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Is Buddhism A Religion
development in the early Vedic times. Early Vedas gave importance to the propitiation of different gods representing different forces of nature by scrificial Yagnas. This resulted in giving undue importance to rituals, which were supposed to please different gods. Minute details of these rituals were described in the literature called "Brahamanas". As time passed, those Rishis who were original in their thinking found that these rituals were taking people to a wrong path. Therefore an intellectual revolt as a result of which Upanishadas came into existence. Some time at this stage the concept of "Atma" gained ground. This fact gains support from the dialogue between Swetketu and his father Uddalaka Aruni who was a great thinker of his time. Swetketu had returned home after fully studding all the Vedas and was udner the impression that he knew all that was worth knowing. Swetketu replied that he did not know any such thing and he was not taught any such a thing. Then his father explained to him how by acquiring the knowledge of Atma everything worth knowing is known. By demonstrating the
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