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Thread: Correct to have demolished Budhdhist temples to build Hindu temples?

  1. #1
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    Correct to have demolished Budhdhist temples to build Hindu temples?

    Namaste,

    Recently a TamilNadu politician (Thirumaavalavan) has said, "The famous Hindu temples in Srirangam and Kancheepuram were built on Buddhist shrines after demolishing them and hence these Hindu temples should be demolished.”

    While some think that demolishing any temple of any faith is wrong, I feel that if Budhdhism was left to thrive, perhaps Hinduism would have been non-existent in South India. It should be borne in mind how the popularity of Budhdhism was the reason great acharyas Shankara and Ramanuja were said to have been born, that is, their mission is to curb the popularity of Budhdhism and let Sanadhana Dharma thrive in Bharat!

    So given the above understanding, do you consider it to be a dharmic act to have demolished Budhdhist temples to build Hindu ones on that spot?

    Many thanks.


    jai hanuman gyan gun sagar jai kapis tihu lok ujagar

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    Re: Correct to have demolished Budhdhist temples to build Hindu temples?

    Namaste,

    With all due respect, you seem to have accepted a politician's word. What is the proof that things happened the way he describes? Did ASI come up with any such findings?

    I can bet that this politician is a devotee of Ramasami, the thug who tried to wipe out Hinduism from Tamilnadu. Before we go off discussing a claim, we must examine and seek proof of the claim. Politicians have a tendency to say what their constituents want to hear. If you want votes in TN you have to say something anti-Hindu/anti-North/anti-Brahmin. But we as educated people must rake such liars over the coals and demand proof. Just mouthing off something does not mean they are right.

    Pranam.

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    Re: Correct to have demolished Budhdhist temples to build Hindu temples?

    Namaste,

    It is hard to believe that a Hindu will destroy some place of worship and build a temple at that place. If some sort of war develops then destruction may take place but it cannot be for making a temple at that place. Hindu psyche will never approve it.


    OM
    "Om Namo Bhagvate Vaasudevaye"

  4. #4

    Re: Correct to have demolished Budhdhist temples to build Hindu temples?

    Namaste,

    It's simple not in the nature of either Hindu and Buddhist to destroy any temple or sacred site or another path or belief. This is the strength of real India. As Beleiver ji has said check the person who is the source of these things and what Devotee ji said somethings may have happened in the name of warring factors.

    Angkor wat was originally a Vishnu temple but later taken over by buddhist, but there was no destroying of any old sacred Vishnu relics and arts, rather it was synthesised which showed true harmony and integration between the two.

    In ancient india that was the core mood to integrate grow learn change and adapt. There are also what I consider false stories of adi shankara followers killing and destroying Buddhist temple and followers.

    What's the source that Adi shankara and Ramanuja Acharya took birth to destroy Buddhism.

    There is reason for the decline of Buddhism as a ruling power and the empowerment of pancha deva marg, but it's certainly not what's being suggested above.

    Ramanunja Acharya teachings and his sampradaya are not always seeing eye to eye with Adi shankaras teachings by some, so did Ramanuja tale birth for a double whammy and take out both buddha dharma and advaita vedanta in one go?

    I don't know weather to laugh or cry.....

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    Re: Correct to have demolished Budhdhist temples to build Hindu temples?

    Namaste,

    @Believer ji, @Devotee ji,

    My question follows a heated discussion in facebook. History actually does dictate that at least the SriRangam Ranganathaswamy temple was not built atop any other temple. In Threthayuga, Sri Rama towards his avatara end, gave his ishta-devata idol of Sri Ranganatha to Vibeeshana, and Vibeeshana gave it to South Indian king Dharmavarma who consecrated the idol at the present day sthala at SriRangam, hence this temple has been around in the same spot.

    I do not know about the Kamakshi Amman temple at Kancheepuram.

    Nevertheless, many of my learned friends (at facebook) vouched for the fact that so many Hindu temples were built after bringing down Budhdhist temples that existed previously on that spot.

    So part of my question was to know more about this... say which temples were those, what was the prevalent socio-religious atmosphere that caused this, whether it was justified, etc.

    Thank you for the replies.

    @Markandeya 108 dasa,

    Yes, Shankara and Ramanuja's mission was to re-establish Sanathana Dharma, they say. That is why they were born exactly at that time when Budhdhism was taking hold.

    Please watch the movie on Adi Sankara (English version) in YouTube... at the opening/outset, it clearly portrays a social atmosphere with so many Budhdhist practitioners at a time Sanathana Dharma was being threatened by Budhdha dharma. The movie suggests Sri Adi Shankara's mission to revive Sanathana Dharmam.

