Epics for Children: Why people loved the Buddha?

When the Buddha was born, about 2,500 years ago, religion in India was in the firm grip of Brahminism. The priests controlled people’s religious lives with rigid interpretations of the Vedas. Against such a background, Buddha quickly became a popular figure among the common people. There were several reasons for it.

1. Buddha was a thorough-going rationalist. He was not a blind follower of traditions and did not believe in superstitions. Whereas the priests of that time used to say ‘just believe this, don’t ask us any questions’, Buddha said even religion must be subject to rational inquiry. He said that one must use one’s mind, even when reading the Vedas.

2. Buddha gave more importance to the realities of life than metaphysical questions. He said metaphysical questions, like who created this world, have been debated by meta-physicists for centuries, but till today there are no definitive answers. Buddha said it is better to put such questions aside and devote yourself to the service of humanity.

He said the situation of the masses is like a person who is suffering pain after being struck by an arrow, while the priests are discussing metaphysical questions like whether the person was struck because of past birth sins or due to acts of the present birth.

3. Buddha preached in people’s language. The priests opposed this, saying Sanskrit is dev-vani (the language of the gods). But Buddha said he will preach in lok-vani (the language of the people). He preached in the Pali language. Later, when Buddhism spread in different countries, it always preached in their local languages.

4. Buddha opposed caste. He said every human being is born the same way, so they must be treated equally. The place of a person in society should be based on his acts, not his birth.

5. Buddha opposed the sacrifice of animals in Yagya. The priests argued that it was not an injustice to the animals because they will gain paradise. Buddha countered it by saying, in that case, why didn’t the priests sacrifice themselves and ascend to heaven? He also contended that instead of offering large amounts of food to gods, who may or may not accept it, it is better to give it to the hungry.

6. Buddha said work is worship. Even god cannot punish or reward beyond what one’s acts deserve. So, instead of worrying about how to worship, think about whether your acts are right or not. While Buddha started a new religion, Buddhism, his impact on Hinduism was also profound.

His teachings played a great role in moving the grand old religion away from sacrifice-based worship to bhakti-based worship and spurred the revival movement by Adi Shankaracharya.

<br /> When the Buddha was born, about 2,500 years ago, religion in India was in the firm grip of Brahminism. The priests controlled people’s religious lives with rigid interpretations of the Vedas. Against such a background, Buddha quickly became a popular figure among the common people. There were several reasons for it.</p> <p>1. Buddha was a thorough-going rationalist. He was not a blind follower of traditions and did not believe in superstitions. Whereas the priests of that time used to say ‘just believe this, don’t ask us any questions’, Buddha said even religion must be subject to rational inquiry. He said that one must use one’s mind, even when reading the Vedas.</p> <p>2. Buddha gave more importance to the realities of life than metaphysical questions. He said metaphysical questions, like who created this world, have been debated by meta-physicists for centuries, but till today there are no definitive answers. Buddha said it is better to put such questions aside and devote yourself to the service of humanity.googletag.cmd.push(function() {googletag.display(‘div-gpt-ad-8052921-2’); });</p> <p>He said the situation of the masses is like a person who is suffering pain after being struck by an arrow, while the priests are discussing metaphysical questions like whether the person was struck because of past birth sins or due to acts of the present birth.</p> <p>3. Buddha preached in people’s language. The priests opposed this, saying Sanskrit is dev-vani (the language of the gods). But Buddha said he will preach in lok-vani (the language of the people). He preached in the Pali language. Later, when Buddhism spread in different countries, it always preached in their local languages.</p> <p>4. Buddha opposed caste. He said every human being is born the same way, so they must be treated equally. The place of a person in society should be based on his acts, not his birth.</p> <p>5. Buddha opposed the sacrifice of animals in Yagya. The priests argued that it was not an injustice to the animals because they will gain paradise. Buddha countered it by saying, in that case, why didn’t the priests sacrifice themselves and ascend to heaven? He also contended that instead of offering large amounts of food to gods, who may or may not accept it, it is better to give it to the hungry.</p> <p>6. Buddha said work is worship. Even god cannot punish or reward beyond what one’s acts deserve. So, instead of worrying about how to worship, think about whether your acts are right or not. While Buddha started a new religion, Buddhism, his impact on Hinduism was also profound.</p> <p>His teachings played a great role in moving the grand old religion away from sacrifice-based worship to bhakti-based worship and spurred the revival movement by Adi Shankaracharya.<br />