AA Edit | Buddhism Legacy Is India’s Pride
Hinduism overtook Buddhism around the 12th century, due mainly to sociopolitical changes, invasions by the Huns and the consequent collapse of the Pala dynasty and the general decline of monastic support for Buddhism
The exposition of the Piprahwa relics is an event of great religious significance for Ladakh. This has been put together with much thought as the relics were brought to Leh after a gap of 75 years and some of them are precious in that they have never been displayed like this before in the land in which Gautama Buddha was born and in which he founded the religion that has taken roots around many eastern parts of the world.
It is not without a touch of politics that the home minister crowned the effort to place the relics on display at the very place that the Dalai Lama, one of the holiest living figures of Buddhism, resides in the summer. In his very presence in India lies a historical tale of religion and religious persecution in Tibetan lands under the control of China.
It might hardly need reiteration that Buddhism was one of four great religions that germinated in India, a country proud, naturally enough, of its spiritual heritage. But, given the fact that China keeps announcing proudly to the world that it was the prime driving force behind the spread of Buddhism in the east and far east, it might need to be reminded occasionally that India’s association with Buddhism goes a long way back — to its very origin.
Hinduism overtook Buddhism around the 12th century, due mainly to sociopolitical changes, invasions by the Huns and the consequent collapse of the Pala dynasty and the general decline of monastic support for Buddhism. But, as a nation, India has taken immense pride in being a land of diverse religions with such historical association as to have seen major religions spread here besides those that originated here like the four Dharmic religions.
The deep veneration with which the Piprahwa relics are being viewed in the newest Union Territory has been amplified by the belief that these are bodily relics of the Buddha. In enabling this, India is just not satisfying a need to counter the highly politicised claims of China but also to uphold the tradition of people respecting all religions in the country.