#6B8E23
Buddha, a Hindu God
Dr.R.Nagaswamy
01-Mar-2007
The greatest contribution of Gautama, the Buddha, was the turning of the wheel of dharma in motion, well known to the world as Dharma-cakra-pravartana. It came out of his dedicated pursuit, meditation and experience. His teachings followed by a group of people constituted a separate sect like the Jainas, the Ājīvikas, Śiva Bhāgavatas, Vaiṣhṇavas and others. He was thus considered the leader of a sect, one among the many, that prevailed during his time and immediately after.
There is a tradition for nearly 2000 years or more that Buddha was an incarnation of Viṣhṇu, portrayed in inscriptions and sculpture. Some scholars consider that this happened quite late in history, may be around 5th or 6th cent CE. But there are enough evidences to show that the concept could be traced to earlier than the beginning of the Common Era. The Lalita--vistara dated to the beginning of the CE does record that both before and immediately after the birth of Gautama, he was considered the very Nārāyaṇa, who came to the earth for the salvation of human beings. According to both the Buddhists and Hindus, Buddha was the Nārāyaṇa on earth, who appeared to dispel “the darkness of ignorance”.
Who is this Nārāyaṇa? He is the Parama puruṣha , the Supreme Personality. There is the Vedic passage – the Puruṣha Sūkta – which describes this Parama Puruṣha as Sūrya (Sun) with thousand heads, thousand eyes, and thousand feet etc. who pervades the Universe. Buddha, the effulgent light is Sūrya Nārāyaṇa, the illuminating Entity .The identification of Sūrya with Nārāyaṇa is decidedly Vedic and is pre-Buddhist in point. Buddha’s teachings have become so great during the course of time that he is considered “the illuminator of the Universe”. This stage of Buddhism had no hatred towards Vedic thoughts, or Brahamins, or Śāstras, illustrated clearly by the Lalita vistara.
From Gautama, the Puruṣha (human), he has become the Parama Puruṣha (Divine) which is a natural process. Buddha, the Parama Puruṣha is now Sūrya, the creator of time Kāla and the eternal cycle (cakra) Kāla-cakra. The Kāla cakra Tantrarāja , a text of considerable antiquity begins with the statement “the Lord is Sarvajña (All knower) who is Knowledge construct (Jñāna-kāya) manifesting in the body of Sūrya (Dinakara vapuḥ) and he is Buddha”. Here Buddha is pure knowledge – the Jñāna-kāya, identical with Sūrya. It would be difficult to assign any chronological sequence to this evolution and it is not unlikely that this whole process was spontaneous, based on the long experience of the Indian Society, considering knowledge as Savitā. The Gāyatri-mantra which is the vital breadth of Indian ethos, recited for the conferment of knowledge is addressed to Savitā.
From the simple teachings, the emphasis shifts to the totality of knowledge - Dharma-cakra to Kāla-cakra, which made Buddhism pass beyond a teaching to a group, to the Universal circle. It became acceptable to all lovers of knowledge – Jñāna- whatever might be their faith. This trend and its impact on society is discused in this paper.
Basis of this study
The following books of the Buddhists form the main basis for this study
Asvaghosha’s Buddha carita 1st cent BCE
Lalita vistara 2 nd cent CE
Niṣhpaṇṇa yogāvalī 9th cent CE
Kāla-cakra-tantra-rāja 10th cent CE
Buddha is Jyotis svarūpa
Buddha shown in the stupa of Barhut as a flaming pillar – Jyotis-svarūpa - indicate that he was adored as Jñāna-kāya - the light that dispels the darkness of ignorance. This would also show that Buddha has been deified even as early as 2nd BCE
Śiva and Viṣhṇu are worshipped as deities of Buddhist maṇḍala
There are sculptures representing deities like Indra, Kartikeya, Umāmaheśvara, Durgā, Gaṇapati, and others on the base of the stupa of the Nalanda Buddha vihāra assigned to the Gupta period 4th cent CE. They form no doubt the maṇḍala of the Boddhist group as found in the other maṇḍalas mentioned in texts like Niṣhpaṇṇa yogāvalī. The presence of images like Śri Lakṣhmī, Indra and other deities in the slabs of Barhut and Sanchi point to the fact that the prevalent Gods of Hinduism have been part of Buddhism from its earliest phase.
