The Hindu Gods of Buddhist Thailand

[Neeranam]

https://www.nepalitimes.com/banner/the-hindu-gods-of-buddhist-thailand/

 

Interesting article.

[khaowong1]

Yep, living in Thailand and being a ordained Monk there, I saw many Hindu statues around most temples in Thailand.  Thailand has always been a mix of Buddhist and Hindu art and religions. 

[cooked]

9 hours ago, khaowong1 said:

Yep, living in Thailand and being a ordained Monk there, I saw many Hindu statues around most temples in Thailand.  Thailand has always been a mix of Buddhist and Hindu art and religions. 

+ of course various animals, such as chickens, buffalo, horses and cobra (naga), even giraffes but not so much elephants...

[VincentRJ]

I've been interested in the fundamental teachings of Gautama for some time, from a rational and philosophical perspective. My impression is that Gautama rejected the Vedic culture of various Gods, and the awful caste system which disappointingly still has some influence in modern India to this day.

 

I can appreciate that it must have been a major problem for the Buddha in deciding to teach his 'enlightened' ideas in a culture that was so enmeshed in a belief in various Gods, a permanent soul, and a very rigid class system, all of which were antithetical to Gautama's enlightened awareness.

 

It is not surprising, at least to me, that after Gautama had achieved enlightenment under the Bodhi Tree, he would have been unsure if there would be any point in teaching what he'd learned. After many years of contemplation as a wandering ascetic, he apparently understood that people were conditioned by their early experiences and the religious culture of their environment, and that most people are 'set in their ways'.

 

Gautama was not interested in creating a new religion, and he was not interested in the creation of huge statues of himself. All that came later, in order to appeal to the ignorant masses.

 

The following article addresses the apparent solution to this problem, as quoted in the scriptures which came much later. It seems reasonable to me, if one is going to teach something which might be considered heretical in a culture in which Brahma is the highest God, then creating a story where Brahma implores the Buddha to teach his wisdom, would have the effect of making the Buddha's teachings more appealing to those who were entrenched in the Vedic tradition.

 

"Abstract
The episode of Brahmā’s request to the Buddha to teach has been regarded as problematic from early times, since it suggests that the Buddha was initially lacking in compassion. Comparison of versions of the story shows it to be possibly pre-Aśokan in origin. A close reading of themes in the episode in relation to other incidents in the Buddha’s life described in the Pali canon show that it need not be taken as portraying an actual experience of the Buddha. The original purpose of the episode was not to describe the Buddha’s inner conflict but to show that Brahmā, representative of Brahmanical religion, was a follower of the Buddha. The episode was originally religious propaganda."

 

https://www.researchgate.net/publication/250015286_Why_Did_Brahma_Ask_the_Buddha_to_Teach

[Neeranam]

In my experience doing Buddhist and Hindu retreats in India, the two coexist harmoniously with the greatest respect for each other. Of course, there are some who are conditioned into thinking their path is the only correct one. Personally, I believe in the eternal soul and the teachings of the Buddha. 

[khaowong1]

1 hour ago, VincentRJ said:

I've been interested in the fundamental teachings of Gautama for some time, from a rational and philosophical perspective. My impression is that Gautama rejected the Vedic culture of various Gods, and the awful caste system which disappointingly still has some influence in modern India to this day.

 

I can appreciate that it must have been a major problem for the Buddha in deciding to teach his 'enlightened' ideas in a culture that was so enmeshed in a belief in various Gods, a permanent soul, and a very rigid class system, all of which were antithetical to Gautama's enlightened awareness.

 

It is not surprising, at least to me, that after Gautama had achieved enlightenment under the Bodhi Tree, he would have been unsure if there would be any point in teaching what he'd learned. After many years of contemplation as a wandering ascetic, he apparently understood that people were conditioned by their early experiences and the religious culture of their environment, and that most people are 'set in their ways'.

 

Gautama was not interested in creating a new religion, and he was not interested in the creation of huge statues of himself. All that came later, in order to appeal to the ignorant masses.

 

The following article addresses the apparent solution to this problem, as quoted in the scriptures which came much later. It seems reasonable to me, if one is going to teach something which might be considered heretical in a culture in which Brahma is the highest God, then creating a story where Brahma implores the Buddha to teach his wisdom, would have the effect of making the Buddha's teachings more appealing to those who were entrenched in the Vedic tradition.

 

"Abstract
The episode of Brahmā’s request to the Buddha to teach has been regarded as problematic from early times, since it suggests that the Buddha was initially lacking in compassion. Comparison of versions of the story shows it to be possibly pre-Aśokan in origin. A close reading of themes in the episode in relation to other incidents in the Buddha’s life described in the Pali canon show that it need not be taken as portraying an actual experience of the Buddha. The original purpose of the episode was not to describe the Buddha’s inner conflict but to show that Brahmā, representative of Brahmanical religion, was a follower of the Buddha. The episode was originally religious propaganda."

 

https://www.researchgate.net/publication/250015286_Why_Did_Brahma_Ask_the_Buddha_to_Teach

Very good article.  Thank you.  Yes, the Buddha at first wasn't sure people were ready to listen to his message.  I believe he was asked by several people to spread his message, including Brahma. 

[khaowong1]

14 hours ago, cooked said:

+ of course various animals, such as chickens, buffalo, horses and cobra (naga), even giraffes but not so much elephants...

Lot's of chickens.  LOL.