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Hinduism, the Buddha, and Other Musings
Deepa Krishnan
Seeing the Birla Temple on a bright day can be quite surreal. The spires silhouetted against the sky remind me of vimanas, the celestial flying cities of Indian mythology. You can almost believe the temple floated down from the clouds, and landed lightly...and that it will take off again.
And then you look at the cars on the road. And the people standing in queues. And your imagination gets grounded with a bump!
So - anyway - why do I like the Birla Temple? Well, for starters, it's hard to dislike something that says 'Everyone is welcome' on its gate. None of Hinduism's upper-caste nonsense here! Anyone can come in, listen to the calming sound of prayer, see the deities, and admire the architecture.
It's a funny sort of architecture, in my view. Red and white and creamy yellow? Where did that come from? If you explore the temple a little, you'll also discover kitschy statues of elephants and monkeys and snakes and goddesses on lotuses.
I can't help thinking wistfully of the stone masterpieces of Orissa. Can you see the stunning architectural style that forms the original inspiration behind the Birla Temple? I guess then, you can also see why the Birla Temple makes me wince a little, every time I pass by.
But I shouldn't be wincing. Birla is a modern temple, for modern times! In the first place, it is clean, much cleaner than most temples I've seen. The cleanliness would have pleased Gandhi, who inaugurated the temple.
As for architecture, the Birla Temple does have a sort of beauty of its own, mainly because it blends Orissa temple style with the Mughal style. Its peculiar fascination with red-and-white is definitely Mughal. And perhaps you've already noticed the semi-Mughal arches at the entrance and on some windows.
Oh, and there's another interesting thing about the temple: although it is dedicated to Vishnu (one of the central gods in the Hindu Trinity), it also has a large Buddhist shrine.
But of course. The Buddha has long been considered a Hindu god, irrespective of what a billion Chinamen think. The Srimad Bhagawatam (Bhagwat Puran, for my North Indian readers!), a tenth century treatise, describes the ten incarnations of Vishnu thus:
matsya-kurmo varahas ca
narasimha-vamanas tatha
ramo ramas ca ramas ca
buddha-kalkis ca te dasaha
The fish, the tortoise, the boar
The man-lion and the dwarf
The three Ramas
Buddha and Kalki - These are The Ten
Here's a popular folk toy representation of the ten incarnations of Vishnu, starting with the fish-incarnation on the left. See the orange guy on the right?
It's not just the Bhagwat Purana. The Buddha finds honorable inclusion in many Hindu religious books, including the Linga Purana, Vishnu Purana, Garuda Purana, Agni Purana and so on.
It is interesting to see how the Hindu response to Buddhism - and indeed, to the many divergent schools and traditions that arose within the land - is not one of conflict but of acceptance and co-existence. Unfortunately, very few people recognize the multiple streams within Hinduism. The popular belief is that Hinduism is one single dogma, a sort of big monolithic religion, which believes in karma and reincarnation and has a trinity of Gods.
Even staunch Hindus don’t know that there are two primary schools or philosophical traditions in Hinduism - those that believe in the Vedas; and those that don't. These schools are called astika and nastika respectively. (And no, nastika does *not* mean atheist. It just means you don't think the Vedas are the source of all true knowledge.)
So within this system of classification, Buddhism, Jainism and the Charavakas belong to the nastika school, because they don't give a hoot about the Vedas. And philosophies or schools such as Samkhya, Yoga, Purva Mimamsa, Vedanta, Nyaya and Visheshika that believe in the Vedas are said to belong to the astika school.
Even within the astika schools, though, there are wide differences in philosophy.
Some schools are totally atheistic - for example, the Sankhya school believes in the Vedas, but does not believe God exists. Instead it believes that the universe is made up of two principles - purusha and prakriti - energy and matter.
The Nyaya school thinks logic – based on perception, inference and comparison - is the key to understanding the world. They’ve got an elaborate set of rational arguments about why God exists. But they also think that apart from logic, you can also use ‘shabda’ – the spoken or written word – as an acceptable source of truth, so they’re willing to believe the Vedas.
