The Ancient and Medieval Architecture of India: A Study of Indo-Aryan Civilisation c10.35

c10.35

The Buddhist Law was only the spiritual staff which should help the Aryan villager over the obstacles and pitfalls of the way of life. It was not any dogmatic solution of the riddle of the universe, but a practical way of salvation which appealed strongly to the deep religious instinct of a people oppressed by the burden of the extravagant ritual of Brahmanical sacrifices. The inspiration of Buddha would hardly have touched the imagination of all classes so deeply had his teaching cut across the most cherished religious convictions of India. The almost instant and universal success of Asoka's missionary efforts must be attributed to the political genius of the Buddhist leaders in adapting their propaganda to the traditional religious observances of Indian daily life. The thought of the nativity of Buddha as the sunrise, or dawn of a new spiritual life for every human being, quietly took the place of the original Brahmâ concept, the Vedic Creator who opened the petals of the world-lotus. The Sangha, or the congregation of the faithful, meeting under the village council tree, was equivalent to Vishnu, the sun at noon—the Preserver whose mystic tree or pillar upheld the universe. Siva, symbolised by the sun at its setting and when below the horizon, who was the Dissolver of life and apotheosis of the Vedic philosophy of the cosmos, became Dharma—the Buddhist law of daily life—superseding the Brahman law of sacrificial rites, and pointing the way to Pari-Nirvana when the Ego, released from the chain of human existences, was merged in the cosmic ocean. Nirvana and Pari-Nirvana were the two ends of the upright arm of the cosmic cross, the pole or axis of the universe, which was Vishnu's pillar, or churning-stick, or Siva's *lingam*. It was worshipped by Buddhists as a mystic fiery pillar.