The early Buddhist
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| | reform, and for many this reform was to
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| sects were either atheistic or agnostic.
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| | be found in Buddhism.
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