Vivekananda's Wrong Interpretation on Buddhism

-Amitananda Bhikkhu, Buddhist Researcher,International Buddhist

College, Thailand.

Introduction

Swami Vivekananda (18631902) was an Indian Hindu monk and chief disciple of the
19th-century saint Ramakrishna Mission. One of the most influential activities is introducing
the Hinduism to the western world newly and briefly, especially Vedanta and Yoga. He was
the effective philosophers and social reformers in the contemporary Indian society.
Vivekananda was Born into an aristocratic Bengali family of Calcutta, He was the disciple of
Ramakrishna, a influential master of the contemporary Hindu society and well known in
Vedanta, from whom Vivekananda learned that all living beings were an embodiment of the
divine self, That is why his focused on the loving kindness to the beings also, which has
similarity with Buddhism. From Ramkrishna, Vivekananda learned how to serve and make
please the God by worshipping. After Death of his master Ramkrishna, he travelled out of
India, in order to convert people into Hinduism and spread the knowledge of Vedanta.
After studying the Buddhist Philosophy, Vivekananda was impressed in Buddhism, Specially
the aspect the theory of the suffering; uttered by the Buddha, caste system and loving
kindness. His international and well known speech on Buddhism was in September 1893,
USA. With the view point of the Buddhism, there was error to introducing the Buddha by the
Vivekananda in that speech because he always keeps closer the Buddha as the part of
Hinduism. Anyhow, Vivekananda used to praise the Buddha for his doctrine and
establishment of the new movement in India.

Brief Biography of Swami Vivekananda

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Before practicing asceticism, Swami Vivekananda used to known as Narendra Nath Datta.
He was born in a aristocratic family of Kolkata, India on 12 January, 1863. His fathers
name is viswanath Datta and mothers name is Bhuvaneshwari Datta. He was excelled in
study, music, gymnastic. He was graduated from the Calcutta University with a vast
knowledge of Western Philosophy. Moreover he was efficient in yoga, meditation and
knowledge in relation with Brahmanism.[1]

In 1881 Narendra first met Swami Ramakrishna at Dakkhineswar by the suggestion of Prof.
William Hastie. In late 1881, he again went to Dakkhineswar to see Ramakrishna. This going
was influenced him to impress in the personality of Ramakrishna. Ramakrishna was the
worshipper of Kali. After death of Narendas father, his family faced serious problems such
as dept, bankrupt, eviction by the relatives. In this situation he found solace in
Ramakrishna. From that time Narendra became loyal to Ramakrishna and learned from him
how to devote oneself to the God. In order to devotion to God, he left the worldly life and
became an ascetic. In 1886, Ramakrishna was died from throat cancer. After his death,
people stopped to serve Narendra and his disciples. Some disciples could not endure this
starvation. So some of them left asceticism and went back to household life.[2] Vivekananda
converted a dilapidated house into a Math or Monastery in Baranagar. Over there they
formed new monastic brotherhood mission and Narendra became Swami Vivekananda. In
1888, Vivekananda left the monastery as the wanderer with two books Bhagavatgita and the
Imitation of Christ. He travelled throughout the India for 5 years. During his travelling, he
attended to poor and patient people and met with various people. He never discriminated
people in sequence of higher and lower. He went to Chicago on 31 May, 1893 in order to
attend at the Parliament of Religions. His speeches at the Worlds Parliament of Religions
held in September 1893 made him famous as an orator by divine right and as a Messenger
of Indian wisdom to the Western world. Almost three and half years he spread Vedanta
there. Then in 1897 he back to India. After returning Kolkata, on May 1, 1897, he established
the Ramakrishna Mission, from where priests and people together can propagate the Vedanta
and participate in various social services such as Education, Hospitality, attendance to poor
and ill etc. In early 1898, he got a plot near the ganges river bank. He established there the
Belur Math.

There were many disciples of Vivekananda, but the closers are Margaret Noble (later known
as Sister Nivedita), Captain and Mrs Sevier, Josephine McLeod and Sara Ole Bull. All of
them were adopted the Indian Culture and practices lead by Vivekananda.

In June 1899, he went again in USA and delivered many lectures. After returning in Belur
Math, he also in India gave sermons and did social works. Because of the too much hard
working, he became sick and on 4 July, 1902 at 9.00 pm he died.[3]

Vivekananda and Buddhism

In Chicago on 26 September 1893, Swami Vivekananda delivered a lecture on Buddhism by

the name of Buddhism, the Fulfillment of Hinduism. It was an assembly of Parliament of
World Religion. In that lecture he praised the Buddha and his doctrine according to his idea.
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He said, Buddha is the one who seek the truth for others in order to cease the suffering of
people. Buddhism is the religion which is never endowed with the God. Buddha also rejected
Veda, because it teaches violence. But according to Vivekananda, Buddha has no authority to
reject the Veda. About the achievement of Buddhahood, Vivekananda gave the affirmative
answer that it is a kind of gain. Buddha never worshiped anything and his religion was
beyond the casts and discriminations. Even he rejected the cast system, but Buddha was
within the Hinduism. He was the cultivator of Loving Kindness. He always asked people to
destroy delusion. Vivekananda said, Buddha is also one of the Vedanists and Shankara is the
hidden Buddhist. Buddha is the reformer of Hinduism. Buddha is the brave and sincere
teacher. He said to his disciples that, Believe no book; the Vedas are all humbug. If they
agree with me, so much the better for the books. I am the greatest book; sacrifice and prayer
are useless. Buddha gave the equal right to the women in the society. Sakya Muni did not
believe in God, but according to the Vivekananda, he is the God himself.[4]

