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The Buddha in Hinduism

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Buddha giving the Sermon in the Deer Park, depicted at Wat Chedi Liem-KayEss

Gautama Buddha is mentioned as an Avatar of Vishnu in the Puranic texts of Hinduism. In the Bhagavata Purana he is twenty fourth of twenty five avatars, prefiguring a forthcoming final incarnation. A number of Hindu traditions portray Buddha as the most recent of ten principal avatars, known as the "Dasavatara" (Ten Incarnations of God).

However, Siddhartha gautama's teaching's do not confirm the existence of the Creator God and consequently Buddhism falls under one of the nastika (godless) schools according to other Dharmic schools, such as Dvaita. Other schools, such as Advaita, are very similar to Buddhism in nature and philosophy.

Views of the Buddha in Hinduism

Due to the diversity of traditions within Hinduism there is no specific viewpoint or concensus on Buddha's exact position in reference to the Vedic tradition. According to popular Hindu beliefs, in the age of Kali Yuga the general populous become more ignorant in regards to spiritual values and religious life. There is a belief that at the time of Buddha's arrival many of the Brahmins in India were abusing the Vedic system for their own selfish purposes, and were especially involved in needless animal sacrifices, and that as a result Buddha appeared as an avatar to readdress the balance.

A number of prominent proponents of Hinduism, such as Gandhi and Vivekananda, consider Buddha as a much needed reformer for the Vedic Religion of the time and for mankind in general.

When we read Buddha's discourses, we are impressed by his spirit of reason. His ethical path has for its first step right views, a rational outlook. He endeavors to brush aside all cobwebs that interfere with mankind's vision of itself and its destiny.-- Dr. S Radhakrishnan

In the Khuddaka Patha(1:38), Buddha is one who "burns the jungle of views" and lays the path clear, so that the seed of true merit (punya) may be planted.

Different traditions within Hinduism each have their own subtley different perspectives on Buddha's teachings and their relevance after this time period. Teachers from the Advaita schools are more likely to see Buddhism as being eternally relevant, due to the philosophical similarities between the schools, whereas the Dvaita and bhakti traditions more commonly view Buddha's teachings as being relevant to that specific time period only. Within Hinduism, avatars such as Rama or Krishna are popularly worshipped as the Supreme God, but it is much less common to find Buddha the avatar being worshipped by Hindus in the same way.

Reaction to reforms instigated by the Buddha within Hinduism

Main article: Buddhism and Hinduism

A number of revolutionary figures in modern Indian history, including Vivekananda, Gandhi and Ambedkar, have been inspired by the life and teachings of Buddha and many of his attempted reforms.

Many Hindu scholars are of the opinion that Buddhism should be regarded as "reformed Hinduism", and many Hindus believe that Buddhism, like Vaisheṣhika and Lokāyata, is one of the sects of Sanatana Dharma. According to Sarvepalli Radhakrishnan, Buddha did not look upon himself as an innovator, but only a restorer of the way of the Upanishads.

Hindu philosopher Swami Vivekananda wrote in glowing terms about Buddha, and visited Bodh Gaya several times.

Buddhism even finds favor in contemporary Hindutva movement, with Lama Tenzin Gyatso, the 14th Dalai Lama being honored at Hindu events, like the Vishva Hindu Parishad's second World Hindu Conference in Allahabad in 1979.

Buddha's teachings on God

Main article: God in Buddhism

Some Hindu traditions refer to Buddha as a nastik. However, the majority of traditions which follow the Puranic texts would treat the above statement as scripturally incorrect, with Buddha clearly listed among the forthcoming avatars of the Kali-yuga. Even though a majority of Hindu schools accept Buddha as an avatar, his teachings are sometimes considered to be a form of atheism when taken as being against the belief in the Creator God.

The Buddha in Hindu scriptures

Amongst the Puranic texts he is mentioned as one of the ten Avataras:

Buddha is described in important Hindu scriptures, including the Puranas. A partial list of Puranas mentioning the Budhha is as follows:

Other important scriptures which mention him is an Avatar are Rishi Parashara's Brihat Parashara Hora Shastra (2:1-5/7) and the Amarakosha-grantha, a Sanskrit dictionary, lists many of the names and epithets by which the Buddha is traditionally known.

