How Buddhism Waxed and Waned in India

Context: Recently, Prime Minister of India offered to set up a composite global library on Buddhism to carry forward an ancient tradition of spiritual and scholarly exchanges.

Nehru’s Interpretation of Jainism and Buddhism

• Difference with Hinduism
  • Revolt against Hinduism: but an attack on polytheism and Brahminism.
  • Overcame materialism, agnosticism and atheism: inherent in Upanishad philosophy.
• Similarities:
  • Believed in Hindu tenets of karma and rebirth: because both Vardhamana Mahavira (540-468 BC) and Siddhartha Gautama (560-480 BC) were Kshatriyas.
  • Preached non-violence and casteless societies: without claiming their break away from the Aryan tradition.

Simultaneous Evolution of Buddhism, Jainism and Hinduism

• Magadha patronised Hinduism, Jainism and Buddhism: and was famous as one of 16 Mahajanpadas in ancient Northern India.
  • Bimbisara regime in Magadha (540 BC) gave initial patronisation to Buddhism.
  • Chandragupta Maurya was mentioned in Buddhist, Jain, Hindu and Greek texts (He captured Magadha from Nandas in 322 BC).
  • Ashoka renounced violence as a policy: under the influence of Buddhist ascetic Upagupta of Mathura, yet his renouncement of Hinduism is not known.
• Kanishka was converted to Buddhism: by Asvaghosha, a Brahmin priest from Ayodhya who became a Buddhist
  • Kanishka (Yuezhi) elevated Buddha from a preacher to God through ‘Mahayana’, by borrowing the Hindu reincarnation theory and introducing Hellenistic features for Buddha’s statues like Apollo with jewels.

Reasons behind the Decline of Buddhism in India: Due to the rise of Hinduism -

• Ascetic realism of Jainism and Buddhism: failed to appease masses (patronised only by upper class) in contrast with colourful deities of Hindu pantheon (as indicated by Fa-Hien and Hiuen- Tsang).
  • The Hindu revival was seen during 405-643 AD, starting from Chandragupta-1 (Gupta Empire) till Harshavardhana.
• Evolution of system of self-supporting village community: resulted in a shift of villagers from expensive monasteries towards New Brahmins (started rendering door-to-door services as a priest)

Revived Hinduism Movement:

• Known for Inhuman Caste Oppression:
  • Swami Vivekananda called Kerala as ‘lunatic asylum’: and appointed Ramakrishnananada and Sister Nivedita to lead reforms.
  • Sri Narayana Guru (1855-1928) started ‘One Caste, One Religion, One God for Mankind’ in Kerala 1888. Rabindranath Tagore and Mahatma Gandhi visited him in his ashram.
  • ‘A History of Hindu Imperialism’ a book by Swami Dharma Theertha, blamed Brahmanism for -
    • Ignoring teachings of Raja Ram Mohan Roy, Dayananda Saraswati, Swami Vivekananda and Gandhiji and;
    • Denying the Dalits benefits of education, sanitation, good water and air, use of tanks, wells and road.
• Babasaheb Ambedkar converted into Buddhist: along with his followers at Nagpur to avoid caste oppression of Hinduism. His rationale behind choosing Nagpur as the destination of conversion was -
  • It was to commemorate the lone ‘Nag’ man who had escaped from the original Aryan massacre and from whom the ‘Nags’ living near Nagpur had sprung, who finally carried Buddha’s message.

Conclusion: New global library on Buddhism should take into consideration the issues of caste oppression (left out by revived Hinduism) and persecution of Rohingyas of Myanmar by Buddhist priests.