“GAUTAM BUDDHA”

FINAL DRAFT SUBMITTED IN THE PARTIAL FULFILMENT OF THE COURSE TITLED

– LEGAL HISTORY

SUBMITTED TO:

Dr. PRIYADARSHINI

ASSISTANT PROFESSOR OF HISTORY

SUBMITTED BY:

NAME: KARAN SINGH RAUTELA

COURSE: B.A., LL.B (Hons.)

ROLL NO: 1736

SEMESTER: 1st

CHANAKYA NATIONAL LAW UNIVERSITY, NYAYA NAGAR,

MITHAPUR, PATNA – 800001

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 ACKNOWLEDGEMENT

Writing a project is one of the most significant academic challenges, I have ever faced.
Though this project has been presented by me but there are many people who remained in
veil, who gave their all support and helped me to complete this project.

First of all I am very grateful to my subject teacher Dr. Priya Darshini, without the kind
support of whom and help the completion of the project could not have been possible for me.
She donated her valuable time from her busy schedule to help me to complete this project and
suggested me from where and how to collect data.

I am very thankful to the librarian who provided me several books on this topic which proved
beneficial in completing this project.

I acknowledge my friends who gave their valuable and meticulous advice which was very
useful and could not be ignored in writing the project. I want to convey most sincere thanks to
my seniors, for helping me throughout the project.

Last but not the least, I am very much thankful to my parents and family, who always stand
aside me and helped me a lot in accessing all sorts of resources.

I thank all of them !

KARAN SINGH RAUTELA

ROLL :- 1736
SEMESTER :- I
B.A.L.L.B. ( Hons. )

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 TABLE OF CONTENT

(I) INTRODUCTION--------------------------------------------------------------------- 4-5

(II) CONDITION OF HINDU SOCIETY BEFORE BUDDHA-------------------- 7-9

(III) LIFE AND TEACHINGS OF BUDDHA------------------------------------------- 10-16

(IV) MAHAYANA AND HINAYANA--------------------------------------------------- 17-18

(V) CAUSE OF SPREAD AND DECLINE OF BUDDHISM------------------------- 19-23

(VI) CONCLUSION AND SUGGESTION----------------------------------------------- 23-24

(VII) BIBLIOGRAPHY---------------------------------------------------------------------- 25

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 1. INTRODUCTION

The 6th century B.C. saw the rise of two religious movements. Before this 62 heterodox sects
prevailed in India. The sources of this period are the Pali cannon of Buddhas consisting of
Tripitikas or pitakas which is known as Vinaya Pitaka, Sutta Pitaka, Abhidhamma Pitaka.

Vinaya Pitaka deals with the monastic discipline and is associated with Upali. The Sutta Pitaka
deals with ethical principles and is associated with Ananda who was the favourite disciple of
Buddha. Abhidhamma Pitaka deals with the metaphysical principles underlining the doctrines.
The Buddhist and Jain scriptures are inadequate as historical documents. Like the Vedas these
were passed down by word of mouth for centuries but unlike the Vedas, they evidently grew and
altered with time. The Jatakas also form a source materials for Buddhist philosophy. It was more
than 500 in numbers and it was the most important way of promoting Buddhism. They
particularly described the lives of the common people. The other source was the pillar of
Ashoka. This period witnessed the growing opposition of various ritualistic orthodox ideas of
Brahmanas. It led to the uprising of many heterodox religious sects and their movements. Out of
all these Buddhism and Jainism developed into a well organised popular religion.

In the history of Indian religions, Buddhism occupies a unique place; first for opening portals not
only to the Indians of all strata of society, but also to the foreigners like the Greeks and Indo-
Scythians, who settled in India and secondly for its propagation in foreign countries like Ceylon
and Burma, Thailand and Cambodia, Central Asia and China, Nepal and Tibet, and Indonesian
countries, and ultimately in Korea, Japan and Mongolia1. Along with the propagation of Buddist
art and architecture, language and literature in various countries, translations of Buddhist
scriptures were also done according to the language of the respective countries. The cultural
heritage of India was shared by most of the Asians.

The religious movement of this time emerged out of the prevailing social, economic and
religious activities. Since, the vedic religious practices had become more prevalent, the new
socities had meaningless ceremonies, sacrifices and rituals increased and become more extensive
and expensive. The increasing importance of these sacrifices and rituals established dominance
of Brahmanas. The brahamans acted as priests and teachers and monopoly of performing rituals
increased. Similarly ,the Kshatriyas, who were the ruling class were unhappy with the increasing
domination of Brahamans. It was due to their discontent for Brahamans which contributed to the
social support for new religious ideas. They were supported by the King, rich merchants, rich
householders, brahamanas, etc. The three elements in the Buddhism are Buddha, Sangha, and
Dhamma.

