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CONTRIBUTING FACTORS FOR THE DISAPPEARANCE

OF BUDDHISM FROM INDIA

ANKUR BARUA, M.A. BASILIO

Hong Kong, 2009

Background: Dr. Ankur Barua had graduated with distinction from the University

of Hong Kong (MBuddStud, 2009). He had also completed two other Master

Degrees, one from Sikkim Manipal University (MBAIT, 2007) while the other from

Manipal University (MBBS-2000, MD in Community Medicine - 2003) and

presently working in professional field. Ms. M.A. Basilio is a nursing professional

who has also a keen passion for conducting research on religion and science.

First Publication on 8th October 2009

Buddhist Door, Tung Lin Kok Yuen, Hong Kong

Copyright © Ankur Barua and M.A.Basilio

Communication Address of Corresponding Author:

Dr. ANKUR BARUA

Block – EE, No.-80, Flat No.-2A,

Salt Lake City, Sector-2,

Kolkata - 700091, West Bengal, INDIA.

Email: ankurbarua26@yahoo.com

Mobile: +91-9434485543 (India), +852-96195078 (Hong Kong)

Contributing Factors for the Disappearance of Buddhism from India Page 2

 Acknowledgements

I wish to express my sincere gratitude and indebtedness to Ven. Dr. Jing Yin,

Professor of Buddhist Studies and Director of the Centre of Buddhist Studies in

the University of Hong Kong for his kind support, inspiration, encouragement and

timely advice during the compilation of this book.

I would like to express my sincere gratitude to my beloved father Dr. Dipak

Kumar Barua, who was the earlier Dean of the Faculty Council for Postgraduate

Studies in Education, Journalism & Library Science in the University of Calcutta

(1987-1991) and the Director of Nava Nalanda Mahavihara, Nalanda (1996-1999)

for his technical guidance and valuable advice.

I would also like to convey my sincere thanks to my beloved mother Mrs. Dipa

Barua for showing keen interest and providing constant assistance and support

during this endeavor.

Ankur Barua

Contributing Factors for the Disappearance of Buddhism from India Page 3

 Preface

Initiated in India by the Sakyamuni Buddha, Buddhism has now become a world religion

and at present, the Buddhist population is the third largest religious community in the

world. Buddhism lasted over a thousand years in India, the land of its origin. But the

supreme irony of the history of Indian Buddhism still remains with the unexplained

question regarding what led to the disappearance of Buddhism from India. Many

scholars of Indian history and religion are devoted to unraveling this puzzle. Due to the

lack of historical and archeological evidence, the debate continues for centuries and

there is no absolute consensus on this matter till date.

Since, the teachings of the Buddha is appreciated by people of every religion all across

the world, everyone in India now wants a share of its merit. As a result, none of the

concerned royal families or the religious communities in India is ready to own the

responsibility for its disappearance.

However, this research explores the probable reasons for the gradual decline and

subsequent disappearance of Buddhism from India. An attempt is also made at the end

to arrange all these sequence of events in a chronological manner to understand the

actual process of this decline.

Ankur Barua & M.A. Basilio

Contributing Factors for the Disappearance of Buddhism from India Page 4

CONTRIBUTING FACTORS FOR THE DISAPPEARANCE OF BUDDHISM FROM INDIA

Abstract

Many scholars of Indian history and religion are devoted to unraveling the mystery of

what led to disappearance of Buddhism from India. Due to the lack of historical and

archeological evidence, there is no absolute consensus on this matter till date. However,

if we analyze all the contributing factors and arrange them in a chronological order, we

would realize that the whole sequence of events was initiated by the Buddhist monks

and clergy when they had ignored the teachings of the Buddha and concentrated on

accumulation of abundance of wealth in the monasteries. They had abandoned the

community visits and concentrated on their own salvation instead of helping the

common people and oppressed classes to end their sufferings. As the lay devotes were

ignored, Buddhism started losing the general support from the community.

