The Origins of Buddhism
Dr Raven Dolick M.s.D.
Feb 24, 2016
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Buddhism was founded in the late 6th century B.C. by Siddhartha Gautama (the "Buddha") and is an important religion in most of the countries of Asia. Buddhism has assumed many different forms, but in each case there has been an attempt to draw from the life experiences of the Buddha, his teachings, and the "spirit" or "essence" of his teachings (called dhamma or dharma) as models for the religious life. It was not until the writing of the Buddha Charita (life of the Buddha) by Ashvaghosa in the 1st or 2nd century A.D. do we have a comprehensive account of his life.
As with any history so old, there are many different stories of how the Buddha to be, and how Siddhartha Gautama made his way to enlightenment. As you will recall, we shared one story of Gautama Buddha's life in Module 1.
However, there are other versions. In other versions of his life-story, the Buddha leaves home in the "prime of his youth", his parents weeping and wailing all the while. It goes on to tell that where he was born was an oligarchic republic at that time, so there was no royal family of which to speak. Therefore, it is believed [in this version] that the Buddha's father was not a king in the sense of an absolute ruler, but rather an influential tribal figure.
However, regardless of the details of his early life, the evidence strongly indicates that the Buddha was indeed a historical person living in approximately the same time and place in which he is traditionally placed. The Buddha was born in North India (563 B.C.) at a place called Lumbini near the Himalayan foothills, and he began teaching around Benares (at Sarnath). His era in general was one of spiritual, intellectual, and social ferment. This was the age when the Hindu ideal of renunciation of family and social life by holy persons seeking Truth first became widespread, and when the Upanishads were written. Both can be seen as moves away from the centrality of the Vedic fire sacrifice. Renunciation refers to the act or instance of relinquishing, abandoning, repudiating or sacrificing something and finding no satisfaction in it such as a right, title, or person.
From the seventh to the fifth centuries BC, India witnessed its most creative intellectual period in its history. It was a time of immense innovation and intellectual ferment equal to similar periods in Greece from the sixth to the fifth centuries BC in China from the sixth to the second centuries BC. However, Indian philosophers and religious sages were reacting to the increasingly restrictive and empty formalism of Vedic sacrifices and rituals. The priestly classes had become the most powerful class in ancient India, theoretically placed above kings and nobles. For the priests controlled the forces of the universe through the power inherent in their hymns, charms, and elaborate rituals.
Vedism is a religion based in the school of Hinduism. When the Aryans arrived around 1500 BC they brought with them Vedism, which revolved around a cult of fire sacrifice. Its teachings were collected in the Vedas. Vedism knew many gods and goddesses but contained also the idea of a supreme power. This latter aspect was emphasized in Brahmanism, which was practiced by the Brahmans, the highest and most powerful caste of the Ganges civilization. Being promoted by the ruling class, Brahmanism stressed the importance of being content with one's caste status and one's position in the world; the purpose of ritual sacrifice was to make a contribution to the welfare of the transcendental order and at the same time promote one's own interests.
Buddhism - The Antidote to Vedism
The Veda is the oldest literary and philosophical work of India and it constitutes the basis of Vedism, the oldest form of Brahmanism. Vedism, intrinsically, is a religious system, mainly concerned with the worship of many gods that are related to natural phenomena. The Veda is composed of Mantra, Brahmana, Aranyaka, and Upanishad. The literary arrangement of the Veda in four compilations accords with the chronology of the Vedic period of Indian philosophy.
The mantras (hymns) contain prayers of the Old Vedic Era that spanned from about 1500 until 1000. This Old Vedic era is also called the era of hymns. The Mantra in itself is divided into four collections (samhita): the Rigveda, Samaveda, Yajurveda and Atharvaveda. The first three of these form the triple wisdom (tray vidya) and have always been considered as canonical. The Rigveda or the Veda of the verses is the oldest text. It is a collection of stanza composed for the gods of the Vedic pantheon. Among the best known of these gods are - besides the god of fire Agni: Indra: god of thunder and lightning, and Vishnu: god of the sun. The Rigveda hymns belong to the oldest literary relics in the history of mankind. The Samaveda or the Veda of songs contains melodies that have been selected from the Rigveda. Of the formulae in verse and the parts in prose that make up the Yajurveda or the Veda of the offering spells, the formulae in verse were also taken from the Rigveda. The Atharvaveda or the Veda of atharvan is a collection of songs used by magicians. According to tradition, this collection was compiled by Atharvan, to whom the institutionalization of the fire ritual is attributed. This part of the Veda was only later recognized as canonical. Still, the Atharvaveda also contains material stemming from the oldest Vedic times.
The time span from the first invasion of the Aryans until the 6th c. is known as the Vedic Period. Vedic refers to the Veda, the sacred Aryan texts. They were written in Vedic Sanskrit between the 15th and the 6th cen. The Brahmana primarily refers to sacrifice and rituals. The compilation belongs to the era of sacrificial mysticism lasting from about 1000 until 750. The Brahmana is continued in the more mystical Aranyaka and Upanishad. These two compilations can be dated between 750 and 500 and contain religious-philosophical texts.
Buddhism came about as Gautama Buddha realized that life is fundamentally about suffering. The sacrifice and rituals of Vedism began to go against his philosophy that to stop suffering one must stop the sacrificing as well as other pitfalls such as desire. This can be done through the Noble Eightfold Path discussed in a later module, but consists of right speech, action, livelihood, effort, awareness, concentration, intention and views. Consistently following this path will eventually lead to enlightenment or nirvana. Therefore, Buddhism does not recognize the Veda.
