ORG - Hellenism and Buddhism, Continued (Lesson)

Hellenism and Buddhism, Continued 

Buddhism

Before we go into the spread of Buddhism, let's delve into the particulars of Buddhism as taught by the Buddha, or Siddhartha Gautama. As stated in the previous lesson, Gautama taught that the meaning of life was based on the pursuit of nirvana. To obtain nirvana, one had to accept the Four Noble Truths and follow the Eight-Fold Path. So what are those things?

The Four Noble Truths are just that- four statements that Gautama taught as universal truths. They are..

The Four Noble Truths 1. Life is full of pain 2 Suffering comes from the desire for possessions 3. If people stop desiring possessions, suffering ends 4. To stop suffering, follow the path

 

These Truths were a direct contrast to the teachings of the Brahmans of Hinduism during Gautama's time as they included an escape clause from a lifetime of pain and suffering. That escape clause can be found in the 4th Noble Truth—"to stop suffering, follow the path." That path included eight steps that Gautama taught would lead to enlightenment, or nirvana.

Follow the Eight-Fold Path Know the truth Say nothing to hurt others Practice Mediation Control your thoughts Resist evil Free your mind of evil Work for the good of others and respect life

Notice there is nothing about a caste system within the tenets of Buddhism—that's because there wasn't one. This fact made the new religion very popular among those living within the lower classes of the Hindu caste system- especially among the very crucial but shunned class of "untouchables." The problem was that the lower classes of ancient India weren't really in a position to pass on the Buddha's message. Siddhartha Gautama, himself, walked around the Ganges Plain teaching and gathering followers but he couldn't personally amass the sort of following needed to establish a culture-changing religion/philosophy. That act would require someone with more power and influence.

You might have asked yourself while reading the previous lesson why more details weren't given about the history of the "Second-Generation Society" that hosted the "Axial Age Thinkers" of the Upanishads, Jainism and Buddhism. We will remedy that now.

There are some historians who would argue that there are "not many histories more complex than India's." It began with a civilization (the Harappan) whose writing we still cannot read, moved on to the introduction and adoption of an entirely foreign group of people within the Indus River Valley (the Vedic Peoples,) spread throughout the Ganges Plain causing a disconnect between the two most powerful classes (the Brahmans-preferred monarchies- and the Kshatriyas-preferred oligarchies- of the world's oldest living religion,) and culminated in the creation of a religion/philosophy based on one man's teachings. (And that's just the introduction to the history of India.)

The first true dynasty of Indian history arrived in the 3rd Century BCE. Known as the Mauryan Dynasty, it was the first time that India experienced unity under one ruler and political system. (Remember that previously the region's unity resulted from a common language and belief system.) Prior to the invasion of Alexander the Great, the lands that ended up forming the Mauryan Empire were divided into Hindu kingdoms. Alexander's conquest of the region lasted for only a short time, but it was enough time to inspire a young man growing up there. Chandragupta Maurya came from relatively humble beginnings within the Hindu caste system, but saw in Alexander's brief occupation a possibility for the future of his homeland. He launched a series of successful attacks on the Hindu kingdoms of modern-day northern India, filling the political void left when Alexander pulled out. By 321 BCE, Chandragupta Maurya ruled the first unified Indian empire—the Mauryan Empire (321-184 BCE.) In his new empire, Chandragupta established a rigid social structure based on professions that reflected the caste system of Hinduism. Members of different professions were strictly prohibited from interrelations- including eating together. But the most separated class of Mauryan citizen was the soldier. Physically isolated from the rest of the community and banned from taking second jobs, soldiers lived separately so as to be ready for battle at a moment's notice. These calls to arms came often as Chandragupta expanded the borders of his empire. By the time Chandragupta's grandson ascended the throne, the Mauryan Empire spanned throughout almost all of South Asia. Therefore, many land and sea trade routes connecting Eurasian communities intersected within the Mauryan Empire's borders bringing more wealth to the empire.

Map of the Kalinga EmpireChandragupta's grandson, Aśoka (sometimes written as Ashoka,) claimed the title of emperor in 268 BCE at the peak of the Mauryan Empire's good fortunes. Despite all of the land and wealth amassed by his father and grandfather, Aśoka decided more would be better. Looking to the east coast of the South Asian peninsula, he saw the independent kingdom of Kalinga and readied his troops. In the end, the Mauryan Empire won the battles and drew Kalinga into its borders; but it was at a terrible cost of both life and well-being, as roughly 100,000 people died and 150,000 were forcibly relocated from their homes. Upon hearing of the price paid by his people for his decision to invade Kalinga, Aśoka experienced great shame and vowed to never bring such pain to those he ruled again. To underscore his regret and determination to change, Aśoka converted to peaceful Buddhism and proclaimed his plan to rule India under the principle of dhamma. The term dhamma was a vernacular translation of dharma- a word used in both Hinduism as the principle of cosmic order and Buddhism as the teachings of the Buddha or path. To Aśoka, though, to rule according to dhamma meant to be tolerant of others, obedient to the natural order and to respect all life forms. Throughout his reign, Aśoka issued decrees of governance based on this principle as well as explanations of his Buddhist faith by posting their written versions on posts at common gathering areas throughout his kingdom, known as " Rock and Pillar Edicts." [Side Note: From time to time, current archaeologists still find remnants of these posts and messages during their explorations. Takes on a different meaning of "posting" information, huh?) And this was a very large kingdom—three million square miles, with diverse landscapes (jungles to deserts, mountains to flood plains,) and myriad ethnic and religious groups of people. Under Aśoka, the 50 to 60 million people of the Mauryan Empire- Buddhists, Hindus, Jainists, Nomads, Urbanites, "Untouchables," Brahman, and so on...- experienced a rare period of unity in India's early history. These people also experienced an incredibly strong exposure to Buddhism from an incredibly strong source. Among those who were particularly interested in the new religion/philosophy, was the merchant class. As traders, both domestically and "internationally," the merchant class was in an exceptional position to pass on the teachings of Buddhism, again, both domestically and abroad—increasing the opportunities of Buddhism to expand outside the borders of its origin.

 

 

Recap Section

Watch the videos below to review what you have learned.

Things to reflect on as you move foward: Hellenism - First came the Persian Wars. Then came the Peloponnesian War. Followed by Philip II of Macedon. When Philip II was assassinated, his son Alexander the Great took over and expanded the empire. Alexander the Great died at 32 years of age and his realm split into into territories controlled by some of his former generals. Hellenization begins as the conquered lands adopt Greek culture. Buddhism - First came the Vedic peoples with their vedic traditions that became Hinduism. Then came the creation of new city-states that led to a challenge of the Brahmans authority. In reaction to the social changes that the Brahmans didn't like. The Upanishads were written within the Hindu tradition. Direct challenges came to the Hindu tradition in the form of new religions/philosophies. Jainism - from Varhamana Mahvira. Buddhism from Siddharta Gautama. Emperor Chandragupta Maurya unites the area of modern day India into the Mauryan Empire. Emperor Asoka adopts Buddhism and spreads the word.

Practice what you know by completing the activity below.

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