Subsequently, the Brahmins took advantage of this situation and deepened the rift

between the common people and the Buddhist practitioners. They also manipulated the

contemporary rulers to withdraw their support from Buddhism and help in reviving the

existing Brahmanism. This was followed by the revival of Hinduism and further decline

of Buddhism. Towards the end stage of this decline, there was the Muslim invasion of

India. During this time, majority of the surviving Buddhists in India, who earlier belonged

to the lower class Hindus, was either forcefully or willingly got converted into Islam.

Key words: Buddhism, Disappearance, Decline, Brahmanism, Brahmins, Hinduism, Islam.

Contributing Factors for the Disappearance of Buddhism from India Page 5

CONTRIBUTING FACTORS FOR THE DISAPPEARANCE OF BUDDHISM FROM INDIA

Introduction

Buddhism lasted over a thousand years in India. But it is still unknown as to what led to

the disappearance of Buddhism from India, the land of its origin. Many scholars of

Indian history and religion are devoted to unraveling this enigma. Due to the lack of

historical and archeological evidence, the debate continues for centuries and there is no

absolute consensus on this matter till date.1 Two factors were generally cited as the

main reasons for the ultimate disappearance of Buddhism from India. The first one was

the Vedic revival, which drove the religion out the country and this was followed by the

invading hordes of the Prophet Mohammed, who razed the temples and slaughtered

the remaining unresisting monks. Though majority of the scholars generally accept

these two important factors, still they do not believe that these were the truly crucial

reasons for the disappearance of Buddhism from India. Muslim invasions primarily

wrecked only Northern India. But Buddhism was a significant religious force in Southern

India too. Mahayana Buddhism mainly developed in the Southern regions. So whatever

happened to Buddhism in the northern regions, it still could not explain how the religion

disappeared from Southern India as well.1,2,3

However, the irony of Buddhism in India is represented by the Bodhi tree at Bodh Gaya

in Bihar, India. The present condition of the Bodhi tree also aptly symbolizes the present

Contributing Factors for the Disappearance of Buddhism from India Page 6

status of Buddhism in the world. The main original trunk of the Bodhi tree is missing and

the tree is now thriving on its prop roots. Similarly, though Buddhism had been wiped

off from its place of origin in India, but it is still flourishing in other countries across the

world.

Buddhism was a Critical Response to the Existing Brahmanism

Conflicts of opinions prevail while identifying the probable factors leading to the

disappearance of Buddhism from India during the 12th century A.D. A few scholars

however, cherish the opinion that Buddhism never disappeared as such from India and

subsequently got incorporated into the Hinduism. They believe that modern Hinduism

in India is a new form of ancient Buddhism.2,3 Due to the striking similarities in the

teachings of Buddhism and modern Hinduism, there is another group of scholars who

uphold the theory that Buddhism is a restatement of Hinduism. 1,2,4 But this notion is

absolutely false as Hinduism is a much later development after the disappearance of

Buddhism from India. If someone has to relate any ancient religion in India with

Buddhism, it should be the existing Brahmanism which paved way to the introduction of

Buddhism in India by Sakyamuni Buddha during the 6th century B.C., who was a

historical personality. Buddhism should be viewed as a critical response to the existing

Brahmanism. Buddhism came into existence in order to wipe off the existing four-tier

caste system in India laid down by the Aryans. As the status of women was remarkably

subdued and deplorable during the period of Brahmanism, Buddhism came to the

Contributing Factors for the Disappearance of Buddhism from India Page 7

rescue by upholding the women’s rights and focused on empowerment of women in the

society. Sakyamuni Buddha was the first historical personality who rose against all odds

to abolish discrimination and violence against women in the existing Indian society. 1,2,5

Gradual Decline of Buddhism in India during the 7th Century A.D.