    The understanding that Ramanuja's mission was also partly meant to curb Budhdhism's popularity and presence in India comes about in a round-about manner. For example, history documents that in one instance, there was a budhdhist king whose daughter was possessed by an evil spirit, how Ramanuja cured the king's daughter by ordering the spirit out of her, whereby, as an end-result, the monk ordered the King to convert to qualified-dualism (Visishtadvaita).

    Please see the ffollowing link, it has some remarks on Budhdhist temples being destroyed:

    https://books.google.com/books?id=_d...20king&f=false

    Also please read the following excerpt:

    "It may be noted here that the Pallava kings who ruled in Kanchi were staunch Budhdhists who belonged to the Sthavira school. It has already been stated that they were overthrown by the Cholas in the 11th Century A.D. From that time downwards they remained as vassals under the Chola kings. The last mention of the Pallava as a dynasty occurs, as far as it is known at present, about the year 1223 A.D. In 1310 A.D. the Cholas being conquered by the Mahomedans Kanci passed into the hands of the conquerers. Early in the 12th Century A.D., Ramanuja, the celebrated Vaishnava preacher, flourished in Sriperumbudur, 18 miles east-north-east of Kanchipura, and converted the kings of the Chalukya, Chola and other dynasties into his religion. The Budhdhists were henceforth persecuted by the Vaisnavas of the Ramanuja school as well as by the Mahomedan conquerors. Still Budhdhism lingered for sometime in Kanchipura or Conjeevaram, and finally disappeared from it at the close of the 15th century A.D. "

    You can read the above paragraph at the following link:

    https://books.google.com/books?id=p_...20king&f=false

    Therefore, owing to the above reasons, it can be deciphered that Shankara and Ramanuja's mission was partly meant to curb the popularity of Budhdhism.

    Saints have so many missions, not just one or two, and they are fully capable to function at many levels too, is it not?

    Thanks.
    jai hanuman gyan gun sagar jai kapis tihu lok ujagar

  6. #6

    Re: Correct to have demolished Budhdhist temples to build Hindu temples?

    Namaste viraj ji,

    Perhaps somethings were true, but it doesn't seem very accurate, but it's not buddha dharma that is separate from sanatana dharma, but more to do with decline and degradation and the needs of society at the time.

    History is as obscure as birth itself, and while I've tried in parts to dig out the right history in so many areas it's usually full of bias which is further endorsed by the victors.

    So I don't tend to get involved with historical debates, not linear ones and just make the links through the teachings. And the main links I have found is with a beautiful synthesis between avadhuta nagarjuna, Acharya gaudapa and Sri Adi shankara, this helps me build a better picture of the underlying causes of changes in the environments of the time. Even this can't be understood through empirical study but requires another method.

    Society is always changing, Rajas are many times overcome with greed and power, and what better way to excersise that power by channelling it through spiritual sentiments of the people who look upto acharyas as pure representatives of the Absolute Truth.

    With a brief overview Buddhism was failing society in the masses due to a couple of things, loss of power of caste based regimes due to rejection and challenging of cast based rule and also moghal invasion where a Buddhist india was ill prepared for war. The rest of the details can be filled in as one see's fit.

    The sages of the time in both north and south india took buddha dharma outside of India, not to convert people but to protect the pure teachings and safe guard them in safe areas where the social norms were not as affected like they were in a diverse India. The essence of buddha dharma was envoloped into the writings of the the acharyas. We should try be aware that siddharta was a raja brahma rishi in the dress of a simple renounced monk, quite unique really.

    The true teachings of dharma were realinged in areas where it went off the rail to various degrees, and that goes with all the said acharyas and saints.

    If things are over literal like say within Isckon and the teachings of chaitanya mahaprabhu then it could be interpreted that he was born to solve and finally correct the mistakes in the siddhanta of almost everyone that ever spoke in India, vishnu as partial form of Krsna, Adi shankara preached mayavada as an empowered form of shiva to confuse everyone with the Atheistic philosophy of advaita vedanta, update the partial and incomplete teachings of dvaita of madhavacharya, belittle guru nanak devas impersonal monistiic bhakti teachings, the impersonal voidism of buddhism and so on, but apparently he was a great unifier and taught oneness in diversity.

    Well good luck with the raging debate of facebook, I'm sure it willbe solved and everyone will be friends after and no division was caused in the name of sanatana dharma.
    Last edited by markandeya 108 dasa; 10 December 2017 at 11:05 AM.

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    Re: Correct to have demolished Budhdhist temples to build Hindu temples?