The 2nd lecture Delivered at the Shakespeare Club, Pasadena, California on February 2,
1900. There Vivekananda Said, Buddha is the great prophet and incarnation of God. Non
killing and charity was existed before the born of the Buddha. But Buddha newly introduced
it by breaking down the cast system. It is unquestionable that Buddha is the great teacher, but
he said he does not believe his many teaching. His believe is always in Veda. But he liked his
method of work. During his last age, after taking the meal from the Cunda who is from the
lowest class, Buddha has shown his non discrimination. Buddha denied the permanent entity
inside the men. But the Hindus believe so which is permanent and unchangeable. According
to Buddha denied the selfishness.[5]

Contradiction with Vivekanandas deliberation on Buddhism

My 1st contradiction is Vivekananda said that Buddha rejected Veda because it teaches
violence. It is true that Buddha rejected Veda. But not only for having violence or sacrifice in
Veda, but also Buddha denied cast system, soul theory and contradiction with Buddhist
Kamma theory and Hindu Kamma theory. In the Kacchayana Gotta Sutta Buddha rejected
the Soul Theory. Buddha Said there- Everything exists: That is one extreme. Everything
doesn't exist: That is a second extreme. Avoiding these two extremes, the Tathagata teaches
the Dhamma via the middle. Samyutta Nikaya 12.15, Kaccayana Gotta Sutta.[6]

2nd contradiction is with Vivekanandas idea on Shankaracariya and Buddhist. He said

the Advaita Vedanta tradition Shankaracariya is the hidden Buddhist. But we cannot see any
Buddhist nature from that tradition, such as, they believe in cast system, they believe in soul
theory and their kamma explanation and Buddhist Kamma explanation are totally different.

Vivekananda mentioned Buddha said Believe no book; the Vedas are all humbug. If they
agree with me, so much the better for the books. I am the greatest book; sacrifice and prayer
are useless. I think Vivekanandas own opinion on the Buddha. Buddha never claimed he is
the greatest book. As the reference we can see the Kalama Sutta. In the Kalama Sutta Buddha
said- Now, Kalamas, don't go by reports, by legends, by traditions, by scripture, by logical
conjecture, by inference, by analogies, by agreement through pondering views, by
probability, or by the thought, 'This contemplative is our teacher.' When you know for
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 yourselves that, 'These qualities are skillful; these qualities are blameless; these qualities are
praised by the wise; these qualities, when adopted & carried out, lead to welfare & to
happiness, then you should enter & remain in them.- Kalama Sutta, Anguttara Nikaya
3.65.[7]

Vivekananda said Buddha is the God himself. But Buddha always claimed as the human
being and if we look the Samyutta Nikayas Vaccagotta Sutta, Buddha was silent on the
existent of the God. Because such kinds of explanations are useless and endless. One day
wanderer Vaccagotta said to Buddha- "Does the Tathagata exist after death? Does the
Tathagata not exist after death? "Does the Tathagata both exist and not exist after
death? Does the Tathagata neither exist nor not exist after death?

Vaccha that too has not been declared by me: The Tathagata neither exists nor does not
exist after death. That means Buddha never believed in God. ?- Vaccagotta Sutta,
Samyutta Nikaya, 44.8.[8]

Vivekananda said Buddha is the Prophet (Messenger of God) and Incarnation of God
(Avatara). But the Buddha was the absolute human and found truth without any association
of God.

Vivekananda said non killing already existed in India before the Buddha. But he just newly
introduced. If the non killing already exist in India, then why Buddha had to preach the
doctrine against the sacrifice.

Conclusion

Indubitably Vivekananda is the prominent religious figure. As the leader of Brahmanism he

never supported the killing by the name of sacrifice. His personality is admirable. After death
of his master Ramakrishna, he was able to lead his followers and subsequently famous and
venerated one. He is the reformer of the Brahmanism. He is the one who introduced
Hinduism in the western culture with new cover and flavor. Vivekananda is also fond of
Buddhism. According to him, Buddhism is the new movement which is full of peace and
harmony. But its root is in Hinduism.

Vivekanandas opinions on Buddhism are right and perfect from view point of Hindu
scholars. But from the view point if Buddhism, his all the statements on Buddhism are not
right. Anyhow he just expressed his opinion; there was no any aggressive argument.

Bibliography

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http://www.accesstoinsight.org/tipitaka/sn/sn44/sn44.008.than.html

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http://www.swamivivekanandaquotes.org/2013/04/swami-vivekananda-quotes-on-gautama.html
http://www.arunachala-ramana.org/forum/index.php?topic=5608.0
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Swami_Vivekananda
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 http://www.belurmath.org/swamivivekananda.htm
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[6] Bhikkhu, Thanissaro, Kacayana Gotta Sutta,
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[7] Bhikkhu, Thanissaro, Kalama Sutta, < http://www.accesstoinsight.org/tipitaka/an/an03/an03.065.than.html>
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