1
V.D. MAHAJAN, ANCIENT INDIA 138 (S. Chand publishing) (2016)

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Ashoka, the emperor of Mauryan dynasty and Kanishka, the emperor of Kushan dynasty made
Buddhism their state religion. They even propagated this religion in Central Asia, West Asia, and
Sri Lanka. These were some of the due to which the religion of Buddhism spread and became
popular in different countries of the world.

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AIMS AND OBJECTIVES
∙ To study the life of Gautama Buddha.

SOURCES OF DATA
The researcher has used secondary sources to complete his research. The secondary sources
includes books and internet.

RESEARCH METHODOLOGY
This research project is solely based on Doctrinal type of research.

HYPOTHESIS
∙ The researcher believes that religion of Buddhism gave a positive impact on the lives of people.

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 2. CONDITION OF HINDU SOCIETY BEFORE BUDDHISM

2.1 VEDIC RELIGION AND THE SACRIFICIAL TRADITION2

The practice of early vedic religion was existing in India since the ancient times. This tradition
was studied in the Rigveda which was compiled between 1500-1000 B.C. Rigveda is a
collection of hymns. Most of the hymns are in praise of the deities such as Agni, Indra and
Soma. The vedic religion during the early vedic age was pure and simple. The Aryans
worshipped their Gods through prayers and sacrifices. At first sacrifices were performed
collectively but later it became highly complicated. A particular class established its monopoly
over religion and various other ceremonies. Several meaningless ceremonies and rituals were
introduced. Much importance was given to yajnas. The king started to perform more elaborated
sacrifices such as rajasuya and ashvamedha. Only brahamans were allowed to perform these
sacrifices. Many brahamanas were given Dakshinas to perform the sacrifices. But later it was
pointed out that the efficiency of the rituals was dependent upon the amount of dakshina paid.
The religion became more complex and cumbersome.

The former glory of Hindu society was lost and many kinds of sacrifices, rituals, and
superstitions crept into the society. The Brahamans had the monopoly in the field of religion,
rituals and sacrificial ceremonies. They encouraged superstition among the people and gained the
most out of it. They extorted as much as they could from the common people. The vedic idea of
the divine power of speech was developed into the concept of mantram as the human expression
of human energy field and which were the first knowable cause of the creation itself. It was
composed on certain sequence of sounds and rhythms. It was believed that a mantram could
bring victory or defeat in wars. It could assure the prosperity of a state or destruction of the
enemies. It could be used to win votes in the popular assembly or to silence the arguments of an
opponent. It can also be used for the medical prescriptions. It embodied in itself with the
dynamic principles of universe. There was no concern of daily life which could not have been
affected by one way or other by mantram. If the brahmana priests would have lived up to the
ideal of purity and altruism, the use of the mantram would have been either harmless or helped
the growth of moral and religious life among the people. But the mantram was used even by
those who had no great learning and also who did not possess high moral character. The lives of
the brahmana priests were full of criticism. They mostly lived a worldly and corrupt lives. They
were becoming a living being full of worldly vices. There was merely any consequence of the
enormous wealth possessed by them.

2
Dr. MALTI MALIK, HISTORY OF INDIA 121, (New Sasraswati House ) (2016)

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2.2 COMPLEXITY OF CASTE SYSTEM

The Rig vedic Aryans formed the society according to the occupation in order to run the affairs
of the state smoothly. However, later it was turned into the caste system based on the birth of a
person during the later vedic age. By the 6th B.C. it became very rigid. The first three varnas
were Brahmanas, Kshatriyas and Vaishyas. The were allowed to wear the sacred thread (Janeu)
and read the Vedas. But the shudras, who belonged to the fourth varna were deprived of this
privilege. They were condemned to a life of degradation and humiliation. There people
developed antipathy against the vedic tradition and looked looking for any opportunity which
they can avail to overthrow the dominance of those whom they hated or detested.

2.3 DIFFERENT LANGUAGES OF THE VEDIC TEXTS

The whole vedic literature was written in Sanskrit. However, by 6th century it became the
language of learned persons only. The Pali and Prakrit were also popular languages but the
Sanskrit was used in every religious functions and ceremonies. Since, scriptures were in Sanskrit,
the common people were not able to understand. The religious priests started interpreting the
religious texts according to their own to make advantage of the situation. Hence, the people
began demanding that the texts should be translated according to their own spoken language.

2.4 ISSUES OF THE KSHATRIYAS

The Kshatriyas opposed the supremacy and influence of the Brahmanas. It became an important
factor of the rise of Buddhism and Jainism. Inspite of their superior physical and political force
and wealth, they had to put up with the arrogance of the Brahmanas, who did nothing for the
benefit of the society. Brahmanas performed the duties of priests as well as teachers and claimed
a high position in society. They received many benefits such as receiving donations and
exemption from taxes and punishments. Kshatriyas were against the ritualistic domination of the
Brahmanas. Thus their disagreement with the dominance of brahmanas gave rise to new
traditions. Gautama Buddha and Mahavir Swami belonged to the Kshatriya varna and both of
them challenged the superiority of the Brahamanas.

