Introduction
Born in India, on the territory of present-day Nepal, Buddha not only influenced Indian culture and spiritually, but has also become one of the world’s most appreciated systems of belief. Buddhism emerged at a very specific moment in the history of India, when the changes in the political and philosophical realm coincided with the different problems in the society (Begum 2013). Buddhism, which emerged as a new and surprising religion, contradicted many of the Brahmanical beliefs which people in India shared in the 6th century B.C. The Buddha’s concerns and the vision on the society, which is expressed in his teachings, crate the vision of a philosophy which was above its time, and continues to represent an ideal for many people even today.
In order to understand how the Buddha rose as a spiritual leader and how his teachings affected the people of India, the present paper will examine three main areas of study, namely Buddha’s main concerns, his relation to different aspects of the society, such as the status of women, the caste system and the wars between kings, as well as Buddha’s popularity in the royal courts of the northern India. These aspects of the Buddha’s life and teachings are relevant for the purpose of this paper, because they show in what ways, and why, the Buddha impacted Indian society to such a great extent. In order to gain insight regarding these aspects, the paper will rely on a variety of sources, such as books, journal articles and websites. Ultimately, the people of India were fascinated by this religious system because it challenged old concepts regarding the stratification and the society and gave new hopes to simple people that they might find happiness in this life, as opposed of being condemned to a life of misery from birth.
Main Ethical Concerns in Buddhism
Perhaps the main concern of the Buddha is liberation from sufferance. Prince Siddhartha was born to a royal family, and was destined from birth to become a king. Fearing that his son might become an ascetic, the king offered him a life of pleasure, and shielded him from all the sufferance of the world (Class Notes 2016). However, it might be that this particular type of growth cause Siddhartha to become so preoccupied with the idea of sufferance, once the boy escaped the confinement of the palace, and face sickness and death for the first time. Struck by the futility of life’s pleasures, the prince gave up his title and decided to become an ascetic in an attempt to find the solution to human suffering (Class Notes 2016). The Buddha discovered the right way to meditate so as to release oneself from doubt, fears and passions, and to remain anchored in the present moment, thus escaping sufferance and becoming enlightened. The purpose of escaping sufferance is to be happy and to ultimately reach Nirvana, as a reward for leading a moral life.
Another important concern for Buddhists is the karma, or negative effects of bad deeds, which are experienced in the subsequent lives of a human being, after reincarnation (Age of the Sage, n.d.). Karma does not directly result from a person’s deeds, but rather, it is a result of the person’s state of mind while committing those deeds. Thus, bad behavior has long-lasting effects on an individual’s personality, and transforms a person negatively, thus creating negative karma (Age of the Sage n.d.). Buddha pursued happiness for all creatures by pursuing a disciplined life, as selfless and free of ardent passion and yearnings as possible. Ethical conduct, mental discipline and wisdom were the three Buddhist practices which would lead one to happiness by eliminating the negative thoughts in one’s life.
Finally, karma is related to leading a moral life, and how to do this is perhaps the most important concern of most Buddhists. Perhaps the heart of any religious system however, is the idea of morality, or good versus evil, which is supposed to guide people’s lives, and help them to avoid sin. As Silk (2007) explained, while good and evil are not necessarily named as such in Buddhism, which focuses more on the idea of karma, there are certain evil deeds which may bring immediate retribution against the wrong-doer, namely to wit, to kill one’s parents, to draw the blood of a Buddha or to create a schism in the community (Silk 2007). These are perhaps the most serious crimes in Buddhist morality, and people who commit them will immediately go to Hell, rather than being subject to Karmic effects at some point in a future life. Consequently, while there is no eternal damnation in Buddhism, committing great sins leads to immediate damnation and sufferance. Therefore, as all religious systems, Buddhism is also preoccupied with regulating the behavior of the followers and trying to impose a moral form conduct to them as much as possible.
