Common Philosophies of Buddhism and Sikhism

 

The Middle Paths of Buddhism and Sikhism

Two new spiritual philosophies emerged from the sacred land of India that challenged the doctrine of the establishment and shaking the foundation of the incumbent practices of the land. These two spiritual paths are 'Buddhism' and 'Sikhism' and both are indigenous to the Indian subcontinent. Both religions have their unique belief systems, practices, and traditions. However if you scratch away the superficial layers of ritualistic differences, you will find that these two philosophies have a lot in common. Lets dig deeper into the origin, progression, and core values of both of these great religions and explore common traits:

The Originators - Gautam Buddha and Guru Nanak

The originators of both these religions did NOT come from the typical Brahminnic traditions with sacred blood lines. In India the Brahmin caste is considered esteemed due to their generations long role as the custodians of religious spirituality. These Brahmins were the philosophers, teachers, researchers, and priests who controlled the access to the holy temples and sacred Sanskrit scriptures, like the Veda's.

Guru Nanak, the first Guru of Sikhism and Gautam Buddha both came from 'Kshatriya' or warrior clans. Both belonged to affluent families with access to amenities and religious education. Gauatm was a prince of Lumbini, a minor principality on Indo-Nepal Border and Nanak was son of the chief accountant of Rai Bulaar Bhatti, the chief of Talwandi in central Punjab.

The Enlightenment - Bodhi Tree and River Bein

Both Guru Nanak and Gautam Buddha were empathetic to the plight of common man's sufferings. Witnessing the famine and poverty of people, Gautam was compelled to leave the comforts of his affluent home and travel in search of finding a solution. Accounts of the life of the Buddha are found Sutras (Pali: suttas), where Buddha recounts the events in his life from the time that he renounced his life as a prince until he achieved enlightenment six years later. 

Buddha Enlightenment under Mahabodhi Tree

After renouncing the life of luxury, Siddhartha wandered to various religious sites in India hoping for an understanding of life and sufferings. After following the teachings at the Hindu pilgrimages, he felt that the ultimate truth still eluded him. Seeking Jainism, he subjected himself to extreme forms of self-mortification, believing that through his own sufferings he would be able to understand the worldly sufferings. Eventually, he realized that self-inflicted pain and deprivation were not the path to true insight and liberation. Siddhartha’s realization that neither indulgence nor severe asceticism was the way to enlightenment. Rejuvenated and with renewed clarity, Siddhartha resumed his meditation under a Bodhi (Peepal) tree. It was here that he would finally achieve the profound enlightenment he had been seeking, soon to become the Buddha—the Enlightened One.

Enlightenment of Buddha under Mahabodhi Tree

Guru Nanak witnessed the plight of common man, crushed under the tyranny of Islamic invaders, exploitation by the upper class, and narrow mindedness of the priestly cadre. He studied Sanskrit from family Pundit and Persian from the local Maulavi. He learned the doctrines of Hinduism as well as Islam from them but felt as if he was missing the true path of spirituality. He rejected the custom of Janeu - the sacred thread ceremony restricted to the Brahmin and Kshatriya castes. He questioned how one can become pious by just wearing a thread. He also questioned the ritual of Namaz, the Muslim prayer with an absence of meditation to the God.

Guru Nanak Enlightenment at River Bein

One day Nanak went missing and emerged after three days from the River Bein. Upon emerging from the river, Nanak spoke the words that would shake the foundations of two established doctrines, "There is No Hindu, There is No Muslim." This powerful proclamation emphasizing the fundamental unity of all humankind laid the foundation of Sikhism. From that day, he became Guru Nanak - the Guru or teacher who enlightened the world with spiritual wisdom.

The Guru and Buddha

Both terms 'Guru' and 'Buddha' signifies spiritual knowledge. 'Guru' is a Sanskrit term and describes a spiritually enlightened personality who dispels the darkness of ignorance and immorality and imparts spiritual wisdom. 

Sculpture of Buddha in Gandhara (Punjab) Style

The term 'Buddha' signifies the one who has gained enlightenment - "one who has awakened from the deep sleep of ignorance and opened his consciousness to encompass all objects of knowledge." For the remaining 40 or 45 years of his life, the Buddha is said to have traveled to various parts of India and Nepal, teaching a diverse range of people. During his travels, Buddha came into contact with members of other religious practices and held discourses and critiqued their doctrines.