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2.5 AGRICULTURAL FACTORS

When the iron came into use in 600 B.C., the iron tools were used to clear huge lands of forests
and new settlements came into the existence. The agricultural land expanded. Oxen were
required greatly for ploughing and other agricultural activities. However, there was great loss of
animals because the animals were sacrificied in the yajnas under vedic rituals. The animal wealth
was facing increasing threat as people also killed animals for food. A ban on killing animals was
extremely essential for the growth and development of agricultural economy. Hence, the masses
started opposing the Vedic rituals.

2.6 ROLE OF VAISHYAS

The use of iron tools resulted in the expansion of lands. The growth in production led to a boost
in trade and commerce and the importance of Vaishayas increased in society. Circulation of
coins encouraged the growth of trade and commerce. In the brahamanical society the vaishayas
were placed at third position. So, they looked for a religion which would increase their status in
society. They lend money on interests and criticized the person who lived on interest. Hence, the
vaishyas who were engaged in the profession of lending money on interests turned against
brahamanism.

These were some factors which led to the emergence of Buddhism as a religion.

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 3. LIFE AND TEACHINGS OF BUDDHA

3.1 LIFE OF BUDDHA

Gautama Buddha, whose real name was Siddhartha was born in 563 or 566 B.C. Shudhodhan
was his father’s name and her mother;s name was Maya, who was the princess of Kosalan
Dynasty. Buddha belonged to Sakya Kshatriya clan and was brought up by Maha Prajapati
Gautami. He was married to Yashodhara who was called by various names, e.g, Gopa, Bimba
etc. At the age of 29 he had a son whose name was Rahul. 4 eminent sights proved to be a
turning point in his life. The scientists reffered to it as “Four Great Signs”. The four sights were
of

(i) old man

(ii) sick or ill man

(iii) dead man

(iv) saint or an ascetic

It is stated that one evening his charioteer, Channa, drove the prince in the city and he came
across an old man who had been given up by his people. He saw another man who was suffering
from the agony of a disease and Channa told him that it is the fate of every human being. Then

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he saw a dead man surrounded by relatives who were mourning. The fourth sight was that of a
saint or an ascetic, who had given up the world and was moving about in search of truth3.

These sights affected the mind of Buddha and when a son was born to him , he decided to
renounce the world immediately. He left his wife and child sleeping and went away. He was
accompanied by Channa, the charioteer. At the age of 29 he renounced the world which was
called Mahabhinishkraman. His first teacher was Alara Kalama and his second teacher was
Udraka Ramaputra. He learned the art of meditation, concentration of mind and “neither
consciousness nor non-consiousness”. Due to some differences of opinion with Udraka, he left
him. From there he went to Uruvella and practiced great self-punishment that he was reduced to
a mere skeleton. In spite of this suffering, he did not get enlightenment. After that he tried to
keep himself away from worldly and sensual desires and evil ideas.

One day he sat under the peepal tree and took a vow: “I will not leave this place till I attain that
peace of mind which I have been trying for all these years4.” He was both threatened and
tempted to leave the peepal tree. At the age of 35, under that peepal tree in Uruvella (Bodhgaya),
on the bank of river, Niranjana (Falgu), he attained Nirvana. He was given the title of Buddha or
Tathagata (one who has attained the truth).

With the gain of knowledge, he was first hesitant to give teaching, because what he new cannot
be communicated to others through words. About 100 miles away, he came across the five
ascetics he had practiced with for so long, who had abandoned him on the eve of his
enlightenment. The first sermon was given by him at Deer Park in Sarnath in Varanasi. It is also
called as ‘Dharmachakrapravartan’ or ‘ turning of the wheel of the law ‘.The ascetics then
became his first disciples and formed the foundation of the Sangha, or community of monks.
Women were admitted to the Sangha, and all barriers of class, race, sex and previous background
were ignored, with only the desire to reach enlightenment through the banishment of suffering.
He raised his voice against priesthood sacrifices and sacraments. he denied the divinity of Gods
and did not accept the authority of Vedas. He dedicated rest of his life to the good of the people.
He did this for 45 years and during all these years he always moved with his followers and
admirers. He visited his native land and his son also became a monk.

Buddha died at the age of 80 in 483 BC in Kushinagar. This is called as Parinirvan.

3
supra note 1 at 140
4
Id

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3.2 TEACHINGS OF BUDDHA

Buddha taught for 45 years through conversation, lectures and lessons. His method of teaching
was unique. He walked from town to town, accompanied by his favourite disciples, and followed
by as many as 1200 devotees. He stopped near some village and pitched his camp in some
garden or on some river bank. The afternoon was given to meditation and evening to
instructions.

The ultimate aim of his teachings was to attain nirvana. His teachings consisted of four noble
truths and 8 fold path which is also called as Ashtangikmarg.

3.2.1 NOBLE TRUTHS

The 4 noble truths are as follows:

(i) The first truth is Dukkha or existence of sorrow. “All here is transient, sorrowful and full of
pain”5.

