TECHNICAL PAPER- BUDDHISM: A VANISHING FAITH, INFLUENCE OF BUDDHISM ON HINDUISM

ABSTRACT Even death is not to be feared by one who has lived wisely - Buddha Buddhism, once a religious faith practised all o er the Indian su!continent later "itnessed a decline from the place of its !irth# The topic $B%&&HI'(- A )ANI'HIN* +AITH IN IN&IA, IN+L%ENCE -+ B%&&HI'( -N HIN&%I'(. thro"s light on ho" and "hen Buddhism as a practicing faith started to anish from the Indian soil# The research reflects a stud/ of arious e0isting Buddhist architecture in India "hich touches upon the histor/ of Buddhism and its influences on the post-Buddhist Hindu temple architecture de eloped in the countr/# Buddhism has greatl/ influenced Hinduism philosophicall/ and architecturall/ "hich are e ident in man/ of the Hindu temples# INTRODUCTION Buddhism is a philosoph/ encompassing a ariet/ of traditions, !eliefs and practices largel/ !ased on teachings !/ 'iddhartha *autama, commonl/ 1no"n as the Buddha 2the a"a1ened one34# The places connected "ith the four principal e ents of Buddha5s life, i6# his !irth, enlightenment, first preaching and decease, "ere loo1ed upon "ith greatest sanctit/# E idences sho" that the Buddha "as !orn in Lum!ini located in the present Nepal in the 7th centur/ BC# At the age of 89 'iddhartha *autama entured out in to the outside "orld and sa" four sights that taught him a!out the suffering of the ordinar/ people# He encountered an old man, a sic1 man, a corpse and finall/ an ascetic hol/ man "ho "as at peace "ith the "orld# These e0periences urged *autama to lea e !ehind his ro/al life and ta1e up a spiritual :uest# At the age of ;7 he sat for meditation under a sacred Bodhi tree# After man/ da/s he !ro1e the "alls of his mind and attained enlightenment# This place is 1no"n as Bodh *a/a# He got a !and of follo"ers and his first preaching "as in 'arnath and spends the rest of his life teaching the path of a"a1ening# He died at age of <= in >ushinagar 2?<; BCE4# The most important Buddhist la/man in histor/ has !een the Emperor Aso1a, "ho ruled most of India for the middle third of the third centur/ B#C# &uring the time of his reign the religion that "as propagated "as Buddhism# The sudden shift in the mind of Aso1a came after the >alinga "ar "here e en after ictor/ he onl/ sa" great suffering all around# +igure -@#8 illustrates the e0tend of >ing Aso1a3s empire "hich co ers most of present da/ India, Pa1istan, parts of the Indian su!-continent# Aso1a turned to Buddhism and preached it o er his empire and e en outside it# 'ome of the greatest architectural feats in Buddhism came a!out during his time# He !uilt monasteries, pillars, edicts, iharas, chait/a halls and

On the capital of one of the pillars Asoka erected, is beautifully carved a wheel with many spokes. This representation of the wheel of Dharma which the Buddha set in motion is the symbol chosen to adorn the flag of the modern state of India. The lions on the same capital are on the state seal. Thus Asoka plays an
stupas across his empire#

important role as the righteous ruler! of ancient India.

AIM To stud/ the rise and decline of Buddhism in India and the influences of it on Hindu temple architecture# HYPOTHESIS Buddhist philosophies though ancient, ha e a er/ modern appeal# In the present "orld full of iolence, humans should learn from these ancient philosophies of peace and true reali6ation of one3s mind# Achie ing internal peace "ould help raise the "orld to higher le els of di init/#

