Why Buddhism Prospered in Asia but Died in India

7/27/2019 Why Buddhism Prospered in Asia but Died in India

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Why Buddhism prospered in Asia but died in IndiaSun, 2012-06-10 00:42 editor

By Shenali Waduge

Undoubtedly, the philosophy of Buddhism is one of the greatest gifts to mankind. Its

peaceful concepts have distanced its followers from wars, crusades and is a binding

formula for the entire South/South Eastern/Central/East Asian region of the world of

which most nations are Buddhist countries whilst others including India are not.

The Buddha was not interested in numbers nor was he interested in the lay deity

having a distinct identity. There were no social codes, modes of worshipin other

words adherence to the Buddhist faith was not obligatory unlike other religions of the

world. Anyone, irrespective of caste, creed was welcome to take refuge in the

teachings of Buddha, Dhamma and Sangha. There was no exclusive allegiance nor

was lay deity required to perform regular religious service essentially everything

was voluntary. Only those that understood the philosophy behind Buddhism would be

able to cherish its value.

With time the Brahminical Social Order began to secure greater advantage over

Buddhism and with royal patronage shifting from Buddhism to Hinduism, the fate of

Buddhism was sealed and the great philosophy all but disappeared from India with

little help of revival even from State Governments.

Why India chose to forget Buddhism

A puzzle to most is how Buddhism disappeared in the land of its birth. Was it becausepeople became absorbed in Hindu practices, rituals, and mythology and caste

supremacy or, was it the Moghul invasions, or could it have been the failure of

Bhikkus to sustain the great philosophy itself?

Needless to say for whatever reasons, Buddhism did decline and disappeared in India.

Historian S. R. Goyal has attributed the decline and disappearance of Buddhism from

India to the hostility of the Brahmanas. An incident oft cited is the destruction of the

Bo Tree and Buddhist images by Saivite King, Shashanka, persecution by Pusyamitra

Sunga (185 BC to 151 BC) who detested the Law of the Buddha had set fire to theSutras, destroyed Stupas, razed Samgharamas and massacred Bhikkus and even

killed the deity of the Bodhi tree. There is also mention of the Huna onslaught on

Taxila (in Pakistan), the persecution of Buddhist monks by Mihirkula.

Incidentally, though Moghuls are accused of destroying Hindu temples, most of these

temples were actually built on Buddhist shrine sites. Results of Moghul invasions were

many too - Somapura Mahavihara (now in Bangladesh) was set ablaze. Odantapuri

Mahavihara close to Nalanda was razed to the ground in 1199 CE after killing all the

monks and Bodhgaya was attacked as well. Though there is evidence that even a

century beyond the Muslim conquest Buddhism remained in places like Gaya till the


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end of the 14th century which disproves the notion that Muslim conquest was not

singularly responsible for the decline of Buddhism in India.

Thus the inability to gage a particular time period for the process of decline until

Buddhism collapsed towards the end of the 12th century. Yet, the question remains if

Jainism survived why Buddhism didnt? The Bengal Puranas depict the Buddhists as

being mocked and subject to verbal chiding.

Yet persecutions may suppress but it does not kill a religion! So what really happened

to Buddhism in India?

No Hindu civilization before Buddhism

There is no mention of Hindu in ancient Aryan literature nullifying the belief that a

Hindu nation existed. Hindus profess to be Aryans citing the Rigveda as the oldest

literature in the world. However, Rigveda was written in Sanskrit and containsreferences to Prakrit language (600 BCE to 1000 CE) and Prakrit was associated with

Buddhism. The Rigveda also contains Vaidik prayer to God Indra to kill Dasas. Dr.

Ambedkar claims Dasas and Nagas were the same people and were rulers of India

when the Rigveda was written. The Rigveda also mentions Rishis like Bharadwaj,

Vasistha, Bhrigu, Viswamitra etc Buddhist literature mentions these are Buddhas

contemporary so the Rigveda could not have been the oldest document in the world.

There is neither archeological evidence nor literary evidence that Sanskrit is anterior

to Buddhism? Hindu historian Dr. Majumdar claims that 75% of Hindu culture derives

from Dravidian culture. According to Brahminical literature the Chaturvarna

(Brahmins, Kshatriyas, Vaishyas and Sudras), the Kshatriyas were exterminated by

Brahmin leader Parasuram. The Brahim text the Gita mentions Vaishyas, Sudras and

women as belonging to papyoni in other words they were non-Hindus. We also

know that the Vaishyas and the Sudras were disallowed to hear or recite the Vedas.

Moreover, the science of medicine Ayurveda was the profession of the Sudras and

Charak Samhita the father of Ayurveda was not only a Buddhist but also the physician

of Buddhist emperor Kanishka.

The truth remains that there is nothing like Aryan civilization and Vedic period in

Indian history anterior to Buddhism. Prakrit the language of the indigenous people

was associated with Buddhism in ancient times. In reality, the Buddhist language is

associated with the Harappan culture as inscriptions used by Buddhist emperor

Ashoka to propagate his message to the people were derived from the language of

the Harappan people. Aryan is a distortion of the word Iranian.

In all probability the Vaidiks falsely inserted the myth that Aryan culture and Vedic

period in the historical sequence anterior to Buddhism because they did not want to

disclose that the Brahminical culture came after Buddhism. It was essentially an

inferiority issue.


