Page 257 - Encyclopedia Of World History Vol IV

1558 berkshire encyclopedia of world history

Buddhism—Ideal and Real

In many religions there are significant differences and its implications for those who wish to follow his
between how the religion is understood and experi- path to salvation. The farmers, on the other hand,
enced by the educated elite and how it is understood have little or no idea of the philosophy of Buddhism.
and experienced by the common person. In addition, Instead, the practices and beliefs which are derived
many religions have borrowed beliefs and practices from Buddhism have been re-interpreted in the farm-
from other religions. In Asia, people who are Buddhists ers’ religion to fit their particular worldview....
sometimes combine elements from other religions such The religion of the farmer is basically animistic,
as Daoism and Confucianism with Buddhism. The whilst the elite may be regarded as having organized
text below describes these multiple expressions of Bud- an intellectual appreciation of their religion. It is
dhism in Central Thailand. because of the incorporation of Buddhism in the ani-
mistic worldview that the villagers “do not feel that
The farmers, as well as the educated classes call them-
they are members of several different religious systems
selves Buddhists. It should be recognised, however,
at the same time.” On the other hand, the sophisti-
that the two types of Buddhism are quite distinct.The
cated Buddhist may well feel that there exists a dis-
elite often appear to be aware of the philosophical
crepancy between the Great Tradition and the
message of the teachings of Siddhartha Gautama
manifold accretions.

often with apparently miraculous means. Among these course of time believed by most of his followers to have
was one that had to do with the deity they called Yahweh, been born of a virgin, Mary of Nazareth, who had been
revealed through ten “utterances” that came to be called impregnated by the Holy Spirit, and without a human
the Ten Commandments. Followers of these command- father. He was one of many latter-day prophets, such as
ments, in northern and southern kingdoms (the latter John the Baptist, who influenced his mission. In the
being called Judea, hence ”Jewish”), considered to be the sacred writings called the Gospels, which became part of
special chosen people of God, forbade the making of a “New Testament,” this Jesus was portrayed as a wonder-
divine images.They often revered lesser gods whom they worker whose main task was healing and preaching the
considered to be anti-Yahweh, but to whom they were fre- imminence of God’s kingdom. Exactly what that meant
quently attracted.Their attraction quickened criticism by depended upon who was writing about it or interpreting
prophets, mainly in the eighth century BCE. These were the writings, but it had to do with divine sovereignty exer-
men in a special calling that directed them to judge errant cised in “saving” people from their sins.
people and promise divine assurance to the righteous. With Israel chafing under resented Roman rule, how-
God held Jews to an especially high standard, and, as ever, many wanted saving from the Romans.The Gospels
they interpreted it, let them prosper or meet disaster, picture Jesus teaching his disciples that he was to be exe-
depending upon how well they kept divine laws, espe- cuted. Meanwhile, a growing number of enemies among
cially the Ten Commandments. religious authorities targeted him for execution. The
While most Jews, freed from captivity in Babylon after Gospels portray him as knowing that this form of exe-
586 BCE, lived in Palestine, they also saw the creation of cution, crucifixion, was to be his destiny, his means of
a diaspora, a dispersal of peoples, and they were strate- saving people. In such portrayals his death was a sacrifice
gically placed in much of what had become the Roman pleasing to the one he called Father. In the experience
Empire.They built synagogues and worshiped in relative and belief of his followers, he was resurrected, raised from
freedom so long as they did not give the rulers any trou- the dead, and after making appearances among them for
bles. It was Christianity, one of Judaism’s offspring, orig- forty days, ascended into heaven, thence to rule.
inally a Jewish sect, that did give trouble and receive it. In the eyes of Greeks and Romans the sect that fol-
This faith centered in a rabbi of Nazareth, Jesus, in the lowed this resurrected one, called Christians, could have