Buddhism should be studied from the Buddhist standpoint, and its relations with Brahma.ism and Hinduism should be studied from the historical standpoint and on scientific lines. The future of Buddhist studies in India will remain quite doubtful so long as Indian scholars continue to study Buddhism as a вЂњ heretical systemвЂќ and from the вЂњ orthodoxвЂќ standpoint. The conflict between Buddhism and Brahma.ism, the transformation of the Buddhist heritage in India and the disappearance of Buddhism as a living faith from Indian soil during the early mediaeval centuries were largely responsible for the growth of misconceptions about Ancient Indian civilization and also for the propagation of the Brahma.ical standpoint during mediaeval through modern times.

It is no exaggeration to say that whatever has been written on the history of Buddhism in India has been written in modern times largely from this standpoint. Radhakrishnan, broadcasting from All India Radio on the occasion of the 2500th Mahaparinirvana-day of the Buddha, described Buddhism as вЂњan offshoot of the more ancient faith of the Hindus, perhaps a schism or a heresyвЂ™1, he not only repeated a particular view but perhaps also gave an вЂњofficialвЂќ stamp to the Brahma.ical standpoint in Indian history. From the Buddhist point of view Brahma.ism was a вЂњ heresyвЂ™ from the Brahmanical point of view Buddhism was a вЂњ heresy.вЂќ When Dr.

However, a student of the history of religious traditions of India will have to rise above artificial conventions set by the writings of others should he find that his suggestions would help a better and clearer understanding of some significant facts of the growth of his countryвЂ™s central traditions as вЂњ heterodox.вЂќ This custom is due to our preoccupation with the traditional or Brahma.ical point of view. In India, where the Brahma.ical or the traditional standpoint has possessed the scholastic field for about a millennium now, and has been regarded with reverence not only among modern Indian historians and national leaders but also among Western Indologists, for about a century and a half, it would appear almost an impertinence on our part to put forth a view which goes against it. However, when we reopen these matters with a view to restating them, we record our disagreement with the current theories of the origins of Buddhism, of its early relations with Brahma.ism and of its position with regard to Hinduism. It would appear from the apparently settled posture of modern Buddhist scholarship that those problems are settled beyond all doubt and dispute. Much modern literature in English, French, German, Hindi and other languages has been produced on early Buddhism and its relation to Brahma.ism and Hinduism. Among other writings, he has to his credit a comprehensive and scholarly work, Studies in the Buddhistic Culture of India ( New Delhi 1967, Motilal Banarsidass). At present he is serving the Harvard University as a visiting fellow at the Center for the Study of World Religions, Cambridge, Mass., U.S.A. Joshi is Professor at the Department of Religious Studies, Punjabi University, Patiala, India. We believe that few people will be inclined to question his general conclusions. Joshi is not the first to have pointed out the more obvious of these facts but in his essay he has brought to bear on the subject an impressive erudition and has supported his arguments with the result of much painstaking research. That although Buddhism acknowledges an affinity with the Е’rama.ic cults, it is nevertheless a unique product of the BuddhaвЂ™s direct insight. That Hinduism grew out of a fusion of Vedic Brahma.ism with Buddhism and other Е’rama.ic religious trends 5. That it is to this Brahmanic culture that Buddhism has its closest affinity 4. Before the time of the Buddha the religion of India was Vedic Brahmanism, but that alongside the Vedic tradition there was an ascetic (Е’rama.a) stream of religious thought and practise having its origin in prehistoric times 3.

The Buddha was not вЂњborn a HinduвЂќ because Hinduism in its present form had not emerged at the time of his birth 2. His thesis broadly falls under five heads, namely: 1. Joshi has set out to reply to certain Indian scholars who have criticised Buddhism, and others who have put forward the theory that Buddhism is simply a form of Hinduism or an offshoot of it.

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