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Role of Psychological Factors in Determining Buddha's Attitude
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could flee from their master's work if they were once allowed to do so. It is actually due to the circumstances at Kapilavastu that Gautam Buddha in spite of his humanitarian outlook, could not impress himself for complete freedom from slavery. Here the background of a landed aristocracy was more dominant and responsible for it and therefore, he could not think of dissociating his traditional source of labour from producing centres. This unconscious attempt is also psychological.
Importance of trade in Kapilavastu seeins to have largely influenced the attitude of the Buddha towards trade and trading community. Kapilavastu's privileged position of being an important trade centre might have notivated the mind of the Buddha for the propagation of the system which was actually favourable to agriculture, trade and commerce. It may be pointed out here that traders in general out of their dissatisfaction against the Varnāśrama system helped the cause of the propagation of Buddhism in many ways and thus inight have earned confidence of the Buddha. The same motivation led the Buddha to allowing usury. Thus, it seems quite possible that Gautama Buddha's unconscious attachment with his interest (family or class interest) might have psychologically influenced and notivated his relationship with those mentioned above.
Thus, we on the basis of the analysis of the materials relating to the Buddha mentioned above, may conclude that though there were many background factors leading to the formation of Gautama Buddha's attitude towards social problerns the psychological factors are not to be missed. If once a psychological situation arises on account of many factors, it plays an important as well as an independent role in life. The role of psychological factors in the life of the Buddha should be considered and reconsidered.
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