The Buddha and Indian Society
Buddha’s teachings on ethics and discipline were ahead of time by considering all people equal and rejecting the caste system (Age of the Sage n.d.). The Buddha believed that all humans were alike and for this reason, the differences between them occur due to their functions, rather than biology, ancestry or any other determinant. Buddhism denies the validity of the caste system believing that it has no religious foundation (Jayatilleke 2009). Buddhism denies the genetic basis of the caste system, showing that even “even those who claim cast purity have had mixed ancestors” (Jayatilleke 2009 p.252). Buddhism therefore represented a way out for the Indians of the lower castes, who tried to escape the determinism which had marked their lives for centuries. In an article from The Windows Star, the authors showed that 20, 000 low-caste Hindus converted to Buddhism in a single event, in an attempt to escape discrimination (The Windows Star 2001). Buddha therefore offered a different perspective to the poor, and helped them to escape despair and hopelessness by helping them to escape their low status, which was imposed on them culturally and religiously.
Furthermore, the Buddha rejected war because it caused unnecessary lass of human life. As compared to Brahmanism, which emphasized the duty of the soldier to wage war at all costs, Buddha advised followers to avoid it, as it because apparent on the eve of the battle between Buddha’s people, the Sakyas, and their allies, the Kolya. Both of these peoples had claims on the waters of river Rohini, which flew between them (Jayatilleke 2009). When Buddha arrived to the place of the battle, and learnt what the war was about, he asked, “why on account of some water of little worth would you destroy the invaluable lives of the soldiers?” (Jayatilleke 2009, p. 249). Therefore, as Jayatilleke (2009) showed, Buddha judges the value of war by looking at its consequences. The Buddha suggested that the lives of human beings are much more valuable than the material goods for war the war was fought. Furthermore, Buddha condemned war for causing hatred and sufferance (Jayatilleke 2009).
Buddha also believed that war could only lead to further wars, thus creating an endless circle of violence. While participating in war when requested by the king is part of men’s duty, Buddhism condemns war as being an evil, and even trading weaponry is considered a poor choice of occupation. These ideas about war must have attracted ordinary people, whose lives were deeply affected by war, and were completely different from Brahmanism. As Jayatilleke (2009) showed, the Gita narrated that the warrior who fell in battle went to heaven. However, Buddha believed that the warrior who fell in action would be born in hell for his killings during the battles.
The teachings of the Buddha also extended on the social and cultural level, and provided people with a new insight into the role of women in the society. At the time when the Buddha became a religious leader, women occupied an inferior position in the society and were excluded from religious practices. As Begum (2013) showed, “the primordial principle in the Vedic-Upanishadic philosophy which was 2 dominant in the Buddha's time, was the male-principle (purusha), and this provided justification for the exclusion of women generally from social and spiritual activity”(p. 168). Consequently, women could not perform religious rites and they were even prevented from learning the Vedas. Demonstrating a highly advanced way of thinking, the Buddha encouraged women to learn, to become students and teachers (Age of the Sage, n.d.).
This original initiative was based upon the Buddha’s intention for his message to be universal, crossing the limits of class, gender caste, race, or any other category which humans may use in order to separate certain groups from others. As Begum (2013) argued, Buddhism was one of the least sexist religions of the world, despite the fact that Buddha himself was a man. This is because Buddhism did not differentiate between different roles of women and men, different tasks assigned to them, or different capacities to attain enlightenment. While these ideas may have influenced women’s roles in the society as well, the Buddha was not concerned with the establishment of a new social order, particularly because life in this world was considered imperfect regardless of the social system. Furthermore, the innovative way in which Buddha took away the religious men’s privilege of disciplining their own bodies, and allowed ordinary people the same hope for a holy life, further extended to women, which was unheard of at the time (Begum 2013).
Buddhism at the Royal Court
Buddhism was favored at the royal court since the days of Ashoka, the monarch who adopted Buddhism and gave up warfare after experiencing the cruel consequences of a war. In 257 B.C., Ashoka gave fourteen edicts which indicated the adoption of Buddhism for all the citizens. He ordered his people to stop eating meat, and prohibited illicit meetings (Kulke & Rothmund 1998). Ashoka tried his best to impose Buddhism, sending officers responsible with supervising the conduct of the citizens in all the corners of his empire. Centuries after his reign, Buddhism was still enjoying royal patronage at the court. Kulke and Rothumund (1998) stated that, “this was partly due to the fact that the foreign rulers of India found Buddhism more accessible than orthodox Hinduism with its caste barriers” (p.80). However, Hinduism never declined, and continued to be important throughout Northern India, where many families resisted conversion. Consequently, a competition arose between Buddhism and orthodox Brahmanism, where Buddhism dominated royal courts, and Brahmanism gained power among important Brahmin families everywhere Kulke and Rothmund 1998).