Later stupas or caityas at Maināmathi, and other viharas in modern Bangladesh built in the reign of Pālas of Bengal depicts the deities like Śiva, Gaṇeśa, Kārtikeya, Durgā, Indra and others. There is no doubt that these caityas are based on the concept of maṇḍala and incorporated all deities like Gaṇeśa, Kumāra, Śiva, Viṣhṇu, Durgā, Kṣhetrapāla, Dikpālas and others devas
Buddha is Viṣhṇu’s avatar
There are a number of sculptures in the Indian museum,Calcutta, beginning from the time of the Guptas that depict Buddha as one of the Avatars of Viṣhṇu. He appears in the panel portraying the ten avatar forms of Viṣhṇu.
There are also sculptures in Buddhist panels of the 8th cent that portray images of Gaṇeśa and Kārthikeya.
There is an inscription at Mamallapuram in South India datedarounf 700 CE that gives the names of ten avatars of Viṣhṇu as Matsya, Kūrma, Varāha, Narasiṁha, Vāmana, Bala-rāma, Paraśu-rāma, Kodaṇḍa-rāma, Buddha, and Kalki. It may be noted that this datable record lists Buddha in place of Krishṇa. Thus it is seen archaeologically the Śaivite and Vaiṣhṇavite forms are part of Buddhist mandalas from the BC
Buddha is Nārāyaṇa
Buddhist literature also states from the beginning, that Buddha is an incarnation of Viṣhṇu Nārāyaṇa.
When Aśita looked at the land where Siddhārtha was born at Kapilavastu, he saw “the being full of good signs, virtues and radiance, and the power of Nārāyaṇa taking birth” Lalita vistara 7-61
The king asked the sage Aśita the reason for his coming Aśita replied “ A son has been born to you, handsome , endowed with pāramitas, glorious, armed with the thirty two wonderful signs, with the power of Nārāyaṇa. It is my desire to see the infant Sarvārtha siddha” Lalita vistara 7-66
When Aśita saw the infant “He saw him endowed with good signs,, with the power of Nārāyaṇa, and shaking his head, the sage versed in Vedas and Śāstras saw two path for him” LV –7-69
The repeated assertion of Lalita vistara evidently shows that Buddha as the power of Nārāyaṇa is deeply rooted in Buddhist faith.
Iconic forms of Siva and Viṣhṇu are pre Buddhist
It is also evident that worship of Śaivite and Vaiṣhṇavite deities in iconic form was well established long before the birth of Buddha. King Suddhodana entered the temple with the Prince. “ When Bodhisattva placed his right foot on the floor of the temple, all inanimate idols – those idol of Śiva, Skanda, Nārāyaṇa, Kubera, the moon, the Sun,, Vaisravana, Sakra, Brahma, Lokapālas, etc, all rose from their own places, and fell on the floor at Bodhisattva’s feet.LV-8-4
This would suggest that the Śaivite and Vaiṣhṇavite deities are madecontextually the retinues of Buddha adoring him, as found in the maṇḍalas.
Beyond words
When Buddha was asked to preach his doctrine he preferred to remain silent. He remarked “ The dharma is unstained because it is beyond that range of speech in words, as is the sky.” LV 25-2
Obviously according to Buddha, the Dharma is “Anirvacanīya” This concept that the Supreme truth is anirvacaniya is a vedantic concept.
