Hinduism and Buddhism

Ananda K. Coomaraswamy

• Publisher: Philosophical Library/Open Road
• Year: 2014
• eBook ISBN: 9781497675841
• Topic: Theology & Religion
• Subtopic: Buddhism

The renowned Sri Lankan metaphysician presents his enlightening insight into the essential kinship between Hinduism and Buddhism.

In this probing work, Ananda K. Coomaraswamy examines the foundational myths and spiritual underpinnings of Hinduism and Buddhism. Discarding the Western narrative of philosophical divergence, Coomaraswamy instead explores the essential unity between these two major religions. In his perspective, one is merely an outgrowth of the other.

Dividing the book into two parts, Coomaraswamy begins each section with an overview of each religion's foundational myths. The section on Hinduism then covers concepts such as karma, maya, reincarnation, sacrifice, and caste. In the section on Buddhism, he demonstrates that Buddha never intended to start a new religion, but to deepen the spiritual understanding of the existing one.

BUDDHISM

Waz dunket dich, daz dich aller meist gefûeget have zuo der ewigen w

rheit? Daz ist, daz ich mich gel

zen h

n w

ich mich vant.

(Meister Eckhart, Pfeiffer p. 467)

Daz der ungetribenen menschen ist ein griuse, daz ist dem getribenen ein herzenfröide. Ez is nieman gotes r

che wan der ze grunde t

t ist.

( Meister Eckhart, Pfeiffer p. 600)

INTRODUCTION

The more superficially one studies Buddhism, the more it seems to differ from the Brahmanism in which it originated; the more profound our study, the more difficult it becomes to distinguish Buddhism from Brahmanism, or to say in what respects, if any. Buddhism is really unorthodox. The outstanding distinction lies in the fact that Buddhist doctrine is propounded by an apparently historical founder, understood to have lived and taught in the sixth century B.C. Beyond this there are only broad distinctions of emphasis. It is taken almost for granted that one must have abandoned the world if the Way is to be followed and the doctrine understood. The teaching is addressed either to Brahmans who are forthwith converted, or to the congregation of monastic Wanderers (pravr

jaka ) who have already entered on the Path; others of whom are already perfected Arhats, and become in their turn the teachers of other disciples. There is an ethical teaching for laymen also, with injunctions and prohibitions as to what one should or should not do,¹⁵⁹ but nothing that can be described as a “social reform” or as a protest against the caste system. The repeated distinction of the “true Brahman” from the mere Brahman by birth is one that had already been drawn again and again in the Brahmanical books.

If we can speak of the Buddha as a reformer at all it is only in the strictly etymological sense of the word: it is not to establish a new order but to restore an older form that the Buddha descended from heaven. Although his teaching is “all just so and infallible”,¹⁶⁰ this is because he has fully penetrated the Eternal Law (ak

lika dharma)¹⁶¹ and personally verified all things in heaven or earth;¹⁶² he describes as a vile heresy the view that he is teaching a “philosophy of his own”, thought out by himself.¹⁶³ No true philosopher ever came to destroy, but only to fulfil the Law. “I have seen”, the Buddha says, “the ancient Way, the Old Road that was taken by the formerly All-Awakened, and that is the path I follow”;¹⁶⁴ and since he elsewhere praises the Brahmans of old who remembered the Ancien...

Table of contents

• Cover
• Title Page
• Contents
• HINDUISM
• BUDDHISM
• Copyright