(ii) The second truth is Dukkha Samudaya or cause of sorrow. It tells that original suffering is
due to the quest for worldly objects and desres. Desire is the cause of evils and hence it must be
removed.

(iii) The third truth is Dukkha Nirodha or sorrowing cesing. It tells us that sorrowing can only be
eliminated by the destruction of world thirst by conquering the desires.

(iv) The fourth truth is Dukkha Nirodh Gamini Pratipad. It meant that there must be a way to
ttain bliss and end desires and that is through the 8 fold path or Ashtangikmarg.

5
Id at 141

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3.2.2 THE FIVE PERCEPTS

According to Buddha, every pleasure is poisoned by brevity. The basic evil is not of desire but
selfish desire. One disciple suggested to end troubles by committing suicide but Buddha pointed
out the same was useless as the unpurified soul was bound to be born again. The cycle of births
could not be ended that way. To define more clearly the conception of right living, he formulated
five moral rules:

(i) Let no one kill any living being

(ii) Let no one take what is not given to him

(iii) Let no one speak falsely

(iv) Let no one drink intoxicated drinks

(v) Let no one be unchaste i.e. indulge in sexual activities

3.2.3 EIGHT FOLD PATH

The noble eight path was given by Buddha to end all the sufferings. These eight fold path were:

(i) Right View : The belief that not everything ends with the death. Buddha taught and followed
the path of nirvana. The right view is held in Buddhist principles of karma and rebirth.

(ii) Right Intention : It can also be called as “right thoughts”. Through this one should be able to
differentiate between right and wrong intention. One should be free from ill will. It is taught by
the path of right intention6.

(iii) Right Speech : One should keep himself away from lying, rude speech, and telling one
person what another says about him. It leads to the salvation of the person.

(iv) Right Action : No killing, no injuring, no sexual acts by the disciples pursuing for monastic
discipline. No acts should be done which harms a living being whether it is an animal or human
being.

(v) Right Livelihood : Do not earn your livings by harming others. Do not seek happiness by
making others unhappy. One should never choose way of life which ultimately affects the life of
others.

(vi) Right Effort : One should always try to take an action on the goodwill of the people. Guards
against sensual thoughts and prevent the disruption of peace in society.

6
Teachings of Buddha, Asian Art, (Oct.5, 2017, 1:26 AM), https://www.burmese-art.com/blog/the-teachings-of-
buddha

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(vii) Right Mindfulness : People must constantly keep their mind to phenomena that may affect
body and mind. This means one must be aware of their thoughts, words and actions. They must
not be absebt minded and must conscious of their acts.

(viii) Right Concentration : Also known as ‘right meditation’. It teaches people to concentrate
and focus one thing or object at a time. Thus leading quiet and peaceful mind.

3.2.4 THE THREE JEWELS

The first step in most of the Buddhist schools required taking three refuges, which was also
called as the Three Jewels. It was the foundation of one’s religious practice. The three refuges
are believed by Buddhists to be protective and a form of reverence. The Three Jewels are:

(i) Buddha

(ii) Dhamma

(iii) Sanga

The element Buddha refers not only to the religion's historical founder, but also to everything
he's believed to represent. Buddha's mind is said to have been completely purified, meaning he
carried a profound sense of love and compassion for all beings while feeling absolutely no ill
will towards anyone or anything7.

Sangha referred to the group of monastics who accompanied the Buddha during his lifetime.
Non-monastic groups in the West often refer to themselves as sangha, and the word is sometimes
used to describe all of the world's Buddhists. But in Buddhist scripture, sangha refers only to the
monastic community. Debtors and slaves were not allowed to be the members of Sangha.

Dhamma as taught by the Buddha tells us how we can be free from personal suffering. As
suffering beings we are deluded about the truths of our body and mind. However, if we practice
the Dhamma, we turn our attention to our body and our mind and unveil their true
characteristics8.

7
David Luekens, The Sacred Elements of Buddhism, Classroom, (Oct.4, 2017, 7:13 PM),
http://classroom.synonym.com/the-sacred-elements-of-buddhism-12087417.html
8
Luangpor Pramote Pamojjo, Simple and Ordinary Mindfulness Meditation, Dhamma, (Oct.4, 2017, 7:23 PM),
https://www.dhamma.com/en/

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3.2.5 THE FIVE AGGREGATES

Skandhas or khandhas means "heaps, aggregates, collections, groupings". it refers to the five
aggregates concept that asserts five factors constitute and completely explain the person’s mental
and physical existence. The five aggregates or skandhas are :

(i) FORM (Rupa) : Rupa is form or matter; something material that can be sensed. In early
Buddhist literature, rupa includes the Four Great Elements (solidity, fluidity, heat, and motion)
and their derivatives. These derivatives are eye, ear, nose, tongue, body and their corresponding
objects are visible form, sound, odor, taste, tangible things9.