Though Buddhism had been the dominant religion in much of the Gangetic plains in the

early part of the Christian era, but the Chinese traveler, Ven. Hsuan Tsang, during his

visit to India in the early years of the 7th century, had witnessed a recession. The

testimony of Ven. Hsuan Tsang, had demonstrated the gradual decline of Buddhism in

India. In Prayag or present Allahabad, he had encountered many non-Buddhists. This

was not surprising considering the importance of Prayag as a pilgrimage site for

Brahmins.1,2,3

Shravasti was the capital city of the Lichhavis, a north Indian clan that came to power

around 200 AD and established their capital in Pasupatinath. In a long and glorious

period of reign extending through the early part of the ninth century, they had endowed

a large number of both Hindu and Buddhist monuments and monasteries. However,

during his visit, Ven. Hsuan Tsang witnessed a much greater number of Saivites and Jains

than Buddhists. 1,2,3,5

Contributing Factors for the Disappearance of Buddhism from India Page 8

Kushinagar, the small village near Gorakhpur where the Buddha had gone into

Mahaparinibbana, was in a dilapidated state and Ven. Hsuan Tsang found only a few

Buddhists. Though in Varanasi, Ven. Hsuan Tsang found around 3000 Bhikkus or

Buddhist monks, but they were outshadowed by more than 10,000 non-Buddhists.

Hence, we can conclude that Ven. Hsuan Tsang had arrived in India at a time when

Buddhism was entering into a state of precipitous decline. But even as Buddhism went

into decline, it is remarkable that Nalanda, the great seat of Buddhist learning,

continued to flourish by retaining its importance until the Muslim invasions of the

second millennium. It was from Nalanda that Ven. Padmasambhava had carried

Buddhism to Tibet during the eighth century.1,2,3,4,5

Hence, it is evident that the story of Buddhism in India cannot be unequivocally written

in a single register of decline as the entire process of decline was gradual and spread

over a long period of time.

Contributing Factors for the Disappearance of Buddhism from India

Buddhism had altogether disappeared from India as a formal religion during the 13th

century A.D.6 In order to explore the contributing factors for the decline and

disappearance of Buddhism from India; we need to consider all the events in a

sequential and chronological order. These factors could be arranged under the following

major headings: (a) Sectarian and Internal Conflicts – Relating to the schisms within the

Contributing Factors for the Disappearance of Buddhism from India Page 9

Buddhist faith; the widening differences between the clergy, Buddhist monks and laity;

and the growing corruption within the sangha. (b) Buddhists were persecuted by

Brahmins - Alleged persecution of Buddhists by Brahmins; the defeat of the Buddhists

by the great theologian Adi Shankaracharya in public debates; as well as the

characteristic tendency of Hinduism, or rather Brahmanism, to absorb its opponents. (c)

Secular and political histories - Withdrawal of royal patronage from Buddhism was

followed by the Muslim invasions which had the effect of driving into extinction the

already debilitated Buddhist community.1,2,3,5,6

It is important to understand that Buddhism was never wiped off from India on a single

day and in any single event. Like the causal web of a disease, it was a multi-factorial

causation. The process of decline and subsequent disappearance was gradual and lasted

for many centuries. So, before we get into the details of any historical analysis, we

should first arrange the factors in a chronological order and observe the

interdependency of a previous event leading to the next.

Contributing Factors for the Disappearance of Buddhism from India Page 10

 Concluding Remarks

In accordance to the teachings of the Buddha, the disappearance of Buddhism in India

had actually followed the Buddha’s universal Doctrine of Dependent Origination. Here,

one factor had led to the other and caused this ultimate outcome. So, instead of wasting

our valuable time on debating over which factor was more responsible than the rest and

caused more damage to the practice of Buddhism in India, we should now concentrate

on how to revive Buddhism in a global perspective. Since, Buddhism preaches loving

kindness and compassion as well as it can adopt to meet different traditional, moral and

cultural needs of the community, it can play a lead role in promoting peace and

harmony in the contemporary global society.

The End

Contributing Factors for the Disappearance of Buddhism from India Page 11