Buddhism and Hindu: Bye bye nerdy

When Homer suggests to Apu and Manjula that they switch to the round, non-pointy religion of Buddhism, they both react adversely. What's the conflict between these two religions?

Drunk and full of pie, 444 wrote:

It's like suggesting a Christian convert to Judaism, or Hare Krishna, or something.

444 wrote:

They dislike each other intensely throughout history...Buddhism has no caste system, while Hinduism does--this is the main social conflict, I think.

Brian

Was'nt Buddha a hindu of the upper caste himself? "Brian Beck" wrote in message news:[email]...

On 28 Nov 2001, 444 wrote:

A major conflict is that Buddhism does not have the cast system, whereas Hinduism has.

The basic practical consequence of this is that in Buddhism, salvation (well, not really, but the state of Nirvana) is reachable by people from all walks of life. In Hinduism only people born into the highest cast (Brahmans(?), I forget) can do so.

Poor Hindus (of lower cast) therefore tend to convert to Buddhism (the second biggest "local" religion in S.E. Asia), in ever increasing rates.

/ Kristian
+-------------------------------------------------------+
|Kristian Ronge |[email]|[email]|
|d99, datateknik, KTH (Kungliga Tekniska H�gskolan)     |
|d99, Computer Science, Royal Institute of Technology   |
+-------------------------------------------------------+
-"If ignorance is bliss, why aren't there more happy
  people?"

Kristian Ronge wrote:

Actually, Islam is the second biggest religion in SE Asia now, looking at Indonesia.

Brian

On Thu, 29 Nov 2001, Brian Beck wrote:

I stand corrected.

/ Kristian
+-------------------------------------------------------+
|Kristian Ronge |[email]|[email]|
|d99, datateknik, KTH (Kungliga Tekniska H�gskolan)     |
|d99, Computer Science, Royal Institute of Technology   |
+-------------------------------------------------------+
-"If ignorance is bliss, why aren't there more happy
  people?"

Even without Indonesia, there are more muslims in SE Asia than Buddhists. Nearly one third of the Muslim population of 1 billion live in India and Pakistan. There are no more than 30 to 50 million Buddhists left in the historically Buddhist countries like Nepal and India, which have experienced a resurgence in Hindu nationalism and Islamic fundamentalism. As passions have rised in the subcontinent, peace loving Siddharta's followers have found it more and more difficult to hold on to their way of life. Ironically, at the same time Western countries, including United States and Canada, have seen a rise in converts to Buddhism.

Volkan ------------------------------------- "Arise, arise," he cried so loud, In a voice without restraint, "Come out, ye gifted kings and queens And hear my sad complaint. No martyr is among ye now Whom you can call your own, So go on your way accordingly But know you're not alone." ---Dylan

But that hardly sets Buddhism apart from other competitors to Hinduism (Christianity, Judaism, Islam, Sikhism).

Actually, within the context of the Indian subcontinent, it should be noted that historically the revival of the old religions in what is now called Hinduism enabled them to recoup their previous losses to Buddhism and reduce the latter to comparative insignificance except at the fringes (Sri Lanka, Tibet etc.). In the republic of India, only about 1 percent of the population (according to the encyclopedia I used) are Buddhists, who are thus outnumbered not only by Muslims (18 percent, and predominant in Pakistan and Bangla Desh), but also by Sikhs and Christians. So in its own native area, Hinduism actually was more successfull with the lower ranks of society than Buddhism. Also, it should be noted that just as Buddhism managed to integrate elements (and gods) from older religions into itself, so Hinduism managed to "accomodate" Buddhism into its system -- for a worshipper of Vishnu, the Buddha is simply one of the ten avatars of that Vishnu.

Tilman

"Who wants to read something about this subject will find it in a book, the title of which I've forgotten. But it's the 42nd chapter." Professor Johann Georg August Galletti (1750-1828)

On 29 Nov 2001, Menshevik wrote:

True. I didn't claim otherwise. I listed it as a reason for conflict between Hinduism and Buddhism because Buddhism sprung from Hinduism, *explicitally* turning its' back on the cast system (and, as Siddharta Gautama himself put it, "its' hipocracy").

Yup, can't argue with you there. I got my facts wrong. This is side-tracking, though. The issue was why there seems to be a conflict between Hinduism and Buddhism (that such a conflict actually exists I base on what my Indian friends Mukes and Rana have told me..). Have you got any suggestions?

/ Kristian
+-------------------------------------------------------+
|Kristian Ronge |[email]|[email]|
|d99, datateknik, KTH (Kungliga Tekniska H�gskolan)     |
|d99, Computer Science, Royal Institute of Technology   |
+-------------------------------------------------------+
-"If ignorance is bliss, why aren't there more happy
  people?"