Buddhism relation with Hinduism

Buddhism which grew up in the age of Brahmanism in Indian became the most popular religion not only in India but in entire Asia. It has been upheld by many scholars that Buddha was not an originator of a new religion but a reformer of The Hindu religion. They contend, as all scholars now admit, that the basic doctrine of Buddhism sprang from the pre-existing Hindu philosophy of the Sankhya system and the later Upanishads. Thus, so far as the original philosophy of Buddhism is concerned there is hardly any break of continuity between Buddha and the Hindu sages who had preceded him. Nor did Buddha lay down a special ritual for his followers. Even the rules of monastic discipline left by him are ut a few, simple and undefined. The rules of morality preached by Buddha were also not new. He simply emphasized a few of them which were already existing." On the contrary," as Kern puts it, "the Master(Buddha) himself repeatedly extols the morals and virtues of ancient rishis. Buddhism has wisely adopted many articles of morality and pious customs flowing from the sources of Brahmanist Code."

  However, the above view is not accepted by the majority of scholars who contend that Buddha was certainly not a reformist of the Hindu religion but the originator of a new one though he drew heavily from the existing Hindu philosophy and morality. The concepts of Buddhism regarding principles of transmigration of soul, fate and God differ from those of Hinduism. While Hinduism places it gods above the cycle of transpiration of soul, Buddhism regards godhood as the result of good deeds, perishable and, thereby, subject to the cycle of birth and rebirth. Again, Buddhism does not believe in God or Providence or Creator of the Universe who participates in the determination of fates of individuals as Hinduism believes. According to Buddhism, fate is only the former actions of every one. Thus, there are certain differences in the basic philosophy of Hinduism and Buddhism. Besides, whatever might have been the motive of Buddha during his lifetime, Buddhism ultimately grew up as a distinct and different religion. A.L Basham rightly concludes," Whatever be its position in the Buddha's lifetime, 200 years later Buddhism was a distinct religion."

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