The Buddha’s Criticisms of Hindu Religion Based on the work of Huston Smith

Gautama’s Criticisms You can see these criticisms as specifically directed against Brahmanic (Vedic) religion; or you can see them as more general criticisms of the ways in which all religions tend to get stale, and need to be challenged and revived.

1: AUTHORITY Many people were relying on experts - on Brahmin priests, and on some leaders of the Shramana movement - to tell them what needed to be done, and even to do it for them. The Brahmins kept knowledge of religious rituals and prayers to themselves and charged high prices to carry out rituals and fulfil religious obligations on other people’s behalf. The Buddha said, “Do not accept what you hear by report, do not accept tradition, do not accept a statement because it is found in our books, nor because it is in accord with your belief, nor because it is the saying of your teacher. Be lamps unto yourselves.”

2: RITUAL Ritual had become almost a mechanical means of getting what you want by appeasing the relevant gods. The Buddha argued that the gods were not capable of giving us the most important gift - enlightenment- because they didn’t have it themselves. He said that “belief in the efficacy of rites and ceremonies” is a fetter that binds the human spirit to suffering.

3: SPECULATION Other people wanted to know why the religious rituals worked, what was behind them; so there was much speculation about the real nature of the gods, the human soul, etc. The Buddha refused to answer such questions when he was asked them: he insisted that he had only one interest: to find and teach the way to stop suffering. He expressed this attitude in the Parable of the Poisoned Arrow.

4: TRADITION The Brahmin insisted that the ancient rituals must always be done the same way, even using the traditional religious language which most people couldn’t understand. The Buddha taught in the vernacular, and insisted that people should find out what worked for them in religion, not blindly following the way things were done in the past.

5: FATALISM People were beginning to want escape from the cycle of life and death, but most thought only Brahmin could achieve that. The rest must just accept their lives, make the best of them, and hope for a better rebirth. Some shramana groups taught that nothing we can do will make a difference to our fate. The Buddha taught that each of us can change our lives and achieve enlightenment. He also rejected CASTE.

6: MYSTERY Brahmanic religion as well as folk traditions included mystery and occult stuff like divination. The Buddha preached a religion with no supernatural elements. Although there are psychic or paranormal powers, they are distractions from the real business of achieving enlightenment.