Lastly, although the Veda is not a widely practiced religion today - it was at one time. And although their worship centers around rituals and sacrifice, which are considered barbaric today, let us not condemn any religion. Vedism does have it's own virtues and can be found to have very beautiful teachings and works.
Here's an excerpt from one of the teachings:
In the Hymn of Creation, (Rig Veda 10.129.3 )
In the beginning there was darkness, Utter darkness, darkness upon darkness,
The world then was merely its primordial essence, its formless fabric.
Thus what would become this world was first wrapped within the all pervading power of the Eternal One
Before whom our material world is but a trifle brought into existence
By the omnipotent force of His will alone.
Buddhism and Hinduism
There are many similarities between Buddhism and Hinduism so it is a good idea to ensure you understand the differences and similarities between them. Hinduism (commonly called Sanatana Dharma, roughly translated as "Perennial Faith") is characterized by a diverse array of belief systems, practices and scriptures.
To the Hindu, the active force in defining the 'Eternal Dharma.' It has been for Hinduism what the infinite Divine Self of Advaita is to existence, remaining forever unchanged and self-luminous, central and pervasive, in spite of all the chaos and flux around it. In general, Hindu views are broad and range from monism, dualism, qualified non-dualism, pantheism, pantheism (alternatively called monistic theism by some scholars), strict monotheism, polytheism, and atheism.
Hindu monism, i.e., Smartas, who follow Advaita philosophy, see one unity, with the personal Gods, different aspects of only One Supreme Being, like a single beam of light separated into colors by a prism, and are valid to worship. Some of the Hindu aspects of God include Devi, Vishnu, Ganesh, and Shiva. One of the most prominent Hindu monism is the saint Ramakrishna, whose preferred form of God is Devi and who reiterated traditional Hindu beliefs that aver devotees can invoke God in whatever form a devotee prefers (termed Ishta Devata, i.e., the preferred form of God) and ask for God's grace in order to attain Moksha, the end of the cycle of rebirth and death.
Although Hinduism is very diverse, one of the possible things that unites all Hindus is the quest for enlightenment and to free oneself from the cycle of rebirth. Another major concept is the concept of Ahimsa, which means "non-violence." Through this concept, strict movements of vegetarianism and tolerance grew. Hindus believe that everything in the world is part of the universal spirit, and therefore everything needs to be respected, preserved and protected.
Similarities and Differences Between Hinduism and Buddhism
Gautama was born and brought up and lived and died technically a Hindu...There was not much in the metaphysics and principles of Gautama which cannot be found in one or other of the orthodox systems, and a great deal of his morality could be matched from earlier or later Hindu books. "Buddhism, in its origin at least is an offshoot of Hinduism." (S.Rahdhakrishnan)
Similarities
1. Both emphasize the illusory nature of the world and the role of karma in keeping men bound to this world and the cycle of births and deaths.
2. Both believe in the transmigration of souls and the cycle of births and deaths for each soul.
3. Both emphasize compassion and nonviolence towards all living beings.
4. Both believe in the existence of several hells and heavens or higher and lower worlds.
5. Both believe in the existence of gods or deities on different planes.
6. Both believe in certain spiritual practices like meditation, concentration, cultivation of certain bhavas or states of mind.
7. Both believe in detachment, renunciation of worldly life as a precondition to enter to spiritual life. Both consider desire as the chief cause of suffering.
8. The Advaita philosophy of Hinduism is closer to Buddhism in many respects.
9. Buddhism and Hinduism have their own versions of Tantra.
10. Both originated and evolved on the Indian soil. The founder of Buddhism was a Hindu who became the Buddha. Buddhism is the greatest gift of India to mankind.
Differences
1. Hinduism is not founded by any particular prophet. Buddhism was founded by the Buddha.
2. Hinduism believes in the efficacy and supremacy of the Vedas. The Buddhist do not believe in the Vedas.
3. Buddhism does not believe in the existence of souls as well in the first cause, whom we generally call God. Hinduism believe in the existence of Atman, that is the individual soul and Brahman, the Supreme Creator.
4. Hinduism accepts the Buddha as an incarnation of Mahavishnu, one of the gods of Hindu trinity. The Buddhist do not accept this.
5. The original Buddhism as taught by the Buddha is known as Theravada Buddhism or Hinayana Buddhism. Followers of this do not worship images of the Buddha nor believe in the Bodhisattvas. The Mahayana sect considers the Buddha as the Supreme Soul or the Highest Being, akin to the Brahman of Hinduism and worship him in the form of images and icons.
6. The Buddhists consider the world to be full of sorrow and regard ending the sorrow as the chief aim of human life. The Hindus consider that there are four chief aims (arthas) in life which every being should pursue. They are dharma (religious duty), artha (wealth or material possessions), kama (desires and passions) and moksha (salvation.)
7. Hindus also believe in the four ashramas or stages in life. This is not followed in Buddhism. People can join the Order any time depending upon their spiritual preparedness.
8. Buddhists organize themselves into Order (Sangha) and the monks live in groups. Hinduism is basically a religion of the individual.
9. Buddhism believes in the concept of Bodhisattvas. Hinduism does not believe in it.
Exercise
1. How did Buddhism come about? What year?
2. What was the realization of the Gautama Buddha that prompted the Eightfold Path?
3. Forum discussion topic(please be prepared to participate): Is Buddhism a philosophy, or a religion, or both?
Buddhism Thought for the Week:
Develop the mind of equilibrium.
You will always be getting praise and blame,
but do not let either affect the poise of the mind:
follow the calmness, the absence of pride.
Sutta Nipata
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