During the Gupta dynasty, one of the nine gems of the court of the king, Amarasimha, author of the Amarakosha refers to the Buddha in his dictionary thus:

sarvajñaḥ sugato buddho dharmarājas tathāgataḥ |
samantabhadro bhagavān marajil-lokajij-jinaḥ ||
ṣaḍabhijño daśabalo ’dvayavādī vināyakaḥ |
munīndraḥ śrighanaḥ śāstā muniḥ śākyamunis tu yaḥ ||
sa śākyasiṃhaḥ sarvārthasiddhaḥ śaudhodaniś ca saḥ |
gatamaś cā 'rkabandhuś ca māyadevīsutaś ca saḥ

Translation: He who is the All-knowing One, the One who has Well-gone, awakened, the King of Righteousness, the One who has Thus Gone, Universal Goodness, the Blessed One, the Conqueror of the Demon Mara, the Conqueror of the Worlds, the Victorious One, the Possessor of the Six Supernatural Knowledges, the Possessor of the Ten Strengths, the Speaker of Non-dualism, the Guide, the Lord of Sages, the Auspicious One, the Teacher, the Sage and the Sage of the Śākya Clan -- that one is the Lion of the Śākya clan, He who has accomplished all goals, the Son of Śuddhodana, Gautama, the Kinsman of Scholars and the Son of Mayadevi. .

In some of the Puranas, in one he is described as having taken birth to "mislead the demons":

mohanartham danavanam balarupi pathisthitah putram tam kalpayamasa mudhabudhir jinah svayam tatah sammohayamasa jinadyana suramsakan bhagavan vagbhir ugrabhir ahimsa vacibhir harih - Brahmanda Purana

Translation: In order to delude the demons, he (Lord Buddha) was present in the form of a child on the way while the fool, jina (a demon), imagined him to be his son. Later on, Lord Sri Hari (as avatara-buddha) expertly deluded jina and other demons by his strong words of non-violence.

The name of the Buddha appears in the verse that describes the ten avataras in Srimad Bhagavatam:

matsya kurmo varahas ca nrisimha vamanastatha ramo ramas ca ramas ca buddha kalki ca te dasah

The Buddha is said to have taken birth to restore the 'Devas':

tatah kalau sampravritte sammohaya sura-dvisham buddho namnan jana-sutah kikateshu bhavishyati - (srimad-bhagavatam 1.3.24)

Translation: Then, in the beginning of Kali-yuga the Lord will appear as Lord Buddha, the son of Anjana, in the province of Gaya (Bihar) just for the purpose of infatuating those who are envious of the devas.

Buddha an Atheist?

Buddha in some Hindu scriptures is even called a "Nastik", meaning that He does not follow the Vedic path. However, it was the most well-known Buddhist schlor Rahula Vipola, who wrote that the Buddha was trying to shed the true purpose of the Vedas. He is often mistaken with Mahavira, a Jina of Jainism. After all, it it believed by many that Shri Mahavira was atheistic and did not believe in the spirit soul and rather, advocated the "Ajiva." However, Jains of Northern India are against the belief that Lord Mahavira was an Atheist. So then this means that if Jain diciplies can be divided over the topic of whether their leader was an Atheist or not then this argument too can be included within modern-day Buddhism. It is argued that if the Buddha believed in the Advaita Vedanta philosophy, how could He be an Atheist? The Buddha's goal was to escape the illusions of this world.

It is comical to many Hindu researchers that even after seeming a perfect Hindu, besides being named "Gotama" ("Best of the cows") that He is viewed as a Atheist ordinary human being.

Buddha as a solar deity

As Lord Krishna and Lord Rama were incanations of Lord Vishnu, the Aditya ("Solar Deity") so too is Shri Buddha an incarnation of Shri Vishnu (too Hindus) as he too was born into the Sakya, Suryavamsh ("Solar heritage") caste. Outside of India He is worshipped by many as the Mahavairocana ("Great Sun Buddha.") Legend has it that He witnessed the "wheel of life" in the sun when He awoke from sleep. This wheel in Hinduism is the "Dharam Chakra" or "wheel of Law" and has been used since the Vedic Indus Valley civilization and is today on the flag of India. Buddhists have also used the Swastika , also known as "Wheel of Law" or "Wheel of Life" and yet another Hindu symbol. It is also associated with another Aditya, Lord Surya. In most depictions of the Buddha, He is depicted as having the sun behind His head. The Buddha achieved enlightenment when meditating under a fig tree, the tree that represents Lord Vishnu. The author Acharya S. even composed a book titled, "Suns of God: Krishna, Buddha and Christ Unveiled."

Deva worship in Buddhism

Buddhism worships many deities of Hinduism, even deitie that Hindus themselves no longer worship, including Lord Indra. Lord Indra is worshipped by the Chinese, Korean and Japanese as Lord Taishakuten while Lord Ganesha is worshipped as Lord Shoten. In "Ganesh, studies of an Asian God", edited by Robert L. BROWN, State University of New York Press, 1992, page 241-242, he wrote that in the Tibetan Ka'gyur traditionm, it is said that the Buddha had taught the Ganapati Hridaya Mantra (or Aryaganapatimantra) to disciple Ananda.