BUDDHISM Origin o B!""#i$% Ahen Buddhism rose in India during the B th centur/ B#C it :uic1l/ gre" into a great religion, due to multiple reasons# At the start of this religion the spiritual climate "as ideal for a ne" religion to !egin as Brahmanism had lost its appeal due to its sacrificial and tantric practices# Buddhism pro ided the path to nir ana "hich "as accepta!le !/ maCorit/ of the people# The compassion at the heart of Buddha3s teachings also dre" more people into Buddhism# At the time 'iddhartha *autama "as !orn, India "as a land of pre ailing social unrest and political insta!ilit/# There "ere si0teen maCor states and se eral smaller ones in northern India alone# In this societ/ people found their freedom restricted and their li es insecure# The traditional religion of India, Brahmanism, could offer little comfort to the masses# The Brahmins "ere at the topmost position and po"erful due to their crucial role in conducting the sacrificial rites# +e" could afford such sacrifices and the teachings of Brahmanism "ere understood onl/ !/ the elite and had little appeal among the masses# People "ere dissatisfied "ith the Brahmanical societ/ and the arious sects it "as di ided into# Buddhism opened up a "hole ne" unorthodo0 school of thought "hich did not demand an/ ph/sical atrocities# Buddha3s teachings "ere simple and accessi!le to all and ps/chological rather than ritualistic and methodological# He stated that each person could achie e Nir ana, the ultimate spiritual fulfilment and dissolution of the ego# He preached in the ernacular, Pali, so e en the lo"er castes could hear his message# Buddhism effecti el/ ignored caste D all castes could follo" and e entuall/ gain enlightenment, no matter ho" lo" the/ "ere in societ/# An order of nuns "as esta!lished alongside an order of mon1sE in all of this there "as a per ading notion of social e:ualit/ that ga e the religion strength# As "ell as the religion3s optimistic outloo1 on the potential of each indi idual to transcend suffering, its accessi!ilit/ and democrac/ rendered it immensel/ appealing to the people# The esta!lishment of the 'angha pla/ed an important role in the religion3s rise# The 'angha referred to the communit/ of mon1s and nuns "hich lin1ed all Buddhist monasteries together# The mon1s and nuns spread the Buddha3s message, and some mon1s e en ris1ed their li es !/ tra elling out of India to preach the "a/ out of suffering# Thus, the 'angha pla/ed a crucial role to the earl/ success of Buddhism#

OBJECTIVE To stud/ the rise and decline of Buddhism in India To stud/ the arious similarities !et"een Buddhist and Hindu architecture To stud/ the li ing traces of Buddhism in present Hindu temple architecture To stud/ the scope of Buddhism for the future

LIMITATIONS The architecture !eing studied here is ancient "hich came up long !efore Christ and the onl/ references a aila!le are from accounts of ancient scholars and tra elers# A sincere stud/ has !een carried out !ut there is a lac1 of sufficient proof for the claims, other than one3s isual o!ser ation#

METHODOLOGY The stud/ "ill !e done through literature studies to see the origin of Buddhism, philosophies, spread and "hat led to its decline in India# A detailed stud/ "ill !e done on the arious t/pes of Buddhist architecture and to ho" much degree it has !een influenced into Hinduism#

Buddhism "as also highl/ economical# The la ish e0penditure re:uired for )edic sacrifices had ta1en its toll on man/E monarchs had often ta0ed their su!Cects for the funds and those in poorer circumstances had no means of assuring their personal prosperit/ !/ sacrifice# +ollo"ing the Eightfold Path of the Buddha, on the other hand, cost nothing# B!""#i$& '#i(o$o'#) The alues that emerged from the Buddha3s life are essentiall/ threeE renunciation, lo ing- 1indness and compassion# These alues emerged from the e0periences in the Buddha3s life# The four no!le truths are a er/ important aspect of the teachings of the Buddha# The four no!le truths are a summar/ of the Buddha3s teachings and to the realisation of the goal his teachings# The four no!les truths are , the truth of suffering, the truth of cause of suffering, the truth of the end of suffering, the truth of the path that leads to the end of suffering# This is the foundation of the teachings of the Buddha for understanding and practice# The idea of cause and effect is at the heart of Buddha3s teachings and the four no!le truths# 'pecificall/ there is a starting point, the pro!lem of suffering# This pro!lem arises from causes# +inall/ Cust as there is suffering and a cause for suffering, there is an end of suffering and the cause for the end of suffering# Ahen the cause for suffering is remo ed, the suffering ends# The truth of suffering can !e di ided !roadl/ into t"o, ph/sical and mental# The ph/sical sufferings are the sufferings of !irth, old age, sic1ness and death# It is closel/ related to the sights that Buddha once encountered in his life# These sufferings are una oida!le ho"e er happ/ or content our li es are# The sufferings of separation from our lo ed once cause mental suffering# The cause of the sufferings must !e identified and sol ed to gi e an end to it# In dealing "ith the truth of end of suffering one must o ercome dou!t "hich e0ists in some minds "hether an end of suffering is reall/ possi!le# The confidence or faith pla/s an important role in Buddhism !ut not in the sense of !lind acceptance# There should !e a sense of faith in admitting the possi!ilit/ of achie ing the goal of the end of suffering# The goal of Buddhism is not Cust happiness and propriet/ in this life and the ne0t, !ut it also offers li!eration- nir ana, the total and a!solute end of suffering# S'r*+" o B!""#i$%

