Buddhism Response

I thought it was interesting how the PBS article brought up the religious vacuum occurring during the time that Buddhism was forming. The Vedic religion was becoming dated as the rituals and ceremonies became less about the Gods and more about the rites themselves. The Vedic religion also believed in reincarnation which states that life is a constant cycle of births and deaths. This creates a problem for Buddhism because the main goal is to escape suffering, and therefore constantly being reincarnated brings with it suffering in each new life. This is where Buddha said the only escape from this cycle of suffering is to find enlightenment. Conversely, Hindus believe that the only way to achieve happiness is to accept the caste an individual is assigned at birth. This caste system left the Brahmins, religious leaders, at the top of the social hierarchy. They were the ones in charge of all religious ceremonies and acted as the liaisons between the gods and the world. However, to Buddhism caste is irrelevant and the process of enlightenment is very much one of personal reflection. Buddhism even included women which was very progressive for this time. I believe that Buddhism became increasingly popular during this time because it gave the individual power over their beliefs and taught that suffering comes from within and therefore the power to end suffering comes from inside each individual. However, Buddhism is not completely its own entity. Many influences from Hinduism still influenced Buddhism. The most prominent example is the practice of meditation. While mediation is very prominent in Buddhist religions it was present long before the rise of this religion.

(The PBS article didn't touch on the influences/spread of Buddhism throughout Asia...unless I missed something...)