Buddhas - Before and After Gautama

 The term 'Buddha' is also used as a title and Buddhists scriptures identifies many 'Buddhas' some predates Gautam Buddha and other after him.

Guru Nanak Teaching in Punjab

After his enlightenment, Guru Nanak travels in four directions across the Asia continent. These travels are known as 'Udaasi" and the four directions include:

1. East - Northern India, Bihar, Orissa, and Bengal 
2. South - Southern India and Srilanka 
3. West) - Gujarat, Sindh, Arabia, Iran, and Afghanistan 
4. North - Kashmir, Tibet, and China. 

During his travels, Guru Nanak visited holy sites and met with religious leaders of Hinduism, Buddhism, Islam, Sufi, and Nath traditions. He held discourses and challenged empty ritualism encouraging people to recognize the oneness of God. In Sikhism there are ten 'Gurus' starting with Guru Nanak and the 10th Guru Gobind Singh was the last living Guru. After his this title is bestowed to 'Guru Granth Sahib' the Sikh scriptures as the eternal guru of the Sikhs. The scriptures includes the writings of Guru Nanak and other Gurus. There Gurus have used the title 'Nanak' to indicate the continuation of Guru Nanak's philosophies.

Ten Gurus of Sikhism

 Rejection of Sanskrit - Pali and Gurmukhi

 The spiritual language in India during the times of Buddha as well as Nanak was 'Sanskrit'. Only the men from upper castes - primarily, Brahmin and Kshatriyas were allowed to study Sanskrit and read sacred scriptures. It was prohibited for the lower castes to read or even listen to the sacred scripts. Any lower caste individual violating this rule was punished with hot coins in ears.  Buddha was not allowed to use Sanskrit to compose his scriptures. Buddha chose Pali, a language closer to the spoken dialects of the time, rather than elite Sanskrit, which was a more formal and restricted language.

Scripts of Hinduism, Buddhism, and Sikhism

Guru Nanak also rejected Sanskrit and chose to compose in the local languages and dialect where ever he traveled. To document these compositions, Guru Angad Dev, the second Guru developed a new script that he named 'Gurmukhi'. This new script was evolved from the ancient Sharda script of Kashmir region that was evolved from the ancient Brahmi script, and Landa, the script used by the merchants and accountants in Northern India. Laṇḍā means alphabet "without tail", implying that the script did not have vowel symbols. In Punjab, Mahajani was the most prevalent among the Laṇḍā scripts.

The Concept of Karma

 Karma is a Sanskrit word that literally means "action" or "doing". In Buddhism, it specifically refers to intentional actions, driven by volition (chetanā), that have consequences. This term is used in Hinduism, Buddhism, and Sikhism in almost similar way to encourage moral behavior.

Karma and Cycle of Life in Buddhism

The Law of Karma is central to the Buddhist understanding of 'Samsara', the cycle of birth, death, and rebirth. It's believed that our actions, especially those driven by greed, hatred, and delusion, determine the nature of our future lives and rebirths. Buddhist teachings emphasize that Karma is not a form of divine punishment or reward, but rather a natural law of cause and effect. Our actions, driven by intention, create seeds of Karma that ripen into experiences, both in this life and in future lives. The ultimate goal in Buddhism is to break free from the cycle of Samsara and achieve Nirvana, a state of liberation and enlightenment. This is achieved by cultivating positive karma, reducing negative karma, and developing wisdom and compassion.

Guru Nanak's Emphasis on Truthful Living

In Sikhism, Karma refers to the principle where actions and their consequences shape an individual's future, influencing their life experiences and beyond, with the ultimate goal of achieving liberation (Mukti). Guru Nanak emphasized that every action has a consequence, both positive and negative. Good actions and intentions are believed to lead to positive outcomes and a higher spiritual state and achieve 'Mokh' or 'Moksha'. The negative actions and intentions lead to negative outcomes and a lower spiritual state resulting in continuation of the cycle of rebirths. The Sikhs are encouraged to focus on living a righteous and honest life in the present, understanding that their actions today will have consequences in the future, both in this life and beyond.