B/ the time of Buddha3s death, at a!out the age of eight/, the Buddha5s follo"ers "ere esta!lished as communities of mon1s in northern India# Aandering through illages and to"ns "ith their !egging !o"ls, eager to descri!e the path to the truth, the/ are familiar figures# But so are man/ other such groups, including the Fains# The ad ance of the Buddhists !e/ond the others is largel/ due to the enthusiastic support of a 1ing of the ;rd centur/ BC# Aso1a ruled o er much of the Indian su!continent# His inscriptions, car ed on pillars and roc1s throughout his realm, !ear "itness !oth to the spread of Buddhism and to his o"n !ene olent support of the Buddha5s principles# &uring Aso1a5s reign, and "ith his encouragement, Buddhism spreads to south India and into 'ri Lan1a# The latter has remained to this da/ a stronghold of the earliest form of Buddhism, 1no"n as Thera ada 2meaning the 5school of elders54#

BUDDHIST ARCHITECTURE The earliest sur i ing architecture apart from the remains of the Indus alle/ ci ilisation in the Indian su! continent is of Buddhist# There are ; principle t/pes of monuments o"ing to Buddhism "hich are 'tupas, Pillars and Roc1 cut ca es# S&!'+ The sacred monument of Buddhism is the stupa of "hich the !asic form is a domical mound cro"ned !/ a parasol# It houses the relics of the Buddha and are distri!uted to numerous sites# Ahether as containers of actual relics, aids to meditation, or as s/m!ols of enlightenment, stupas !ecame the principal o!Cect of eneration for the Buddhists# -ne e0ample is the *reat 'tupa at 'anchi# The main features are, torana 2gate"a/4, the vedica 2fence-li1e enclosure e ol ed from the edic illages4, the harmika 2a s:uare platform "ith railings on top of the stupa4, chattrayashti 2the parasol or canop/4 and a circumam!ulator/ around the stupa# +rom the third centur/ BC on"ards, stupas "ere incorporated into the hall of the chait/a-griha# These stupas had common features of a domical roof,

 circular platform, tall railings or !alustrades around the platform, an upper and lo"er passage"a/, triple um!rella on its a0ial mast and the magnificent gate"a/s at the cardinal points# S)%,o(i$%: The shape of the stupa represents the Buddha, cro"ned and sitting in meditation posture on a lion throne# His cro"n is the top of the spireE his head is the s:uare at the spire5s !aseE his !od/ is the ase shapeE his legs are the four steps of the lo"er terraceE and the !ase is his throne# The stupa ma/ represent the fi e purified elements, The s:uare !ase represents the earth

The a!aci are of t"o t/pes, s:uare and plain and, circular and decorated and these are of different proportions# The cro"ning animals are either seated or standing, al"a/s in the round# The/ are chiselled as a single piece "ith the a!aci#

The upper lotus parasol and cresent moon represents air The sun and the dissol ing points represent the elements of space The stupa e ol ed into the pagoda as Buddhism spread to other Asian countries# The pagoda has aried forms that also include !ellshaped and p/ramidal ones#

The hemispherical dome represents "ater The conical spire represents fire

Pi((+r Emperor aso1a !uilt a series of columns dispersed across the northern parts of the Indian su!-continent inscri!ed !/ the (aur/an 1ing during his reign in the ;rd cent BC# There are onl/ nineteen pillars that sur i e "ith inscriptions out the man/ that "as erected# 'ome "ere of the spotted red and "hite sandstone from the region of (athura, the others of !uffcolored fine grained hard sandstone usuall/ "ith small !lac1 spots :uarried near )aranasi# The uniformit/ of st/le in the pillar capitals suggests that the/ "ere all sculpted !/ craftsmen from the same region# The pillars ha e four component parts# The shafts are al"a/s plain and smooth, circular in cross-section, slightl/ tapering up"ards and al"a/s chiselled out of a single piece of stone# The capitals ha e the shape and appearance of a gentl/ arched !ell formed of lotus petals#

