Sramana 2008 07

SR No.: 525065
Original Sutra Author: N/A
Author: Shreeprakash Pandey, Vijay Kumar
Publisher: Parshvanath Vidhyashram Varanasi
Publication Year: 2008
Total Pages: 242
Language: Hindi
Classification: Magazine, India_Sramana, & India
File Size: 10 MB

Page 122

Sramana, Vol. 59, No. 3 July-September 2008
Contribution of Buddhism and Postmodernism to Society
Dr. Ram Kumar Gupta*
Buddhism and Postmodernism are based on rationality. Rationality leads to freedom. Freedom presupposes responsibility. Responsibility inspires human being to build himself up and society. Because, human being makes society and society makes human being.
This paper attempts to reveal the contributions of Buddhism and Postmodernism to society.
Sramaņa tradition is based purely on Indian ideology. But Buddhism, one of the three major constituents of Sraman tradition (Jainism, Buddhism and Ajivaka) hardly follows the Indian spectrum. Probably Buddha was the first thinker on earth, who introduced the world with a new idea of human nature and its mundane life. Sākyaputra Gautama established a unique model of rational society different from those of Brāhmaṇa, Jains and the Ajīvikas. Today, Buddhism has become a beacon to global society. A unique instance of survival against the course of time through the rise and the downfall, as the law circumambulation in the nature around the human. Many sects and sub-sects have grown, developed and lost in the course of time. Despite that the rationality enunciated by Gautama Buddha continues in the natural process, because, the core of the Buddha's vision of social life is that principle which tells us how to nurture the individual personality of the human kind. A society is collective organization of individuals. Because the individuals hold forwardness and integrity, the society becomes strong. Therefore, Buddhism is the virtue of a human being. Buddha says - Be enkindle yourself. Attadīpobhava/ātmadīpobhava.' * Reader, Deptt. of Philosophy, T.D. P.G. College, Jaunpur, U.P.