Dr Satyawan Saurabh
Buddhism has a strong individualistic component: everyone is responsible for their happiness in life. The Buddha presented the Four Noble Truths as guiding principles: there is suffering in life; the cause of suffering is desire; to end desire means to end suffering; and by following a controlled and moderate lifestyle, desire will end, and therefore suffering will end. To achieve these goals, the Buddha presented the Noble Eightfold Path: Right Faith, Right Resolve, Right Speech, Right Conduct, Right Business, Right Effort, Right Mindfulness, and Right Samadhi-or Meditation. According to Buddhist practice, following the Eightfold Path will ultimately lead to liberation from the cycle of Samsara, rebirth and suffering.
Buddhist philosophy and doctrine, based on the teachings of Gautama Buddha, provide meaningful insights into reality and human existence. Buddhism teaches Middle Way, eschewing extreme steps such as indulgence and strict abstinence. According to him, everyone is responsible for his happiness in life, emphasizing the individualistic component of Buddhism. The Middle Way is the core of the Buddha’s teaching and can be followed in all areas of life. This essentially means avoiding extremes, such as what we see today-narrow nationalism and unbridled liberalism, religious fanaticism and shoddy religion, obsession with a glorious past, and justification of all that is considered modern. G: Indiscriminately targeting a section of people of a particular faith regarding dress, food, etc. In short, its blind belief in what is right without consideration of others’ points of view. The Buddha’s practice says avoiding extremes and walking the middle path of rationality is the need of the hour. For example, the ongoing Ukraine war where Russia and NATO are trying to achieve their own goals.
Contemporary Buddhism does not include the caste system – it teaches equality and that everyone is capable of reaching nirvana through personal improvement. By converting to Buddhism, members of a lower caste can avoid discrimination under the caste system and be treated equally by other Buddhists. The practice of untouchability has been declared illegal by the Constitution of India. This is the oldest system of the fall of man. And, it is still practiced in rural and urban India. It is also clear that the degree of assertion has increased among the Scheduled Castes across India. They are opposing hierarchical hierarchy and inequality in every possible way.
The Buddha himself criticized caste as an institution; And, in the 20th century, many lower-caste Hindus, under the influence of Ambedkarite teachings, rediscovered and converted to Buddhism to escape caste discrimination. The Ambedkarite movement is influenced by the ethos taught and practiced by Baba Saheb Ambedkar. This movement is being influenced by Buddhism after the great conversion movement started by Baba Saheb Ambedkar in 1956. This is the reason why thousands of Dalits follow Buddhism even today. Revival Buddhism is a symbol of radical change in modern India. Buddhism has become a mainstream religion after a gap of several centuries. Apart from SCs, tribals and OBCs are slowly turning towards it. Buddhism is holding the flag of democracy. Buddhism provides much-needed confidence and respect to those who are forced to feel inferior and condemned by the caste-based social system. This self-confidence is evident in his rise from the hell of caste and his arrival in the land of faith and respect. The Buddha taught, after all, that freedom of mind and wisdom is not a secret to a class of people, it can be achieved by all who struggle and strive to transform not only themselves but also those around them. Buddhism develops a higher system of ethics and what is laid out in the Eightfold Path is a simple yet powerful guide for all individuals, including those in high positions-political and business leaders, religious sages, bureaucrats, and professionals. In today’s world of bitter religious and political conflicts, rising inequalities and inequalities, and unscrupulous business competition, the ‘middle way’ laid down by the Buddha is the only way to save mankind from evils of hatred, humiliation, and violence. One of the Sustainable Development Goals set by the United Nations to be achieved by 2030 is ‘peace and justice’. Since peace and sustainable development are intertwined, the Buddha’s Prism can be a guiding light for every stakeholder, from local to global institutions and leaders, to promote dialogue, harmony, and justice based on compassion and wisdom. can work together. Buddhist teachings create compassion, peace and stillness, and joy in humans and they can help maintain a sustainable balance between humans and nature. Buddha’s teachings can transform societies into better and more human forms of them as Tibetan spiritual leader Dalai Lama has shown “The 20th century was a century of war and violence, now we all need to work and talk to see that the 21st century is of peace. The war of the mind always distracts you!”
(The author is a research scholar, poet and freelance journalist).