C#+i&)+$ - Vi#+r+$ Chait/as "ere constructed to hold a large num!er of de otees and to pro ide shelter# The more spectacular chait/as "ere cut into li ing roc1 as ca es# The earliest roc1-cut chait/as, similar to free-standing ones, consisted of an inner circular cham!er "ith pillars to create a circular path around the stupa and an outer rectangular hall for the congregation of the de otees# - er the course of time the "all separating the stupa from the hall "as remo ed to create an apsidal hall "ith a colonnade around the na e and the stupa# The mon1s !uilt man/ structures "hich "ere car ed out of a single massi e roc1, done "ith hammer and chisel using their !are hands# These "ere 1no"n as ca e temples# A!out @8== such ca e temples "ere !uilt throughout India# The most important are at >arle, ACanta, Ellora, %daigiri, Auranga!ad and Nasi1# The/ "ere rectangular halls, "ith finel/ polished interior "alls and a semi- circular roof# There "ere a num!er of "ell proportioned pillars, generall/ around ;7# All the pillars ha e capitals on them, "ith car ings of a 1neeling elephant mounted on !ellshaped !ases# There is a "ooden facade, made out of tea1 "ood# The facade ma1es it loo1 as if the entire structure "as resting on the !ac1 of an elephant "ith i or/ tus1s and metal ornaments# The Chait/as "ere almost ?= meters long, @7 meters "ide and @7 meters high# )iharas "ere the d"elling places of the Buddhist mon1s# Also ser es as a centre for religious "or1 and meditation, and centre of Buddhist learning# It consisted of a "alled :uadrangular court, flan1ed !/ small cells# The front "all "as pierced !/ a door, the side facing it in later periods often incorporated a shrine for the image of the Buddha# The cells "ere fitted "ith roc1-cut platforms for !eds and pillo"s# The un"anted roc1 "as e0ca ated, lea ing the car ed ca e structure# This !asic la/out "as still similar to that of the communal space of an ashrama ringed "ith huts in the earl/ decades of Buddhism# 'ome )iharas !ecame e0tremel/ important institutions, some of them e ol ing into maCor Buddhist %ni ersities "ith thousands of students, such as Nalanda# The main pattern follo"ed "as a s:uare !loc1 formed !/ four ro"s of cells along the four sides of an inner court/ard# The/ "ere usuall/ !uilt of stone or !ric1# As the monastic organi6ation de eloped, the/ !ecame ela!orate !ric1 structures "ith man/ adCuncts#

-ften the/ consisted of se eral stories and along the inner court/ard there usuall/ ran a eranda supported on pillars# In some of them a stupa or shrine "ith a dais appeared# Aithin the shrine stood the icon of Buddha# Later iharas "ere cut into roc1s in the form of ca es# D*.(in* o B!""#i$%: F+.&or$ -ne factor that contri!uted to the demise of Buddhism "as the diminishing of Buddhism5s distincti eness "ith respect to the ascendant Hinduism# The de otional cults of (aha/ana Buddhism and Hinduism seemed :uite similar to the de eloping Tantrism of !oth religions "ere also similar# +urthermore, Hinduism !orro"ed elements from Buddhism# )aishna ites e entuall/ fro"ned on animal sacrifices and practiced egetarianism 2a re:uirement of (aha/ana te0ts4, "hile 'hai ites came to do"ngrade castedistinctions as not rele ant to religious practice# +urthermore, the prominent Hindu philosopher 'han1ara de eloped a monastic order on the Buddhist model, and also !orro"ed concepts from Buddhist philosoph/# Adi 'han1arachar/a is an Indian guru from >alad/ ie present da/ >erala "ho is !elie ed to ha e !een responsi!le for the re i al of Hinduism leading to the do"nfall of Buddhism# In (!*n.*$ on Hin"! +r.#i&*.&!r* Certain feature of the Buddhist architecture ha e !een used greatl/ in hindu temple architecture# 'uch as, circular hut "ith a domical roof "agon roofed pa ilion, apsidal at the rear arched ga!le of the "agon roof ceiling painted "ith lotus centred, mandala li1e patterns The longitudinal a0is !et"een the entrance and shrine progresses from fierce sunlight to"ards a diml/ lit Buddha figure in the dar1 depth, through la/ers defined !/ steps, thresholds, door"a/s and a line of pillars# interlin1ed ro" of !arrel roofed pa ilions and the erandah colonnade of the iharas "ere of great influence to temple architecture S)%,o(i$%: M!"r+, This is a s/m!olic hand-gesture e0pressing an emotion# &epictions of the Buddha are almost al"a/s depicted performing a mudra# D#+r%+ C#+/r+, The &harma Cha1ra, "hich appears on the national flag of India and the flag of