    Quote Originally Posted by Viraja View Post
    Nevertheless, many of my learned friends (at facebook) vouched for the fact that so many Hindu temples were built after bringing down Budhdhist temples that existed previously on that spot.
    This kind of thing has always happened. In England, the oldest churches are usually sited on pre-christian pagan temple sites. The site was already considered sacred and the incoming group wanted to appropriate that for themselves. Always lots of power, patronage and politics behind such upheavals.

    I've always found it odd that Buddhism so entirely vanished from India, although it was never far away, in Nepal, Sri Lanka, Burma or even here:
    https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Srivijaya#Religion

    Nowadays, it's of no more value than historical interest whether Buddhist temple remains are beneath a venerable Hindu temple. Where are those ancient Buddhists to complain? Should Buddhism ever gain any kind of following in India new temples can be built. It's only a building after all. The true dharma is in the heart.

  8. #8

    Re: Correct to have demolished Budhdhist temples to build Hindu temples?

    Namaste viraj,

    I will address the other method, which doesn't come from books, but more from the people themselves.

    I walked through Andra Pradesh and Tamil nadu with padayatra bullock cart party, walking from tirtha to tirtha following the route of Sri Chaitanya Mahaprabhus way when he walked all round India, and other personal yatras, stopping at passing through each town and village on the way. Along the way you meet all sorts of people, with varying stories and after a while a more clear picture is painted and there is a more organic natural understanding that develops. People have diverse views, life and events affect different people, in many ways, history is as complex as each individual experience, why is ones persons experience and view more important than the others.

    I've visited srirangam and many other great and majestic tirthas of south india, and there is no better way than doing foot yatra, there is a gradual introduction up and subtle build up before getting there and the mind is purified by the tapas of yatra.

    The lasting impression that stays with me is that the underlying mood of India is one of great pride and synthesis and reverance for all aspects of the culture and heritage.

    It's just such a pity that there are raging debates over such sacred sites that have served generations of people and built up such a great identity, something that not one person can ever capture and put in a box.

    Many of the ancient sites were strong learning centres and Buddhism played a major positive role.

    At Jagganatha Puri temple at the top of the highest mandir is dharmachakra with the eight spokes a representation of āryāṣṭāṅgamārg the noble eightfold path and was a great learning centre of the path of dharma. Why does that still remain and not burned on the floor, and a more contemporay Hindu symbol replacing it, to show domination and destruction of buddha dharma, the great evil of India where great saints had to take birth to rid it forever.

    Don't let all these schisms confuse the real truth that lives in the hearts of the people. Universities of the modern age is not the way to learn about these things, neither through schlars and, politicans, false catse brahmins ( that doesn't mean there is rejection of natural Brahmin qualities) and corrupt politicians, nor the bias of just one opinion. India has enough problems, just the same as everywhere else where people are more interested in division and conflict and further dividing one another.

    The second method is to develop that āryāṣṭāṅgamārg within our own being and let the world be as it is and have some confidence in that way. I've tried in many ways to change others views by another view and it hardly ever works, not matter how sincere I've tried it's always failed.
    Last edited by markandeya 108 dasa; 11 December 2017 at 05:30 PM.

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    Re: Correct to have demolished Budhdhist temples to build Hindu temples?

    Thank you for your kind replies friends, @srivijaya, @markandeya 108 dasa...!

    I too browsed around the net, it seems that while Buddha himself taught ahimsa, abstinence from consuming alcohol and refraining from non-vegetarian food, celibacy (for the monks) and other such strict disciplines, his followers, even those who served as monks, did not practice these for long. And hence slowly the situation among the practitioners of Buddhism was that of losing the morale. It was at this time that Shankara seems to have been born to revive the practice of Hinduism among masses.

    Honestly I expected certain philosophical differences (possibly) between Hinduism and Buddhism - certain fundamental differences in their respective doctrines - as to why it was an important mission for the acharyas to have undertaken re-establishment of correct and pristine form of Hindu practices among people.

    But now it seems there aren't such differences... but just that as said already, the deterioration of followers who knew Buddhism and interpreted its doctrines accurately was the reason for the mission of the acharyas.

    Kind regards.
    jai hanuman gyan gun sagar jai kapis tihu lok ujagar

  10. #10

    Re: Correct to have demolished Budhdhist temples to build Hindu temples?

    Namaste Viraj,

    If there was any degradation of Buddha Dharma it would have been through the popularization of tantra.

    I read some accounts where the varna based systems lived in total harmony with the Buddhist who were in the early days a renounced order. The two lived in harmony and complimented each other. Somewhere along the line that balance was lost.

    Why do any of the avatars and Acharya again empower, it seems sri krsna gives a simple concise and perfect understanding.

    BG 4.7



    This sloka seems to have multiple meanings.

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