The Visheshika school thinks everything in the world is finally made up of tiny atoms, and because atoms are lifeless, there’s got to be a divine will that controls and animates these atoms.
The nastika schools are no less varied.
The Jain school is agnostic - "There may be a God, but then again, there may not, so stop worrying and get on with your life. Just walk the right path and you'll be fine".
The Charavaka school doesn’t believe in what most people think is the basic tent of Hinduism – rebirth. Charavaka, author of the Brihaspatyas, says:
While life is yours, live joyously;
None can escape Death's searching eye:
When once this frame of ours they burn,
How shall it e'er again return?
An interesting man, don't you think? I'd have liked to meet him. He was anti-Brahmin; here is one more of his gems:
If a beast slain in this sacrifice will itself go to heaven,
Why then does not the sacrificer offer his own father?
And so it goes on, each philosophical school different from the other.
Sometimes, I look at all this wide range of vibrant philosophical thinking, of dialogue, of vast treatises, and I'm saddened.
Here is a culture that is sophisticated and rich – my culture! My birthright! But why did no one teach me this when I was younger? Why do our priests and our grandfathers and grandmothers do so little to understand their *real* heritage? Why, instead of acceptance and liberalism, do they transmit so much dogma and uninformed nonsense?
Deepa Krishnan has a consulting practice in banking technology. She owns Mumbai 
Hinduism, the Buddha, and Other Musings
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raj
URL
September 1, 2007
03:40 AM
Deepa, that was well-researched and well-written. Learnt quite a few things. Thanks
Sujai
URL
September 1, 2007
05:36 AM
Deepa:
Once again a well-researched article. You continue to teach us a lot. Very interesting!
Thanks for the clarification on nastika. The definition helped. Do you know why the term nastika, over time, became derogatory?
The very verse of Rig Veda is agnostic too. It starts with the premise that we can't know for sure :)
I have a different take on this:
It is interesting to see how the Hindu response to Buddhism - and indeed, to the many divergent schools and traditions that arose within the land - is not one of conflict but of acceptance and co-existence.
Indian History is mired with violence. First Buddhism became a threat to Hinduism, especially the Brahmins who were the faith-keepers, and soon it started to spread quite rapidly, with many kings converting into it. But a big movement came about, where Buddhism was combated, and then later assimilated into Hinduism. This transition was not smooth and was quite violent in certain places. There were riots in the regions of present-day Bihar, which were along the caste lines.
But on the overall, it was definitely not as bloody as what you get to see with friction with Abrahamic religions.
A. S. Mathew
September 1, 2007
05:50 AM
We can see fancy cathedrals of great arts in Europe, and many of them are getting empty and
turning into beautiful monuments, since religious
interests are gradually fading there. On the other hand, in the U.S., Church buildings are
being made as movie theaters with T.V. screens
everywhere.
We all need a comortable place to worship God but when the building becomes God, there is a variation in our focus at God. As a deep believer in God from the very childhood, I find
God's closeness in a Church building as well as
in an open ground. Great satisfaction is derived
while I serve the poorest of the poor, which will
take me very closer to God than adoring God in the most beautiful building.
Tanay
URL
September 1, 2007
12:27 PM
Interesting article. Thanks for sharing lots of new info.
You can take a peek into one of the best temples in the Orissa style of architecture and design. I had made a post here at DC.
temporal
URL
September 1, 2007
01:30 PM
deepa:
Why, instead of acceptance and liberalism, do they transmit so much dogma and uninformed nonsense?