the Thai ro/al famil/, is a Buddhist s/m!ol that is used !/ mem!ers of !oth religions# R!"r+r+/$#, These are !eads that de otees, usuall/ mon1s, use for pra/ing Ti(+/, (an/ Hindu de otees mar1 their heads "ith a tila1, "hich is interpreted as a third e/e# A similar mar1 is one of the characteristic ph/sical characteristics of the Buddha# S0+$&i/+, sacred s/m!ol# It can !e either cloc1"ise or counter-cloc1"ise and !oth are seen in Hinduism and Buddhism# M+n"+(+: The !asic form is a s:uare "ith four gates containing a circle "ith a centre point# The/ ha e spiritual and ritual significance in Hinduism and Buddhism#

CASE STUDIES @# 8# ;# (aha!odhi Temple, Bodh *a/a, Bihar >arumadi1uttan shrine, Am!alapu6ha, >erala )ada11umnathan temple, Thrissur, >erala

ANALYSIS AND INFERENCES In the a!o e case studies, the (aho!odhi temple "hich "as anal/sed as it "as one of the most important e0isting Buddhist centre in india# The architecture of this temple is the protot/pe of the Buddhist architecture through the ages# The main features are, the to"ering p/ramidal form of the temple the numerous small stupas in the comple0 the remains of the sandstone railing the niches "ith the arious depictions of the Buddha the finial on top of the shi1ara the !odhi tree "ith the throne depicting "here the Buddha sat "hile attaining enlightenment

The second case stud/ points out that there are e idences of Buddhist centers that e0isted in the rural parts of southern India# It is clearl/ e ident in most of the traditional hindu temples that Buddhist elements do e0ist such as, the round sri1o il deri ed from the stupa the !oundar/ "all "ith four gates at cardinal points, deri ed from the huge railings around the stupa "ith the four toranas at the cardinal points the p/ramidal nature of the shi1hara "hich ressem!les the e ol ed form of stupa, the pagoda the aulted roof deri ed from the chait/a halls certain temples ha e apsidal sri1o il ressem!ling the apsidal shape of the chait/a halls

The decline of Buddhism in the southern part of India happened during the time of Adi 'an1arachar/a, the Hindu re i alist# He founded Hindu monasteries and trained the Hindu priest scholars to com!at his Buddhist ad ersaries# Later (uslim in aders persecuted the Buddhist and destro/ed monasteries and uni ersities#

Ar.#i&*.&!r+( $i%i(+ri&i*$: Interlin1ed ro" of !arrel roofed pa ilions and the erandah colonnade of the iharas Painted lotus centred, mandala li1e patterns on ceilings Tall monstrous !alustrades, the guardian figures and the gate"a/s at cardinal points aulted roof and the round shape of the sri1o il, etc