Rejection of Caste System

Four Caste System of Hinduism

Both philosophy rejected the strict caste system of Manusmriti and bestowed the spiritual knowledge to the common man belonging to all castes.

Buddhism, founded by Buddha, fundamentally rejected the rigid caste system prevalent in ancient India, emphasizing instead the equality of all beings and the importance of individual merit and actions over birthright. The Buddhist monastic order 'Sangha' was open to people of all castes, including those considered "untouchable" or outcasts, demonstrating the Buddha's commitment to social equality. Buddhism emphasizes that individuals can achieve enlightenment and liberation through their own efforts and adherence to the path of righteousness, regardless of their caste background. 

Sangha - The communion of Buddha

Sikhism fundamentally rejects the caste system, advocating for equality and social justice, with Sikh scriptures and teachings explicitly condemning caste-based discrimination and hierarchies. he Sikh Gurus actively denounced caste and advocated for a society where everyone is treated with respect and dignity. During his travels, Guru Nanak preferred to stay with the poor and people of lower castes. The sikh communion was called 'Sangat' and included people from all castes. Guru Amardas, the third Guru introduced the concept of 'Pangat' in the Sikh 'Sangat', which encouraged people of all castes to sit together in a line to partake 'Langar', the sacred meals. 

Sangat - The communion of Guru Nanak

Guru Gobind Singh, the tenth Guru went further to create the 'Khalsa' brotherhood where all Sikhs abandoned their caste-indicating last names and assumed a shared last name of 'Singh' meaning lions for men, and 'Kaur' meaning the princess for the women.

Guru Gobind Singh introducing Khalsa - Embodiment of All Castes

The Middle Path of Buddhism and Sikhism

The Middle Way in Buddhism refers to a path of moderation and balance. Also known as the Noble Eightfold Path, it emphasizes finding balance in all aspects of life, avoiding extremes of self-indulgence and self-mortification, and following a path of mindfulness, wisdom, and compassion. In the Early Buddhist Texts, the term "Middle Path" (Majjhimāpaṭipadā) was used in the Dhammacakkappavattana Sutta (SN 56.11), which is regarded as the first teaching that the Buddha delivered after his awakening.

Avoiding both these extremes, the Perfect One has realized the Middle Path; it gives vision, gives knowledge, and leads to calm, to insight, to enlightenment and to Nibbana. And what is that Middle Path realized by the Tathagata...? It is the Noble Eight-fold Path, and nothing else, namely: right understanding, right thought, right speech, right action, right livelihood, right effort, right mindfulness and right concentration.

Balancing Spirituality and Family Life

The Sikh way of life ... Guru Nanak rejected the concepts of rejection and celibacy as a way of life. He was in favor of leading a householder’s life as it encourages and leads to all round development and social responsibility. There is a famous saying of Guru Nanak: “Truth is high, but higher still is truthful living.” By this he means that living truthfully, showing devotion to truth through one's behavior and actions, brings one closer to spiritual awakening and to God. Righteousness and morality are central to the practice of Sikhism. Around the age of 55, Guru Nanak settled at Kartarpur where he put aside his attire of a hermit, engaged in farming to earn his livelihood, and lived as a householder with family and social responsibilities.

Challenge to Religious Establishment 

The Buddha's teachings challenged the authority of the Brahmin priests, the caste system, and ritualistic practices, while emphasizing personal experience, ethical conduct, and the path to Nirvana through meditation. The Buddha questioned the claim of the Brahmin priests to direct access to the gods through rituals and sacrifices, instead emphasizing personal experience and understanding as the path to enlightenment. While Buddhism acknowledges the existence of Hindu gods, it doesn't focus on polytheism or idol worship, instead emphasizing the importance of personal transformation and the pursuit of Nirvana. 

Brahminnical Priest Challenging Buddha

Although Guru Nanak tried to reconcile both Hinduism and Islam to bring peace in the Punjab, but he rejected the ritualistic practices of both religions. It was his innovative genius that he laid the foundation of a faith, based on unity of God, human equality, religious tolerance and deep moral and ethical values, at a time when these human imperatives were conspicuous by their absence. He tried to bring both the major communities closer to each other by preaching love, equality of all human beings, religious tolerance and mutual respect.

