Bauddh Dharm Darshan Sanskruti aur Kala

SR No.: 004152
Original Sutra Author: N/A
Author: Dharmchand Jain, Shweta Jain
Publisher: Bauddh Adhyayan Kendra
Publication Year: 2013
Total Pages: 212
Language: Sanskrit
Classification: Book_Devnagari
File Size: 17 MB

Page 189

Budhism & Social Justice • 187
Prajñā (against superstitions and super nationalism), Karuņā (Love) and Samtā (eqality). According to Ambedkar, 'The history of India is nothing but a hisotry of a moral conflict between Buddhism and Brahmnism '(Ambedkar, 1987 : 267). In this context Buddha was a great social reformer and propagator of equality of all human beings, and worked for the emancipation of women and lower castes.
No doubt Buddha was in favour of equality and emancipation of lower caste and women. Rhys Davids explains that Buddhism ignores completly and absolutely all advantages and disadvantages arising from birth, occupation and social status. He sweeps away all barriers and disabilities arising from the arbitrary rules of mere ceremonial or social impurity (Rhys, 1926)
While going through hisotrical records however one can find that though Buddha opposed the caste hirarchy based on birth as advocated by Vedic relgion, he did not reject the notion of caste or Varna system. Hence, he rejects the divine theory of the origin of the caste system and favours for evolutionary theory where he prpounds that all castes originated because of laziness and greed of men. If he was at all opposed to caste system, then why did he talk of his own classifcaiton khattiya Brahmins, vessas and the Suddas. He considers Kshatriya superior to Brahmins. Many scholars view that Buddha himself was born in Kshatriya caste, he must be biased towards it. Similary because of higher intellectual level and political power. Kshatriya had higher prestige in the society. In the Jataka stories too, Kshatriyas of degraded character are rarely mentioned, it is only Brāhmaṇas who are termed as men of mean character. In many cases the Brāhmaṇas are pictured as greedy, shameless and immoral and serve as a foil to the Khattiyas who play the part of virtuous and noble humanity (fick 1920; 183), As the Buddha does not give empahasis on the qualities necessary for the Kshatriyas and the other social groups, but his repeated attempts to denounce his Brāhmaṇa counterpart by comparing their ‘real character with the ‘Ideal character shows his partiality forwards the Kshatriya. Though in the caste system he defines caste with reference to one's qualities, inclination and vocation and not with reference to birth. The above mentioned instances show somewhat contradictory thought on caste by Buddha. He