(ii) SENSATION (Vedana) : Vedana is a physical or mental sensation that we experience

through contact of the six faculties with the external world. In other words, it is the sensation
experienced through the contact of eye with visible form, ear with sound, nose with odor, tongue
with taste, body with tangible things, mind with ideas or thoughts. Manas , mind or intellect, is a
sense organ or faculty, just like an eye or an ear.

(iii) PERCEPTION (Samjna) : The word "samjna" means "knowledge that puts together." It is
the capacity to understand and remember things by associating them with other things. When we
see something for the first time, we find categories to associate with the new object.

(iv) MENTAL FORMATION (Samskara) : All actions, good or bad, are included in the
aggregate of mental formations, or samskara. The aggregate of mental formations is associated
with karma, because violating acts create karma.

(v) CONSIOUSNESS (Vijnana) : It is a reaction that has one of the six faculties as its basis and
one of the six corresponding phenomena as its object. For example, hearing has the ear as its
basis and a sound as its object. Mental consciousness has the mind (manas) as its basis and an
idea or thought as its object. It depends on the other skandhas and does not exist independently
from them.

Buddha laid a great emphasis on the philosophy of Karma. According to this law, the present is
determined by the past actions. The condition of a man in his life and next depends upon the act
of the individuals. His salvation lay in his good deeds. He also gave the concept of rebirth along
with the Karma. It says that birth and death in the six realms occur in successive cycles driven by
ignorance, desire, and hatred. The cycle of rebirth is called samsara. It is a beginningless and
ever-ongoing process. Liberation from samsara can be attained by following the Buddhist Path.

Buddha ‘s conception of religion was purely ethical. He did not care for worship and rituals.
Buddha refused to express any opinion as to whether the world had a beginning or will have an
end, whether the soul is the same as body or distinct from it. He welcomed anybody into the

9
Barbara O’Brien, The Five Skandhas :An Introduction to the Aggregates, ThoughtCo., (Oct.5, 2017, 12:38 PM),
https://www.thoughtco.com/the-skandhas-450192

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Buddhist sanga regardless of the caste. In Buddha’s philosophy there is no place for heaven or
hell. He did not explain clearly the concept of nirvana. It states that happiness is attainable only
through the elimination of the selfish desires. So, there was no need of a priest or a middle-man
to achieve nirvana because the salvation lies in one’s good deeds. The basis of all the teachings
of Buddha was the law of Karma.

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 4. MAHAYANA AND HINAYANA
After the death of Gautama Buddha, The term appeared around the first or second century.
Hinayana is often contrasted with Mahayana, which means the "great vehicle".

3.1 MAHAYANA

Mahayana also known as the Great Vehicle, is one of two main existing branches of Buddhism
and a term for classification of Buddhist philosophies and practice. According to the teachings
of Mahayana traditions, "Mahayana" also refers to the path seeking complete enlightenment for
the benefit of all sentient beings and a term for classification of Buddhist philosophies and
practice. Mahayana Buddhists teach that enlightenment can be attained in a single lifetime, and
this can be accomplished even by a layperson. According to Buddha, there were three ways or
vehicles for attaining Nirvana.

There were those who wanted to attain nirvana, without caring for others. This could be realized
by the attainment of Arhatship. That vehicle was called Arhat-yana.

To the second category belonged those persons who wanted to attain Nirvana but at the same
time desired to some beneficial work for others. They could reach their goal by Pratayaka-
Buddhayana.

To the third category belonged those persons who gave up their own salvation in order to help
others and dedicate their lives for that purpose. The belonged to the Buddhayana or the vehicle
of Buddha10.

Mahayanism introduced a belief of Bodhisattvas or beings “ who were in the process of

obtaining but had not yet attained, Buddhahood. Mahayana teaches that anyone can aspire to
achieve awakening and thereby become a bodhisattva. Awakening consists in understanding the
true nature of reality. The bodhisattvas seek to understand this reality through wisdom and to
actualize it through compassion. They realize that since no individual has a “self,” there can be
no real difference between themselves and others, and therefore their own liberation is not
distinct from the liberation of all beings. The Mahāyāna tradition holds that pursuing only the
release from suffering and attainment of Nirvāṇa is too narrow an aspiration, because it lacks the
motivation of actively resolving to liberate all other sentient beings from saṃsāra, "suffering".
they believe it is more important to help others on their path of finding nirvana rather than
committing fully to nirvana themselves.

Mahayanism treated Buddha as God and explained the different births of Buddha to attain
Nirvana. Worship of the images of Buddha was started. It was accompanied by elaborate rituals,
charms and formulae. It had salvation of all beings as its objectives. It put more and more

10
supra note 1 at 145

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reliance on faith in the devotion to the various Buddhas and Bodhisattvas. Sanskrit was adopted
as language of Mahayanism.

In the Mahayana tradition, the emphasis is less on nirvana and more on knowledge or wisdom,
the mastery of which constitutes awakening. The universal accessibility of awakening, together
with the idea that the universe has no beginning in time and is filled with an infinite number of
beings and an infinite number of worlds, leads to the conclusion that there are not only an infinite
number of bodhisattvas in the universe but also an infinite number of buddhas, each dwelling in
his own world-realm11.