Quotes

  • "Furthermore, you should recollect the devas: 'There are the devas of the Four Great Kings, the devas of the Thirty-three, the devas of the Hours, the Contented Devas, the devas who delight in creation, the devas who have power over the creations of others, the devas of Brahma's retinue, the devas beyond them. Whatever conviction they were endowed with that — when falling away from this life — they re-arose there, the same sort of conviction is present in me as well. Whatever virtue they were endowed with that — when falling away from this life — they re-arose there, the same sort of virtue is present in me as well. Whatever learning they were endowed with that — when falling away from this life — they re-arose there, the same sort of learning is present in me as well. Whatever generosity they were endowed with that — when falling away from this life — they re-arose there, the same sort of generosity is present in me as well. Whatever discernment they were endowed with that — when falling away from this life — they re-arose there, the same sort of discernment is present in me as well.' At any time when a disciple of the noble ones is recollecting the conviction, virtue, learning, generosity, and discernment found both in himself and the devas, his mind is not overcome with passion, not overcome with aversion, not overcome with delusion. His mind heads straight, based on the devas. And when the mind is headed straight, the disciple of the noble ones gains a sense of the goal, gains a sense of the Dhamma, gains joy connected with the Dhamma. In one who is joyful, rapture arises. In one who is rapturous, the body grows calm. One whose body is calmed experiences ease. In one at ease, the mind becomes concentrated."
  • "Of one who does this, Mahanama, it is said: 'Among those who are out of tune, the disciple of the noble ones dwells in tune; among those who are malicious, he dwells without malice; having attained the stream of Dhamma, he develops the recollection of the devas."
  • "Feeders of joy we shall be like the radiant Gods"

Brahman in Earliest Buddhism

It has been asserted by current secular Buddhism, that Buddhism knows only of the gods (Brahma) and nothing of the Godhead/Absolute/Agathon Brahman. In actuality there can be doubt that in the grammatically ambiguous _expression Brahmabhu’to (attano) which describes the condition of those who are wholly liberated, that it is Brahman (the Absolute) and not Brahma (deva, or mere god) that is in the text and must be read; for it is by Brahman that one who is “wholly awake” has ”become.”

The highest appellation in Buddhist Nikayan sutra is “Brahambhutena attano” “The Soul is having become Brahman”; absolutely equivalent to ‘Tat tvam asi’ (That/Brahman, thou art). For the Buddha himself is = Brahmabhu’to (Become That, Brahman). For (1) the comparatively limited knowledge of a Brahma is repeatedly emphasized, and (2) Brahmas are accordingly the Buddhas pupils, not he theirs , (3) The Buddha had already been in previous births a Brahma (god) and a Mahabrahma hence it is meaningless and absurd in the equation to say Brahmabhu’to=Buddho , to assume that Brahman= Brahma (god) and that (4) the Buddha is explicitly “much more than a Mahabrahma" .

  • "The Tathagata means 'the body of Brahman', 'become Brahman'." (this passage also proves that Brahma (god/s) is utterly diffferent than the word Brahman).
  • “ I teach the way to the union with Brahman, I know the way to the supreme union with Brahman, and the path and means leading to Brahman, whereby the world of Brahman may be gained.”
  • ”all the peoples say that Gotama is the supreme teacher of the way leading to the Union with Brahman!”
  • “To have become Brahman Brahmabhuto.”
  • “To become Brahman is to become highest Svabhava (Self-nature).”
  • “Become-Brahman is the meaning of Tathagata.”
  • “Without taints, it meant ‘Become-Brahman’.”
  • “The Aryan Eightfold Path is the designation for Brahmayana (path to Brahman).”
  • “The Soul is having become Brahman.”
  • "Found the ancient path leading to Brahman."

Buddha's Nirvana

He called His path the "Eight-Fold Path," which is the same path Lord Krishna advised warrior Arjuna to follow to calm himself and fight for righteousness; the Astanga Yoga. Popular practices in the Astanga Yoga include Mudras, hand-gestures. Lord Buddha and Buddhist saints are almost always seen in these. Lord Buddha called the Astanga Yoga, "Arya Marga" ("Arya Path").