An+()$i$ Buddhism "as esta!lished in the area of ancient (agadha and >osala !/ *autama Buddha in the Bth centur/ BCE, in "hat is no" modern %ttar Pradesh and Bihar# - er the ne0t @7== /ears Buddhism !ecame one of the region5s influential sects, spreading across the Indian su!-continent# After the death of *autama Buddha, Buddhism sa" rapid e0pansion in its first centur/, especiall/ in northern and central India# The (aur/an Emperor Aso1a 2;=?-8;8 BCE4 and later monarchs encouraged the e0pansion of Buddhism into Asia through religious am!assadors# Buddhism gained popularit/ in India !ecause it released the people from the oppression of tradition and orthodo0/# The teaching of Buddha ga e hope and peace to the people "ho "ere suppressed !/ a societ/ dominated !/ the caste s/stem "ith no freedom of choice# The people turned to a more peaceful religion as opposed to the sacrifices and the costl/ rituals of the Brahmin tradition "hich the common poor could not afford# Buddhist focussed not on one god or a num!er of gods, instead ga e the principles of attaining nir ana through meditation and self-realisation# These principles gained popularit/ among the people# The main factors for its decline are, The re i al of Brahmin culture and further the formation of Hinduism The picturisation of Buddha as an incarnation of )ishnu

P#i(o$o'#i.+( $i%i(+ri&i*$: Both the religions emphasi6e on the role of 1arma in 1eeping men !ound to the earth and the c/cle of !irth and death Both emphasi6e compassion and non- iolence to"ards all li ing !eings Both !elie e in certain spiritual practices li1e meditation, concentration and attaining a certain state of mind &etachment of a "orldl/ life to enter a spiritual life

P#i(o$o'#i.+( "i *r*n.*$: *autama Buddha did not den/ the e0istence nor for!id the "orship of the popular gods, !ut such "orship is

not Buddhism and the gods are merel/ angels "ho ma/ !e "illing to help good Buddhists !ut are in no "ise guides to religion, since the/ need instruction themsel es# The focus of Buddhism is not so much a!out "orshipping god, achie ing hea en neither in the ne0t life nor a!out e0periencing Brahma consciousness in this life or the ne0t# Therefore, the purpose of the hol/ life in the Buddha3s path is a!out li!eration from the c/cle of re!irth and e0perience a"a1ening in this er/ life# In *r*n.* The nature "orship of the earl/ inha!itants of >erala has its parallel in serpent "orship and Buddhism, in the tree "orship o"ing to the association of Buddha5s !irth, re elation and preaching under a tree# In their design features some of the temples such as 'i a temple at Thrissur and the Bhaga athi temple at >odungallur are !elie ed to !e Buddhist iharas# In spite of the a!sence of architectural monuments there is conclusi e proof of the influence of the Buddhist school on >erala architecture of later periods#

The circular temples !asicall/ follo" the shapes of the Buddhist stupas, the dome shaped mounds# The apsidal temples are modelled in the pattern of chait/a halls, the assem!l/ halls of Buddhist mon1s# The chait/a "indo" seen repeated in the decorati e moulding of the thorana around the temple shrine is clearl/ a Buddhist motif adopted in Hindu st/le, according to Perc/ Bro"n# Basicall/ thorana is a gate"a/ pro ided in the palisade seen in the ertical and hori6ontal mem!ers of the ila11umadam, "hich is a feature seen onl/ in >erala temples of the post-Buddhist period# In its most primiti e form this construction is seen in the temples enshrining trees and later on the outer "alls of the shrines# Aith the st/listic de elopment of the Hindu temple this form of palisade is remo ed from the shrine structure 2sri1o il4 and ta1en as a separate edifice !e/ond the temple cloister 2chuttam!alam4#