Mahayana Buddhism takes the basic teachings of the Buddha as recorded in early scriptures as
the starting point of its teachings, such as those concerning karma and rebirth and the Four Noble
Truths. Mahayana Buddhists in East Asia have traditionally studied these teachings in
the Agamas preserved in the Chinese Buddhist canon. "Agama" is the term used by those
traditional Buddhist schools in India who employed Sanskrit for their basic canon. In addition to
accepting the essential scriptures of the early Buddhist schools as valid, Mahayana Buddhism
maintains large collections of sutras that are not used or recognized.

3.2 HINAYANA

Hinayana is a Sanskrit term literally meaning the "smaller vehicle". The term appeared around
the first or second century. Hinayana is often contrasted with Mahayana, which means the "great
vehicle". The term appeared around the first or second century. Hinayana is often contrasted
with Mahayana, which means the "great vehicle"12. It emphasizes individual salvation through
self-discipline and meditation. Hinayana treated Buddha as nothing more than a normal human
being who has found a way to nirvana. They did not worship the bodhisattvas and read sutras. In
India, non-Mahayana or Hinayana sects developed independent from the form of Buddhism
existing in Sri Lanka.

11
AL BASHAM, THE WONDER THAT WAS INDIA, (Indian ed, 2004, Picador Publication)
12
supra note 1

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 5. CAUSE OF SPREAD AND DECLINE OF BUDDHISM

5.1 CAUSE OF SPREAD OF BUDDHISM13

The religion of Buddha started in one corner of India and spread to Ceylon, Burma, Tibet,
Central Asia and other parts of the world. The phenomenal growth of Buddhism was due to
many causes:

(i) 6th Century B.C. was an ideal time for the spread of Buddhism. It was a time when people
were fed up with the superstitions, complex rituals and rites and blind beliefs. The message of
the Buddha came as a welcome relief to people already groaning under the oppressive weight of
Brahmanism. They were easily drawn to Buddhism by the simplicity of its faith and its religious
tolerance14.

13
supra note 1 at 147
14
supra note 11

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(ii) The first cause was simplicity of the teachings of Buddha. his philosophy of life was simple
which did not required the employment of priests and expenditure of money. The whole teaching
of Buddhism was simple that even the most dumb person could understand the same. The
followers of Buddha didn’t had to bother themselves with the questions. There was nothing to
create confusion in their mind. The result was that the people who criticized the complex rituals
of Brahamanas, supported the propagation of Buddhism.

(iii) Not only the philosophy of Buddhism was simple but the language used by him was also
simple and familiar to the people. He gave his lectures in Pali language which could be
understood by the people. Eight-fold Path and concept of non-violence were so simple that
people could easily understand and follow these. This gave relief to those people who found
Vedic Sanskrit very difficult.

(iv) Buddhism did not believe in cast systems. It opposed that caste system and regarded people
of all castes equally. Its followers sat together, forgetting their caste and discussed ethics and
morality. The Buddhists did not bother about the descent of the person. They cared only for his
conduct in life. The non-Brahmins in particular were drawn to its fold. Such philosophy was
welcomed by Sudras and Vaishyas who were tired of the domination of Brahamanas.

(v) The practice of Hinduism had been made very expensive by the Brahamanas. A lot of money
was required to be spent on the increasing number of rituals and sacrifices to be performed
throughout the life of a man.Buddhism was inexpensive. A person could follow the religion
without any expense. Practical morality, not expensive rituals, was its main feature and helped to
set up a healthy tradition in society. A person could attain nirvana by regulating his life. It
advocated a spiritual path without any material obligations of satisfying gods and Brahmins
through rituals and gifts. There was no need of a priest or an intermediator.

(vi) The personality of the Buddha was also responsible for the spread of Buddhism. It was loved
by everyone and it was accepted by the masses. During his lifetime he moved from place to
place. He travelled every season except the rainy season. He possessed magnetic personality and
was able to convert the masses. The Buddha was kind and ego-less15. His calm composure, sweet
words of simple philosophy and his life of renunciation drew the masses to him. He had moral
solutions for problems of the people. His example of a prince renouncing the world to save
humanity from sins and rebirth and wandering from place to place to convince the people with
his messages and sermons came to naturally evoke awe, admiration and acceptance of the people
for him and his religion. It was the main cause of the success of Buddhism.

(vii) The Buddhist monks and the Buddhist Sangha was responsible for the spread of Buddhism.
Both the monks and the nuns coordinated their efforts for the spread of Buddhism16. They were
singularly determined and dedicated to only one object in life and that was the spread of faith.

