The Classical Civilization of India: Hinduism and Buddhism

History

Hinduism began before recorded time.  A specific person or even; Abraham’s covenant, the Buddha’s enlightenment, Jesus’ birth, Muhammad’s revelation inspired the other major religions of the world.  Hinduism by contrast, emerged through the weaving together of many diverse, ancient religious traditions of India, some which precede wrtten records.

Hinduism evolved from the experience of peoples of India. Hinduism preserved within a rich body of religious literature written in Sanskrit, the language of the Aryan invaders of 1700-1200 B.C.E. Anthropological accounts support the idea that Hinduism is an amalgam of beliefs and practices.

The concept of "Hinduism" as a unified religion comes from outsiders. Greeks first encountered India, and especially Alexander the Great, who arrived in 327 B.C.E., spoke of India's belief systems and practices collectively as "Hinduism" that is, the ways of the peoples on the far side of the Indus river. When Muslims began to arrive, beginning in the eighth century C.E., they adopted the same terminology.

Hinduism is the oldest of the world's religions, although its geographic range is confined to the peoples of South Asia. Here its impact has been profound, exemplified by the sacred geography of the subcontinent; rivers, mountains and regions associated with divine mythology are important, and networks of pilgrimage centers and temples provide cultural unity.

Harappan Sculpture

What did the ancient Indians wear? What did they eat? Did kids play with toys? Did they go to school? This site shares daily life in three major time periods of ancient India history; the mysterious and so cool Indus Valley Civilization, the Vedic & Epics Periods, and the Age of Empires. See: Daily Life in Ancient India for further information.

HINDU LITERATURE

Ramayana is one of the great epics of India. This story of Sri Rama by thegreat sage Valmiki is referred to as the Adi Kavya. Other famous versions of Ramayana include Shri Ram Charit Manas in avadhii by Goswami Tulasidas and Kambar’s Kambaraamayanam in Tamil.  The Ramayana has been a perennial source of spiritual, cultural and artistic inspiration, not only to the people of India but also to the people all over the world. It has helped to mould the Hindu character and has inspired millions of people with the deepest of love and devotion.

Epic of Ramayana  "Rama, the ancient idol of the heroic ages, the embodiment of truth, of morality, the ideal son, the ideal husband, and above all, the ideal king, this Rama has been presented before us by the great sage Valmiki. No language can be purer, none chaster, none more beautiful, and at the same time simpler, than the language in which the great poet has depicted the life of Rama." -- Swami Vivekananda

The Essentials of Upanishad

Upanishad means the inner or mystic teaching. The term Upanishad is derived from upa (near), ni (down) and s(h)ad  (to sit), i.e., sitting down near.

Groups of pupils sit near the teacher to learn from him the secret doctrine. In the quietude of the forest hermitages the Upanishad thinkers pondered on the  problems of deepest concerns and communicated their knowledge to fit pupils near them. For further information, see The Nature of Reality and the Soul.

The Bhagavad-Gita occurs as an episode in the Maha-Bharata, and is regarded as one of the gems of Hindu literature. The poem is a dialogue between Prince Arjuna, the brother of King Yudhisthira, and Vishnu, the Supreme God, incarnated as Krishna, and wearing the disguise of a charioteer. The conversation takes place in a war-chariot, stationed between the armies of the Kauravas and  Pandavas, who are about to engage in battle. For further information, visit this webpage on the Bhagavad-Gita.

SIDDHARTHA GUATAMA: THE BUDDHA

Buddha the Great Master

Buddhism was born in India, within the culture of Hinduism, and then charted its own path.  Like Hinduism, it questioned the reality of this earthly world and speculated on the existence of other worlds.  Unlike Hinduism, however, Buddhism had a founder, a set of originating scriptures, and an order of monks.

It renounced hereditary caste organization and the supremacy of the Brahmin priests. Buddhism spread to southeast Asia along with Hinduism, but Buddhism became more popular, gaining acceptance as the principal religion of Myanmar, Thailand, Cambodia, Laos, and Vietnam until today.  It won multitudes of adherents throughout the rest of Asia as well, in Sri Lanka, Tibet, China, Korea, and Japan.  Yet in India itself, Buddhism lost out in competition with Hinduism and its priesthood, virtually vanishing from the subcontinent by about the twelfth century. 

Siddhartha Gautama was born in 563 B.C.E. in the foothills of the Himalayan mountains of what is now Nepal.

The Life of Buddha

In fundamental Buddhism, the emphasis is on seeing Truth, on knowing it, and on understanding it.  The emphasis in NOT on BLIND faith.  The teaching of Buddhism is on “come and see” but never on come and believe.

Buddhism advocates no dogmas, no creeds, no rites, no ceremonies, no sacrifices, no penances, all of which must usually be accepted on blind faith. Buddhism is not a system of faith and worship but rather it is merely a Path to Supreme Enlightenment.

The Buddha referred to his teaching as simply a raft to leave this shore of suffering and impermanence, and to get to the other shore of bliss and safety, True Permanent Reality, Nirvana. Upon realization of Nirvana, the raft is no longer needed.

	Four Noble Truths Image Source: Asian Art in the Art Institute of Chicago (Chicago: Art Institute of Chicago, 1993). The Buddha used stories to explain concepts like karma and rebirth and to emphasize the importance of certain moral values.  These stories are ever more relevant today towards helping people of all ages to guide and steer their lives to success and fulfillment.
For further information, see: Buddhist Tales For Young and Old