Because the kings needed legitimization, and were introduced to the idea of the deification of the ruler, this determined the rise of the Hindu kingship. As Bromkhorst showed, even though Buddhist stopped being involved in the political and societal evolution of the country, and left this role to Brahmans, they “had become more than before dependent upon royal protection and generosity” (p. 127). This is because they adopted rules which allowed their communities to rely on donations, and one of the most important donors was the royal court (Bromkhorst). They could ensure the protection from the kings because, the Buddhists of Northern India had developed a comprehensive vision of life which had a specific message for each individual, including the king Bronkhorst , p.128). This allowed Buddhists to challenge Brahmans at the court on matters of spirituality, which included the spiritual well-being of the king, and of the people of India.
Buddhism had great power because in time, followers of the Buddha developed the initial philosophical direction that he proposed, and created a very complex and complete religion, which could answer most questions that people ask, and also, left enough room for further development and inquiry. Thus, Buddha himself explained that disciples had the duty of inquiring and asking questions. Buddha never asked his disciples to accept unproven claims, and on the contrary, he tried to encourage them to verify his teachings by personal insight and reasoning (Age of the Sage, n.d.). Later Buddhist philosophers expanded upon his basic teachings and tried to remain constantly thorough and precise in their intellectual pursuits. This increased the respect for Buddhist teachings and explains to a certain extent the popularity of Buddhism, even from the first years of its evolution.
Conclusion
As shown above, the teachings of the Buddha were essential in the cultural and social context in which they developed because they helped many people to understand life in a new perspective, and to find ways to cope with the misery and the unhappiness in their lives in novel ways, by focusing on the duty to themselves, rather than the duty they had to their superiors. Buddhism was a religion ahead of its time, for the way in which it addressed people without any distinction based on gender, class, race or caste. It delivered a universal message, and established that all men and women were qualified to spread it further, and to further inquire regarding its validity, which was an innovative idea at the time. By empowering women and people from the lower castes, Buddhism created change in the society, although the influence of Hinduism proved in time to be stronger in India. Although Buddhism emphasizes liberation from suffering by living an ethical life, this religion allows common people to reach high spiritual levels while also leading an ordinary life.
Particularly in this age of speed, individualism and selfish pursuits, Buddhism is increasingly popular around the world, as a religion which allows one to escape from the pressures of the society, and to focus on inner well-being through meditation. While it offers many answers to, Buddhist ethics has its challenges and controversial aspects, particularly when it comes to war. For example, it is not clear, whether defending one’s own life, or defending one’s country in war, is a sin similar to murder. As shown above, Buddha condemned war in itself for causing unnecessary sufferance, and also, Ashoka felt remorse after waging war in order to extend his empire. However, further research into Buddhist ethics may focus on self-defense and the status of the soldier who tries to defend his country.
References
Age of the Sage (n.d.). Buddhist philosophy. Retrieved from: http://www.age-of-the-sage.org/buddhism/buddhist_philosophy.html
Begum, R. (2013). Did Buddhism elevate the status of women? Asia-Pacific Journal of Social Sciences 5. (1): 167-172.
Bronkhorst, J. (2011). Buddhism in the shadow of Brahmanism. Brill.
Jayatilleke, K. N. (2009). Facets of Buddhist Taught: Collected Essays. Kandy, Sri Lanka: Buddhist Publication Society.
Kulke, H. & Rothermund, D(1998). A history of India. New York: Routledge.
Silk, J. (2007). Good and evil in Indian Buddhism: the five sins of immediate retribution. Journal of Indian Philosophy 35(3): 253-286.
The Windows Star. (Nov. 5, 2001). 20,000 low-caste Hindus convert to Buddhism. Retrieved from the ProQuest Database