Neither Birth nor death
The Boddha also said that “I have obtained this forbearance where none dies, nor any one is born” LV 23- 6 Please note the absolute parallel in the Gita
“ na jāyate mriyate vā na kaścit “
Buddha is frequently likened to the Sun in LV. “ having attained the circle of the foremost of the great wisdom, emitting rays on the ten directions, come to preach Ray of wisdom, Instructor of lotuses among men, the Sun among men” LV 23-9
Cakra is Buddha
The wheel itself is identified with Buddha in LV. For example Buddha himself says about his Dharma charka pravarthana “ The wheel which is the Wheel of Dharma is turned and instructs the foolish beings; therefore it is called Buddha.” LV 26 –61
So when the Sun- Sūrya is conceived as Kāla, the Creator of time and giver of knowledge he is called Kāla Chakra identified with Buddha. Kāla charka is Buddha -Dinakara vapuḥ- mentioned in Kāla charka tantra rāja.
(Lalita Vistara English Translation by Bijoya Goswami, Published by the Asiatic Spciety of Calcutta., 2001)
The Kāla cakra tantra rāja, a Buddhist text begins with the invocation of Sūrya
Sarvajñam jñāna kāyam dinakara vapuṣham padma patrayatākṣham
Buddham simhāsanastham suravaranamitam mastakena praṇamya
Pṛcchet rāja sucandrah karakamala puṭam sthāpayitvā uttamāṅge
Yogam sri Kālacakre kaliyuga samaye mukti hetoh narānām.
The Kālachakra doctrine is said to have been taught by Buddha himself on the Gṛdrhakūṭa in the Rājgriaha and later again he taught this system at Dhānya-kaṭaka-Amarāvati in Andhradesa.
The Editor of the text Kāla-cakra-tantra-rāja states in his introduction that “ An examination of the pages of the text will convince us of its liberal borrowings from the powerfully developing Vaiṣhṇavism and Śaivism.” P.x.
The system is said to have been introduced into Tibet in 1026 CE it should have penetrated into India in the year 966 (during the reign of Mahīpāla.)
Kāla charka depicted as a non sectarian God to make it possible for all the warring elements of different religious group to unite under one banner against a possible intrusion. The system with its abundant Brahminic deities might have been a necessity to cause a cultural fusion.
(A critical edition of Sri Kālacakratantra-raja, edited by Biswanath Banerjee,
The Aisatic Society, Calcutta1993)
Buddha is Sūrya
Aśvaghosha’s Buddha carita likens Buddha’s birth to the appearance of sun
Dīptyā ca dhairyena ca yo rarāja bālo ravih bhumim iva avatīṇnaḥ BC 1-12
Sa hi sva gātra prabhayojvalantyā dīpa prabhām bhāskaravan mumoṣha BC 1 13
With his luster and steadfastness he appeared like the young sun come down to earth.
For with his glowing radiance of his limbs he eclipsed like the sun the radiance of the lamps.
Santi
There is a Vedic a hymn in praise of the Supreme Being – Parama Puruṣha. The hymn is called Puruṣha Sūkta praising Nārāyaṇa as Purushottama . He is identified with the Thousand eyed , thousand footed and thousand headed Sūrya who remains beyond darkness a concept also known to Buddhism in the form of Thousand armed Avalokitesvara.. The Vedic hymn is generally recited with the following Vedic hymn as Śānti pāṭha at the beginning as follows
Tacchamyor āvrinīmahe gātum yajñāya gātum yajña pataye
Daiviḥ swastirastu naḥ. Ūrdhvam jigātu bheshajam. śam no astu dvipade śam catushpade. . Oṁ śāntiḥ santiḥ śāntiḥ.
It is a prayer for peace to all mankind that includes human beings, animals and vegetation. It also praises the adorers of greatness.. The beginning of this Vedic hymn however states “let us be free from suffrering of the present and future”.
Release from suffering is the tenet of this Vedic hymn prefixed to the adoration of Parama-Puruṣha. Buddha’s essential teaching is release from suffering. Let there reign peace everywhere.