Guru Nanak in Discourse with Brahmins

Guriu Nanak regarded ancient Gods as historical ancestors but rejected idol worship, rituals, and miracles. Sikhs have a rich tradition of describing God through many different names. The names of Hindu gods such as, Hari, Ram, Madho is used extensively in Sikh scriptures to describe the Creator. Sikhs believe that there is only one God, who created everything. You can call that creator by the name you relate to. According to Guru Nanak, One has to become imbued with ‘Naam’, the name of the God to understand the blessings that come with the realization. By meditating in the Name of fearless God, one becomes fearless vanishing the fear of death. It helps in achieving the mission of life and attainment of spiritual power.

Assimilation and Survival

 Buddhism's assimilation refers to its adaptation and integration with Hindu religion in India. It started with Buddhism absorbing the elements of Brahmanism, with Hindu deities incorporated into Buddhist cosmology. This assimilation accelerated the gradual decline and disappearance of Buddhism from India starting in the 4th–6th century, and was replaced by Hinduism approximately the 12th century. The differences between Buddhism and Hinduism blurred, as Mahayana Buddhism adopted more ritualistic practices, while Buddhist ideas were adopted by the reborn Hinduism.

Shankaracharya, the founder of this reborn Hinduism, first engaged with Buddhism, then criticized Mahayana Buddhism for lack of God and emphasized the oneness of reality (Brahman). Shankara's phiolosophy can be seen as a assimilation of various philosophical and religious traditions, including Buddhism and Jainism. He aimed to create a comprehensive philosophical system that encompassed these traditions within the framework of Advaita Vedanta.

The term 'Buddha' signifying spiritual knowledge was ridiculed as 'Buddhu' meaning an 'Idiot'. The people were discouraged to stay away from the holy Bodhi (Peepal) tree which was condemned as the abode of evil spirits. Buddhist monasteries were converted into Hindu temples and the famous Nalanda university was destroyed and burned down. The Hun invasion destroyed the Buddhist stronghold in NW Frontier and the famous Taxila university.

Buddhism barely survived in the smaller pockets in Tibet and Sri Lanka. It vanished in India and Hindu religion was patronized during the Gupta dynasty (4th to 6th century), and Brahmins regained influence in the affairs of the state. 

Statue of Buddha worshiped as Hindu God in Tamilnadu

Today, similar challenges are faced by Sikhism in a Hindu majority India where they account for less than two percent of the population. This minority population is vastly limited to the northwestern state of Punjab. While Sikhism evolved from the foundational spiritualism of India, it gradually developed as a distinct religion. There have been attempts to assimilate Sikhs into Hinduism, when idols of Hindu gods were installed in Harmandir Sahib, which Sikhs have resisted with a reform in management of their religious institutions. 

Assimilated View of Sikhism & Hinduism

In today, several Hindu organizations and a broader Indian population consider Sikhism as a branch within Sanatan Dharma, the boarder Hinduism. Sikhs are portrayed as the "sword arm" of Hinduism. However, its not simple to label this portrayal as an aggressive overture. A majority of Hindus in Northern India respect the Sikh Gurus and visit Sikh temples on a regular basis. Many Hindu families used to raise their first-borns as a Sikh in the Punjab region. Looking from their point of view, it looks obvious to them that Sikhism is an extension and reform movement within broader Hindu spiritual platform. This dualism is demonstrated by mixed families with intermarriages and cousins belonging to either religion.

The Sikhs on the other hand reject this notion and see Sikhism as a independent religion with distinct philosophy, practices, and traditions. 

Four Religions of India

In my opinion all three religions, Hinduism, Buddhism, Jainism, and Sikhism originated from a shared spiritual foundation and it is visually reflected in the commonalities between them. But all three evolved and eventually blossomed into separate spiritual journeys. The distinction is very subtle and both communities need to be conscious of each other's thought process. This fine balance is critical to the integrity of India and growth of these spiritual practices.