Introductory - Global Sikh Studies

outstanding feature of Buddhism is its compassion and tolerance.
Compare to the conduct of the followers of the other great religions,
the record of Buddhists in this respect is highly praiseworthy. Lord
Buddha himself showed respect to Brahmins and Ashoka advocated
respect for them in his edicts. Then, why were the Buddhismts, of all
the creeds of Indian origin, singled out for special punitive treatement,
and purged out of the Indian body politic in a manner the human
system eliminates a harmful foreign element ?
This hostility could not be because Buddhists were atheists; for
buddha was later accepted even as an Avatara. But even if they were
atheists, so were the followers of Sankhya and other orthodox atheistic
schools. Moreover, Buddhism and Jainims are far less divergent than
the widely different paths of salvation admittedly orthodox.’ 24
Another reason given for regarding Buddhists as heretics is that
they did not recognize the authority of the Vedas, undermined the
influence of the priestly Brahmins and rejected Brahmanical ritualism.
In this respect, the change of heresy against Buddhism has substance,
but its realy social significance is not properly understood. What
Brahmanism was concerned with was not the divergence from the
Vedic religion and practice, because Neo-Brahmanism itself was the
result of such a variation in belief and practice. It had virtually broken
away from the old Vedic religion, ‘Vedas contain nothing about the
divine and human affairs fundamental to Hinduism.’ 25 ‘The Vedas rather
defy the dharma of Hinduism.’ 26 In fact, it is such a get-together of
fluid religious ideas, beliefs, cults, etc., that ‘at the present time it is
next to impossible to say exactly what Hinduism is, where it begins,
and where it ends. Diversity is its very essence.’ 27
As such, what was really at stake was not the religious doctrines
and beliefs, but the orthodox social order, or the Varna Ashrama
Dharma as it was called. ‘In contrast to the orthodox sects, the heresy
of the theophratries consists in the fact that they tear the individual
away from his ritualistic duties, hence from the duties of the caste of
his birth, and thus ignore or destroy his dharma. When this happens
the Hindu loses caste. And since only through caste one can belong
to the Hindu community, he is lost to it.’ 28
22