15
ROMILA THAPAR, ANCIENT INDIAN SOCIAL HISTORY, (2d ed. 2010, Orient BlackSwan)
16
Id

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They worked from morning till night preaching Buddha’s teachings. The Buddhist sanga came to
establish its branches throughout India. Soon local people were drawn to these branches of the
Buddhist Order. They became monks and led lives with extreme peacefulness. Their example
influenced more and more people to follow it. As a result Buddhism spread rapidly. Every monk
was entrusted with a particular area and he worked in that area with a missionary to convert the
people. The Buddhist monks lead a holy life and people were inspired by them. The monasteries
became great centers of education and seekers of learning gathered there.

(viii) Royal patronage under Asoka, Kanishka, and Harsha also helped the cause of Buddhism.
But it apperared that only object of Asoka’s life was to spread the Law of Peity of Dhamma. He
spread the teachings not only to his own subjects but also in countries outside India. He used all
the resources of his state to popularize the teachings of Buddha. He went on tours to spread the
law of peity. The dhammas were engraved on the pillars. Missionaries were sent to other
countries. All that was possible was done to spread Buddhism. Kanishka, and Harsha also
contributed to the propagation of Buddhism. Ashoka, Kanishka and Harsha made Buddhism their
state religion and spread it in Central Asia, West Asia and Sri Lanka17.

(ix) Right from its beginning in the 6th Century B.C., Buddhism had no rivals The two great
religion, Christianity and Islam, were still to come. There was no reformer to support the
Brahminical faith and spread it among the people in its pure form. Islam and Christianity were
yet to be born. As a result. Buddhism spread throughout India without any opposing religion.

(x) Buddha himself gave power to Buddhist councils to take important decisions on the minor
problems. The First-Buddhist Council was held in 483 B.C in the Magadhan capital at Rajagriha,
under the kingship of Ajatasatru and the presidency of Mahakashyap or Mahakassapa18.

Exactly hundred years later, in 383 B.C., the Second Buddhist Council was held at Vaisali under
the kingship of Kalasoka Kakavarni and presidency of Sabakami.

In 251 B.C, the Third Buddhist Council was held at Pataliputra under the kingship of Asoka and
presidency of Buddhist monk, Moghaliputta Tissa.

In 72 B.C, the Fourth Buddhist Council was held at Kundalvana under the kingship of Kanishka
and presidency of Vasumitra19.

17
JAWAHARLAL NEHRU, THE DISCOVERY OF ANCIENT INDIA, (New ed, 2008, Penguin India publication)
18
UPINDER SINGH, THE DISCOVERY OF ANCIENT INDIA, (1ed, 2005, Orient BlackSwan Private Limited)
19
Sthiti Das, Top 11 Causes for the Rise of Buddhism in India, YourArticleLibrary, (Oct.5, 2017, 8:32 PM),
http://www.yourarticlelibrary.com/buddhism/top-11-causes-for-the-rise-of-buddhism-in-india/47594/

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5.2 CAUSE OF DECLINE OF BUDDHISM

Many causes were responsible for the decline of Buddhism in India but it continued to grow in
other countries. Even today it has followers all over the world but it has somewhat disappeared
from India. The main causes of decline of Buddhism are as follows20:

(i) One important cause of the decline of Buddhism was decline of Buddhist Sanga. The sangha
and the monasteries became the centre of corruption. Instead of serving as places of the monk
groups and nuns to spread the faith, they were used for quarrels. There was fighting more than
the actual work. The monks and followers came to be drawn towards luxury and enjoyment.
Receiving and saving valuable gifts like gold and silver made them greedy. They came to lead a
life of indiscipline. They could not prove their superiority over Brahmanical priests and thus lost
their confidence over the people. The Mahayanist and hinayanist priests began to condemn each
other openly.

(ii) Buddhism had dealt a heavy blow to the revival of Brahminical faith. Loss of the royal
patronage weakened the hold of Buddhism in India. The Gupta rulers were followers of
Brahmanical religion and did a lot for that religion. Attempts were now made to give up the
complex system of rituals and make Hinduism simple and attractive. The Buddhist principle of
non-violence was responsible for the declination because it was not able to serve the needs of the
people in those rough times.This caused revival of Hinduism. Many people gave up their faith in
Buddhism21.

(iii) Pali and Prakrit, the spoken language of most people of India, was the medium for the
spread of the message of Buddhism. But Sanskrit replaced these at the Fourth Buddhist Council
during the reign period of Kaniska22. Sanskrit was a complex language, hardly understood by
common people. It was the unintelligible Sanskrit language that had accounted for the decline of
Hinduism. Now, when Buddhism adopted that language, few people were able to understand it.
People rejected what they could not understand.

(iv) The Muslim invasions gave a strong blow to Buddhism. The muslim were great iconoclasts
and hated those who worshipped images. The Buddhists had no military spirit and hence they
were unable to resist the Muslims23. Many Buddhists were slaughtered. Some of them embraced
Islam and others ran away to the hill states in north.