Buddhism has al"a/s !een a peaceful religion "ith no Buddhist !eing at the position of rulers or t/rants# Buddhism from its inception "as a religion that captured the enthusiasm of the rich and poor ali1e# It "as a religion that preached a "a/ out of suffering, in a simple and direct fashion that could !e understood !/ the common man# %nli1e the Brahmanism that had !ecome too scholarl/ for the masses, Buddhism fulfilled the spiritual needs of the peopleE e er/ person could "or1 their "a/ to"ards enlightenment# Its notions of social e:ualit/ earned it much success and the esta!lishment of the 'angha ga e it strength# As it "as a recent religion it spread :uic1l/# It flourished for centuries, !ut e entuall/, the corruption of the 'angha, the ri alries !et"een sects, and the lac1 of protection from the ruling class "ea1ened Buddhism and made it una!le to compete "ith the reformed Hinduism# The anti-Buddhist campaigns led !/ the (uslims caused its final do"nfall, and Buddhism e entuall/ entirel/ disappeared from India !et"een @=== and @8== C#E# it left India "ith a rich legac/ that "as partiall/ incorporated into Hinduism, and o"ing to the 6est of the Buddhist missionaries, numerous countries "ere con erted to BuddhismE man/ of them remain Buddhist to this da/# Buddhism is at present a "orld religion, and human1ind is the !etter for it# Human !eings are no different toda/ from "hat his ancestor "as t"o or three thousand /ears ago# Humans ha e the same good and e il Cust li1e our forefathers during the time of Buddha# The difference toda/ is that "ith the ast technological ad ances , "e are in a !etter position to realise the good and the e il# If one has the good sense of slo"ing do"n and loo1ing at the teachings and practice them sincerel/, one can raise the human race to higher le els of di init/# Buddhism is gaining more and more importance toda/ as people are turning to peaceful means and meditation in this e il infested "orld of toda/# Certain groups ma/ consider Buddhism as old fashioned and traditional# But in the "estern countries it is gaining importance as the/ consider it er/ ad anced and sophisticated# The negati e image that people ha e a!out Buddhism should !e changed !/ understanding the teachings of Buddha deepl/# Buddhism is not culture !ound# It is not !ound to an/ particular societ/, race or ethnic group# It can !e adopted !/ an/one, an/"here, an/time# That is the reason historicall/ "e ha e Indian Buddhists, Thai Buddhists, Chinese Buddhists, 'rilan1an Buddhists and so on, and "ill ha e in the near future American Buddhists, +rench Buddhists, English Buddhists and

CONCLUSION

so on# Buddhism can mo e from one culture to another !ecause the emphasis is on achie ing internal peace rather than e0ternal practice# Its emphasis is on ho" one de elops one3s mind rather than the clothes one "ears or food one ta1es# Another point is that if one "ants to achie e "isdom one has to recognise one3s priorities# In the present "orld of 1illings in the name of religion, theft and other e ils, humans should follo" the path of peace and harmon/# +or that "e must mould up guidelines,

8 D Chithrale1ha 'ingh, P# N# 2@99B4# Hinduism. Ne" &elhi, CRE'T P%BLI'HIN* H-%'E# ; D 'he1har, A# 28=@=4# Buddhism in >erala# 8# ?- Aashington 'tate %ni ersit/ 28==B4# HThe &ecline of Buddhism in IndiaH# 7- 'ene iratna, A# 2@99?4# King Asoka and Buddhism. >and/, 'rilan1a, B%&&I'T P%BLICATI-N '-CIETI# B- http,JJ"""#histor/"orld#net G- """#"i1ipedia#com < - """#!ritanica#com

1. Ae must o ercome e0ploitati e greed "ith glo!al

generosit/, helpfulness, and cooperation#

2. Ae must replace hatred and re enge "ith a polic/ of

1indness, tolerance, and forgi eness#

3. Ae must recogni6e that our "orld is an interdependent,

inter"o en "hole such that irresponsi!le !eha ior an/"here has potentiall/ harmful repercussions e er/"here# These guidelines, dra"n from the Buddha5s teaching, can constitute the nucleus of a glo!al ethic to "hich all the "orld5s great spiritual traditions could easil/ su!scri!e# The Buddha states that of all things in the "orld, the one "ith the most po"erful influence for !oth good and !ad is the mind# *enuine peace !et"een peoples and nations gro"s out of peace and good "ill in the hearts of human !eings# 'uch peace cannot !e "on merel/ !/ material progress, !/ economic de elopment and technological inno ation, !ut demands moral and mental de elopment# It is onl/ !/ transforming oursel es that "e can transform our "orld in the direction of peace and amit/# This means that for the human race to li e together peacefull/ on this shrin1ing planet, the inescapa!le challenge facing us is to understand and master oursel es# B/ proposing a practical path of moral and mental training, the teaching offers us an effecti e remed/ for tac1ling the pro!lems of the "orld in the one place "here the/ are directl/ accessi!le to us, in our o"n minds# The Buddha5s teaching pro ides us all, regardless of our religious con ictions, "ith the guidelines "e need to ma1e our "orld a more peaceful and congenial place to li e#

BIBLIOGRAPHY @ - Foshi, L# (# 2@9G=4# Brahmanism, Buddhism and Hinduism# an essay on their origins and interactions , ;7#