vested interest?:)
as kabir said:
Kahet Kabir Suno Bhai Sadho
Mein To Hun Viswas Mein
_______________________________________________
here is kabir in full:
Moko Kahan Dhundhere Bande
Mein To Tere Paas Mein
Na Teerath Mein, Na Moorat Mein
Na Ekant Niwas Mein
Na Mandir Mein, Na Masjid Mein
Na Kabe Kailas Mein
Mein To Tere Paas Mein Bande
Mein To Tere Paas Mein
Na Mein Jap Mein, Na Mein Tap Mein
Na Mein Barat Upaas Mein
Na Mein Kiriya Karm Mein Rehta
Nahin Jog Sanyas Mein
Nahin Pran Mein Nahin Pind Mein
Na Brahmand Akas Mein
Na Mein Prakuti Prawar Gufa Mein
Nahin Swasan Ki Swans Mein
Khoji Hoye Turat Mil Jaoon
Ik Pal Ki Talas Mein
Kahet Kabir Suno Bhai Sadho
Mein To Hun Viswas Mein
Translation
Where do you search me?
I am with you
Not in pilgrimage, nor in icons
Neither in solitudes
Not in temples, nor in mosques
Neither in Kaba nor in Kailash
I am with you o man
I am with you
Not in prayers, nor in meditation
Neither in fasting
Not in yogic exercises
Neither in renunciation
Neither in the vital force nor in the body
Not even in the ethereal space
Neither in the womb of Nature
Not in the breath of the breath
Seek earnestly and discover
In but a moment of search
Says Kabir, Listen with care
Where your faith is, I am there.
(translation credit to the kabir website)
harold bergsma
URL
September 2, 2007
09:26 PM
Deepa, What a nice article. The addition of pictures made the text vivid. I have struggled with the idea, the concept of 'agnostic'. I have been amazed by those who only know, suredly, because a book said so. People of the book, Jews, Muslims and Christians and perhaps others back into an a-priori argument, that is their books from which all knowledged and inspiration comes. In essence then the book becomes the devine. Agnostics as I understand them simply state that they don't know. It interests me that some can "believe in the Vedas" yet not etc.
How do you understand agnosticism? Do you consider it a religious belief or a philosophical stance?
Deepa Krishnan
URL
September 2, 2007
10:00 PM
Hmm. I see no difference between religion and philosophy. Isn't religion merely a codified expression of an underlying philosophy?
Sujai
URL
September 3, 2007
04:11 AM
#7, Deepa Krishnan:
Hmm. I see no difference between religion and philosophy. Isn't religion merely a codified expression of an underlying philosophy?
After writing so many enlightening articles, you stump me completely!
Are you serious? Look at each religion on this planet and study them carefully and see how different the religion is from its underlying philosophy.
Deepa Krishnan
URL
September 3, 2007
06:13 AM
I found this definition which I think sums things up pretty nicely:
"It is apparent that religion can be seen as a theological, philosophical, anthropological, sociological, and psychological phenomenon of human kind. To limit religion to only one of these categories is to miss its multifaceted nature and lose out on the complete definition."
Buddha is not Hindu Avatar
September 3, 2007
12:24 PM
budha the so called gautama budha is not the incarnation of lord vishnu
he is an absolute escapist of the world...nyways
there is a avatara of lord vishnu which is called as "ADI-BUDHA" which all the gautama budha lovers are not familiar with there were rashasas called as tripuraasuras
these rakshasaas had wives who are pativratas and these demons used to create hell in the world then lord vishnu took the avatara of "adi-budha" visits the wives of tripurasuras and willargue with them on the non-existance of god (nastia vada) the three wives got a slight doubt whether god exists or not and that was the moment lord vishnu destroys the tripurasuras.
this is the story inthe purana and this has been told by sri swaroopanandendra saraswati maharaj of dwaraka and jyotish matt he has said it in hyderabad very recently and i have a mobile video of it
please dont mess our ancient dharma with gautama budha as one of the dasa avataras..
Deepti Lamba
URL
September 3, 2007
01:16 PM
Religion can be a way of life if we don't get dogmatic and take it with a pinch of salt;)
Deepa, despite the temple's color scheme making you wince that pic looks quite beautiful to my nostalgic eyes:)
Vidyardhi Nanduri
URL
October 25, 2007
06:53 AM
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