(v) From eighth century to twelfth century, most of the northern India was governed by Rajput
princes who took pleasure in war and bloodshed. The Buddhist principle of Ahimsa did not
appeal to them. They supported Hinduism which was there religion. So, Buddhism nearly

20
supra note 1 at 147
21
Sthiti Das, Top 12 Causes for the Decline of Buddhism in India, YourArticleLibrary, (Oct.5, 2017, 9:33 PM),
http://www.yourarticlelibrary.com/buddhism/top-12-causes-for-the-decline-of-buddhism-in-india/47589/
22
supra note 13
23
supra note 18

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disappeared in Northern India. South India also followed Brahmanical faith. So, Buddhism did
not find and firm grip in these areas also.

6. CONCLUSION AND SUGGESTION

The condition of Hindu society before the introduction of Buddhism was full of evil and vices.
The vedic religion was followed by the Brahmanas. It contained many useless and complex
rituals and sacrifices. The Brahmanas were given importance as they were responsible for the
sacrifices and rituals. So, Brahmana misused their positions and benefitted themselves by
extorting the common people. Also, according to the varna system, the shudras were considered
as the people of lowest class and they were deprived of the privilege. The difference of
languages was also a problem for the common people. They didn’t speak Sanskrit which was
used by the learned people. So, the priests took advantage of this situation. The brahmanas were
given the utmost importance which was not accepted by other communities. The common people
were cheated in the name of religion. The priests were supposed to do work for the benefit of the
people. But they took advantage from the conditions of the poor and illiterate people.

Then to overthrow the domination of Brahmanas, Gautama Buddha was born. He preached the
lessons of love and ahimsa. He criticized the sacrifices and rituals conducted by the Brahmanas
He gave the teachings of 4 noble truths and 8 fold path to attain Nirvana. During his lifetime he
wandered from place to place to spread the teachings of Buddhism. Even the missionaries were
sent to different countries for the propagation of Buddhism. The ultimate aim of his teachings
was to attain nirvana. He believed in the law of Karma. It tells us that what one person do in his
present life is reflected in new life. He was more concerned about the individuals. He preached
that the salvation of a person lies in his deeds. So, there was no need of a priest or an
intermediate to achieve nirvana which is the ultimate goal of life.

After the death of Gautama Buddha, Buddhism was divided in two parts: Mahayana and
Hinayana. Mahayana was known as the great vehicle. It refers to the path seeking complete
enlightenment for the benefit of all sentient beings. Hinayana meant smaller vehicle. It
emphasizes individual salvation through self-discipline and meditation. It treated Buddha as a
God. Hinayana meant smaller vehicle. It treated Buddha as normal human being.

Buddhism became popular as a religion. It spread throughout the world because of many factors.
The people were fed up with the complex rituals and sacrifices. Buddhism was simple to
understand. The language used in the Buddhist texts were written in the local language i.e Pali. It
abolished the caste system and the lower classes were also given the equal status. Hinduism
became expensive and a lot of money was spent on the unnecessary rituals and sacrifices.
Buddhist monks and nuns , kings who followed Buddhism did their best to spread the religion
throughout the world.

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But after the death of Buddha, Buddhism began to decline. The monasteries became the centre of
corruption. The Muslims invaded and implied their Islam religion and the Buddhists were not
able to oppose because they followed the path of Ahimsa. Rajputs also were against Ahimsa
because they loved to fight. The problems of the society at that time was of such a grave nature
that the people thought it cannot be solved by following the path of Ahimsa. So, they opposed
Buddhism

Buddhism was a religion which was accepted by all the people as it helped in upliftment of the
lower class people, and it gave a way to the people to attain nirvana. Undermined class were
given privilege in most of the opportunities. It removed the cumbersome and complex rituals and
sacrifices. All in all it developed the faith of the people. Buddha welcomed all types of people
who came for his teachings. He himself travelled in various parts of the country to spread his
teachings and it also spread in other countries. He destroyed the earlier notions and established
new notions. He did everything whatever he could do to work for the benefit of the people
through love and non-violence.
But as every coin has two faces, his teachings also had some disadvantages which led to
declination of Buddhism. Due to the law of Ahimsa they were not able oppose the muslims.
Rajputs criticized this religion. People were not able to solve the current problems of the society
through love and Ahimsa.
Thus, we can say that the cause of declination was not due to the fault in teachings of Buddha,
but due to inapplicability of the teachings in the contemporary times.

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 BIBLIOGRAPHY

BOOKS REFERRED
 ANCIENT INDIA by V.D. MAHAJAN
 ANCIENT INDIAN SOCIAL HISTORY by ROMILA THAPAR
 DISCOVERY OF INDIA by JAWAHARLAL NEHRU
 THE DISCOVERY OF ANCIENT INDIA by UPINDER SINHA
 THE WONDER THAT WAS INDIA by AL BASHAM

WEBSITES REFERRED
 WWW.BURMESE-ART.COM
 WWW.CLASSROOM.SYNONYM.COM
 WWW.DHAMMA.COM
 WWW.THOUGHTCO.COM
 WWW.YOURARTICLELIBRARY.COM

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