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It is clear that there was no Hindu civilization before Buddhism, there was no

Vedic period before Buddhism because Sanskrit developed after Buddhism and it

was during the Buddhist period that the Vedas were manufactured. Not wanting to

give due place to Buddhism it is often argued that the Vedas were not written and

were merely passed down over generations through oral scriptures (Shruties). If so,then why were they not called Vedas instead of shruties? If Sanskrit did not exist

before Buddhism in what language were the Vedas or shruties passed down from

generation to generation?

The Hindu era

We all agree that the history of all religions began from their leaders the Buddhist

era began with Lord Buddha, the Christian era began with Jesus Christ...etc. The

Hindu era begins from Vikrami Samvat (from Hindu king Chandra Gupta

Vikramaditya) and Shaka Samvat which are 2055 and 1922 years old respectively.Yet, there cannot be two eras for Hindus the Shaka era started from 78AD related

to Kanishka, a Buddhist emperor of the Kushan dynasty.

Hindu Brahminisation began with the Shaka era and continued to the Vikram era. The

first archaeological evidence of Sanskrit (language of Hindu Brahmins) called Rudra

Danam inscriptions belong to the period of the Shaka rulers (Mathura, Nasik and

Ujjain their capitals).

Shaka era actually started from Kanishka, a Buddhist emperor of Kushan dynasty.

Instead of Shaka era it should be called Kushan era. Another question seeks to ask

why Vikram era associated with Chandra Gupta 11 was made anterior to Shaka era?

What is the relationship of the Hindus with the Shakas and Chandra Gupta? Kanishka

was associated with Buddhism while Chandra Gupta was associated with Hindu

Brahmanism. The only possible conclusion we can derive is that Vikram era was made

anterior to Shaka era to make Buddhism inferior to Hinduism.

It was during the Shaka era that Buddhism came to be divided into Mahayana and

Hinayana. It was during the Vikram era that Pali, the language of the Buddhists was

exterminated.

Hindu history is perhaps just 2055 years old but in order to show its superiority it

exterminated Pali and destroyed the cultural and religious identity of Buddhism. There

sealed the fate of Buddhism in India.

Buddhism in Asia

Buddhism has strong foundations in Thailand, Burma and Sri Lanka whilst in other

parts of South/South East Asia it is facing difficulties. The countries ruled by colonists

resulted in persecution of Buddhist through missionary Christian/Catholic schools.

Undoubtedly, there is a resurgence to revive Buddhism and to bring all Buddhist

nations together.


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South/South East Asia Theravada Buddhism - Indonesia, Malaysia, Burma, Thailand,

Bangladesh, Laos, Cambodia, Vietnam and Sri Lanka.

In India it was only after Ambedkar started a neo-Buddhist movement among the

untouchables in the 1950s that Buddhism came to be somewhat revived. In India it is

mostly the Indian untouchables who are embracing Buddhism. There are 300m

Dalits who to survive caste discrimination are turning to different faiths. We may

recall how 50,000 Indian dalits converted to Buddhism. Out of 28 Indian states and 7

union territories Buddhisms reach has become minimal. It is in the state of

Maharashtra that 74% of total Indian Buddhists reside followed by Sikkim, Arunachal

Pradesh, Mizoram and Karnataka, UP, West Bengal, Madhya Pradesh.

East Asian/Central Asian Mahayana Buddhism Taiwan, Hong Kong, South Korea,

Japan, Nepal and Bhutan, Ladakh, Russia and China (non-Han regions Tibet, Inner

Mongolia and Xinjian (East Turkistan). Han Chinese in inner China have alsodeveloped an interest in Buddhism.

It goes without saying that for a very peaceful practicing philosophy the currents that

Buddhism and Buddhists have faced over ancient times and even towards

contemporary times will never find answers as to why Buddhism has faced the

challenges it weathered. There is no streak of violence in Buddhism. It is only about

ones own journey towards salvation along a middle path that espouses to refrain

from either extremes to finding the Truth for oneself. That Truth is not the same for

any of us, yet it is the Truth nevertheless.

Similarly in the West too, the people have found Buddhism to be an easy philosophy

to understand and follow. Thus, in the US, Europe, Australia, Canada and even South

America plenty of Dharma centers have emerged in over 90 countries.

Undoubtedly, we must mention Indo-Sri Lanka relationship and make special mention

that there has never been a period of cordiality as that which existed during the time

of King Asoka of India and King Devanampiyatiss of Sri Lanka. Regrettably, India has

chosen to treat Sri Lanka as a quasi-enemy and has continued to carry out

destabilizing operations against Sri Lanka.Indias present overtures towards

aligning with Sri Lanka through Buddhism shows clear signs of seeking to bea partner of the Asian block through Buddhism since India has antagonized

enough of its neighbors already.

While India plays no role in the future of Buddhism except its treatment along

scholarly lines devoid of emotional attachment, it is the practice, the understanding,

the reverence given to Buddhism that is seeing a revival and a greater binding

amongst South/South East/Central/East Asian countries of the world and Sri Lanka

should take a lead to create greater binding.

- Asian Tribune

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Why Buddhism Prospered in Asia but Died in India