Budu Dahama saha Buddhagama:
What Buddhism really means
Reviewed by Daya Dissanayake
Budu Dahama saha Buddhagama has come out at a time when there is much
confusion about what the Buddha taught, and what is practised in the
country, and also the recent conflicting interpretation of the Buddha
Vacana, by some people taking a few words from the Tiripitaka out of
context. Prof. Marasinghe has compiled the book based on his lifelong
study of Buddhism and Buddhist scriptures.

Author: Prof. M.M.J. Marasinghe
Sarasavi Publication |
"Sinhalese Buddhists did not speak of 'Buddhism', and had no term
which could properly be translated until one was introduced with
Christian concepts. The word they now use, Buddhagama, which does seem
to translate as 'Buddhism', is compounded from the word Agama: this was
introduced from Sanskrit by Christian missionaries to signify their
notion of 'religion', for which they could find no term in the Sinhala
language." Thus wrote Martin Southwold, in the introduction to his book,
Buddhism in Life: The Anthropological Study of Religion and the
Sinhalese Practice of Buddhism.
I use the above quotation as my introduction to my thoughts on Prof.
Marasinghe's book on Buddha Dhamma and Buddhism, since I had to use a
Western view on the term Buddhagama, because we owe this word to them or
their influence. The word Buddhism could be traced back to early 19th
century. Max Weber used the term Buddhism, because he understood, or
tried to show, that Buddhism was a heterodox form of Hinduism. It is
recorded that Buddhagama had been used by Ven. Mohottivatte Gunananda
Thera at the Panadura debate on August 26, 1873, a term which was
already in use by then.
Practical religion
Southwold uses the terms game Buddhagama (Village Buddhism) as the
practical religion used in Sri Lankan villages, and 'Pure Buddhism' as
that practised by the urban middle-class, here again looking only at
'Buddhism' and the 'Buddhists', failing to understand Buddha's words.
Colonel Olcott in The Buddhist Catechism, wrote in 1897, the term
Buddhism is not the best name for teaching, that "it is only a Western
term: the best name for it is Buddha Dharma".
Prof. Marasinghe in his book discusses what the Buddha taught and the
religious faith which was built around His teaching.
This is a follow-up on his earlier book, 'Gods in Buddhism, Origin,
Function and Relevance', extending his thoughts beyond the worship of
Indian deities by the Buddhists. Budu Dahama saha Buddhagama is a book
which should be read by everyone who considers himself a Buddhist by
birth, by those who identify themselves as 'Sinhala Buddhists', and by
those who consider Buddhism as a philosophy, and people of other faiths,
to realise and understand that Buddhism has never been a threat to their
faith or their religious beliefs.
History
Prof. Marasinghe traces the history of Buddha Dhamma in Sri Lanka,
from the Pali Tripitaka, introduced to the country by Ven. Mahinda Thera
during the time of King Devanapiyatissa. The Pali Pitaka, (Sutta, Vinaya
and Abhidamma), passed down orally till the time of King Walagamba in
the first century CE, when they were written down, is considered as the
most accurate and complete record of the teachings of the Buddha.
It is said in the Mahaparinibbana Sutta that any doubts about the
teaching should be checked by immersion in the Sutta, while doubts or
issues regarding the Sangha should be checked in the Vinaya.
Ven. Buddhagosha's interpretation of the Satara Maha Apadesha (Four
Great Authorities) had contributed to the confusion in the
standardisation of the Buddha Vacana, which in turn had been further
aggravated by the translation of Rhys Davids.
The book further explains that the Sutta is the container or the
basket which contains the Buddha Vacana.
Ahimsa
He offers the idea that due to the pressure exerted on society by the
teaching of Ahimsa, and against animal sacrifice, votive offerings of
flowers and incense had become a practice even among those of the Vedic
faith, probably during the Mauryan period. This was also the period when
the Buddha Dhamma underwent many changes, from an atheistic to a
semi-theistic religious form.
As Prof. Marasinghe stated in his earlier book 'Gods in
Buddhism....', "From the Brahmani yanna (sacrifice) we find dana or
daksina, substituted in Buddhism... the ritual of flower-offering seems
to have been in its origin a substitute for human or animal sacrifice".
Another instance is the recitation of Ratana Sutta or Atanatiya, to
overcome fear of non-human beings or to chase them away, which is in
total contradiction to the Buddha Vacana.
He says that according to the Pitaka, there are no invisible beings
who can influence, affect, or help in anyway for man's material needs or
to attain his final goals. The Buddha was not a Saviour, but only the
being who showed us the path to cessation of suffering.
Sects
The Sangha split into various sects because they did not follow the
guide, sutte otariya tabbati, and did not check the entire Sutta Pitaka
when there were conflicting interpretations of certain words. One
example cited by Prof. Marasinghe is the issue about transferring merit
to the departed beings.
The book gives many examples of the later inclusions of pre-Buddha
beliefs and practices in the Pitaka and later on in the Attakatha and
other Buddhist literature.
It is only at the Third Council, during the time of Asoka, that the
idea of transferring merit to others had been brought up by the two
sects Rajagirika and Siddharthika, by their interpretation of the
Pancaka Nipata in the Anguttara Nikaya. Even though it was not accepted
at the Council, over the years in the Theravada practices in Sri Lanka
this belief took a very strong hold of the faithful.
There are many arguments brought forth, which should be able to open
the eyes of not only the lay devotees, but also the eyes of the Sangha,
to read the Tripitaka again, and then try to understand the Buddha
Vacana in its total, and not by just picking a few phrases or paragraphs
out of context. This has been the cause of all divisions among the
Sangha, and has also given an opportunity to politically, and
financially motivate powers to re-interpret the Buddha Vacana to suit
their immediate requirements.
Once we read Budu Dahama saha Buddhagama perhaps we should all
re-read the Kalama Sutta, not just to believe what is said, but to
understand what is said and try to understand it by ourselves.
Ehipassika! (Come and see)
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