Then it is odd that a Hindu scripture claims Lord Buddha's mission was to "mislead" the "demons." Humans were indeed Asuric in the age the Buddha entered into, believed in Atheism, sacrificed animals only for the sake of sacrificing and did not follow principles. Lord Buddha took the Sanyass and wore the saffron robe of the Brahmanas. Early Buddhism had used the same saffron triangular flag which is hanged on Hindu temples. The Sanskrit term "Nirvana" was nothing a the time of Buddha, as Hindu scriptures concentrated on this principle. Parinirvana, in Hinduism is known as Mahasamadhi. Although in modern-day terms, Buddhism is different from Hinduism, in which the Nirvana is Brahma-Nirvana. Buddhists today argue whether the Buddha has eternally remained a Buddha, come down as humans only to show humans that this eternal bliss is achievable by anyone. This form of Buddha in Buddhism is known as Dharmakaya Buddha. It was Buddha who is remembered for saying, "You are a Buddha, I am the Buddha."

Arya

Apart from all this He referred His practice as the Arya Dharma (a variant of modern-day term Hinduism) and called Himself an Arya (in today's terms, "Hindu") , an Acharya ("Arya spiritual master") and organized the Sangha, which He originally called "Arya Sangha." He like Lord Krishna too fought against caste hegemony and said anyone who wanted to could become a Brahmana as He has done. (This principle in Hinduism is known as Sva-Dharma.) He argued that the Arya Dharma should not have the Vedas centered as the authority on religion and Hinduism should not advocate animal sacrifice. Shortly after, religious leaders abondoned the authority of the Vedas at the center of Hinduism and even stopped animal sacrifices.

Reactions & viewpoints within Buddhism

Buddhism does not confirm the existence of the Creator God. Hinduism believes in the Creator God. Moreover, Hinduism accepts the Buddha as an incarnation of God. Adherents of Buddhist philosophy do not accept any being, mortal or celestial, to be either equivalent or superior to fully awakened Siddhartha Gautama, known as the Buddha. This is sometimes seen as conflicting with the Hindu view of the Buddha being an avatar of the greater God.

The oldest school of philosophy in Buddhism as preached by the Buddha is known as Theravada Buddhism or Hinayana Buddhism. Adherents of Theravada Buddhism do not perform idol worship of the Buddha. In addition the adherents of Theravada Buddhism also do not believe in the Bodhisattvas. The various schools of Mahayana Buddhism, on the other hand, consider 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.

References

  1. Bhagavata Purana, Canto 1, Chapter 3 - SB 1.3.24: "Then, in the beginning of Kali-yuga, the Lord will appear as Lord Buddha, the son of Anjana, in the province of Gaya, just for the purpose of deluding those who are envious of the faithful theist." ... SB 1.3.28: "All of the above-mentioned incarnations are either plenary portions or portions of the plenary portions of the Lord "
  3. Enlightenment in Buddhism and Advaita Vedanta: Are Nirvana and Moksha the Same? by David Loy, National Univ. of Singapore (p69-p70): "The similarities between Mahayana and Advaita Vedanta have been much noticed; they are so great that some commentators conceive of the two as different stages of the same system. Curiously, both Shankara and his predecessor Gaudapada were accused of being crypto-Buddhists, while on the other side, Theravadins criticized Mahayana for being a degeneration back into Hinduism."
  4. Bhag-P 12.2.1 The Symptoms of Kali-Yuga
  5. Lecture 1974 "Because people were addicted so much in violence, in killing the animals, therefore Buddha philosophy was needed"
  6. Mahatma Gandhi and Buddhism
  7. ibid
  8. e.g., John Woodroffe (Arthur Avalon): Shakti and Shakta. Koenraad Elst: Who is a Hindu (2001). Christian Lindtner: “From Brahmanism to Buddhism”, Asian Philosophy, 1999
  9. Radhakrishnan: Indian Philosophy, vol.2, p.469.
  10. Sister Nivedita: The Master as I Saw Him. Koenraad Elst 2001: Who is a Hindu
  11. McKean, Lise: Divine Enterprise. Gurus and the Hindu Nationalist Movement. Chicago University Press, 1996. Elst, Koenraad: Who is a Hindu (2001)
  12. Bhagavata Purana 1.3.24 Gives direct mention to Buddha within a list of prominent avatars of Krishna (Vishnu).
  13. Dhere Ramchandra Chintaman, Shri Vitthal: ek maha samanvaya, Shri Vidya Prakashan, Pune, 1984 (Marathi)
  14. Hinduism and Buddhism by V Jayaram

See also

External links

Avatars of Vishnu
Dashavatara
(for example)
Other avatars
 The list of the "ten avatars" varies regionally. Two substitutions involve Balarama, Krishna, and Buddha. Krishna is almost always included; in exceptions, he is considered the source of all avatars.
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