Comparison of the Ideas from Buddhism and the Vedas with Upanishads - Essay Example

 Comparison of the Ideas from Buddhism and the Vedas/ Upanishads The development of Buddhism was connected with its reinterpretation and in some cases, a complete rejection of the ideas expressed both in the Vedas and the Upanishads. The ideas in the Vedas and the Upanishads that could be used by Buddhism for its primary purpose namely spiritual liberation were further developed. Those ideas that could not be reconciled with the concept of Buddhism were simply discarded and not applied. In general, one can point out certain similarities between the traditions in particular expressed in the use of religious terms. As noted by Knapp (n.d.), “many people may know about Buddhism, but few seem to understand its connections with Vedic culture and how many aspects of it have origins in the Vedic philosophy.” However, the differences between Buddhism, the Vedas and the Upanishads are much more significant and based on different understanding of liberation of man and ways to achieve it. As noted above, one can find several similarities between Buddhism and the Vedas. Similar to the Vedas, Buddhism saw the basis of life as a chain of reincarnations and admitted the idea of the law of karma, as well as the purpose of man (to achieve moksha corresponding to the Buddhist nirvana). The last goal is a kind of participation in God’s essence. Nevertheless, one of the main differences between the traditions had to do with the doctrine of caste. In fact, the distinctive aspect of the Vedas was presented by its famous doctrine of castes, which suggested the existence of four castes: the Brahmins (priests), the Kshatriyas (warriors and nobles), the Vaishyas (farmers and pastoralists) and, finally, the last caste - the Sudras (servants) (Grant, 2009). According to the Vedas, a man belonged to a particular caste, and was not able to change his/her social status in the future, whatever abilities or mind he/she possessed. Inter-caste marriages were strictly prohibited. A large role in the development of the Vedic tradition was played by the sages. They formed the direction of the Upanishads. Unlike Vedic tradition, Buddhism did not recognize the institution of cast and argued the idea that any person regardless of his/her social status can achieve liberation (Grant 2009). Moreover, similar to the Vedas, Buddhism considered the idea of karma, but its interpretation was completely different (Grant, 2009). Buddhism did not see karma as destiny or fate. In turn, in the Vedas, the idea of karma was related to the idea of ​​debt. The Vedas stated that people were born in different social conditions as a result of belonging to different castes (caste of warriors, rulers, servants) or were born of women. Their karma or debt was seen in following the classic patterns of behavior in specific situations. The Buddhist idea of karma was completely different from the Vedic. In Buddhism, karma was regarded as "impulses" that encourage people to do something or think (Grant, 2009). These pulses occurred as a result of previous habitual actions or behaviors. However, since there is no need to follow every impulse, human behavior is not strictly deterministic. Both the Vedas/the Upanishads and Buddhism considered the idea of rebirth, but it was understood in different ways. In the Vedas as well as in the Upanishads, it is atman, or "I" that is permanent, unchanging, and separate from the body and mind (Gunasekara, n.d.). It is always the same, passing from life to life. All of these "I" or Atman are one with the universe, or Brahma. Consequently, the diversity that people see around them is an illusion, since in reality all people are one with the Brahma. Buddhism treated this issue differently because it believed that there was no unchanging "I", or atman. "I" exists, but not as a fantasy or as something continuous passing from life to life. Thus, “the Buddha demolished both these pillars” of the Vedic and Upanishadic systems (Gunasekara, n.d.). Another significant difference is that the Vedic tradition (including the Upanishads) and Buddhism attached special importance to different activities, leading to the release of the problems and difficulties. In the Vedas, the emphasize was put on external physical aspects and technologies, in particular expressed in ritual actions. In Buddhism, the great importance was attached not to external, but to internal technicians, affecting the mind and heart. This difference is also might be seen in the approach to the pronunciation of mantras - special Sanskrit syllables and phrases. The Vedas focused on sound reproduction. From the time of the Vedas, it was believed that that the sound was eternal and had its own great strength. In contrast, in the Buddhist approach to meditation, including mantras, special attention was paid to developing the ability to concentrate by means of mantras, not the sound itself. As a result, “The Buddha … discarded the Mantras as a source from which to learn or to borrow” (Ambedkar, 2011). Equally significant difference between the Vedas/ Upanishads and Buddhism was manifested in the doctrine of the gods. The Buddha did not deny the existence of gods and other supernatural beings (demons, spirits, creatures of hell, the gods in the form of animals, and birds), but believed that they are also subject to the action of the law of cause and effect - karma and, despite all their supernatural powers, cannot get rid of reincarnations. To sum up, the Buddha's teachings, despite its complexity, is considered a world religion, along with the teachings that emerged hundreds of years later. Analyzing the problems of the inner world of a man, Buddhism, unlike the Vedic texts, did not teach the theory of the world’s creation and did not preach the idea of God as the Creator as well as the substantiality of the soul. Exploring the causal relationship, the Buddha found that all was interdependent. He pointed the way, allowing one to manage his/her own consciousness in order to reach a state of nirvana. He was the first to distinguish discrete elements, which can be classified in the being of the world. This contributed to the development of new principles of meditation practice, creation of an original theory of personality, and description of the complex processes occurring in the mind by linking them to the world process. References Ambedkar, B.R. (2011). The Buddha and his Dhamma: A critical edition. A. S. Rathore, & A. Verma (Eds.). Oxford: Oxford University Press. Grant, P. (2009). Buddhism and ethnic conflict in Sri Lanka. Albany: SUNY Press. Gunasekara, V. (n.d.). The Upanishads in a rationalist-Buddhist perspective. Retrieved from http://www.vgweb.org/bsq/upan.htm Knapp, S. (n.d.). Buddhism and its Vedic connections. Retrieved from http://www.stephen-knapp.com/buddhism_and_its_vedic_connections.htm Read More