Hinduism and Buddhism: Convergent or Divergent – Rajath V

Sheldon Pollock invokes the theory of Axial age to argue that Buddhism brought in a revolution in India in all spheres of life — religious, linguistic, social, philosophical etc. He goes on to say that even the developments in Vedic darshanas such as Mimamsa came about as a reaction to this revolution of Buddhism. An examination of the history and philosophy of Buddhism presented here clearly shows that Buddhism was but one of the waves of thought that sprang up organically in the intellectual evolution of Indians. The ideas and background for Buddhism was very much pre-existing (at least in seed form) in the Vedas, Upanishads and Shramana (Ajivikas, Jains etc.) traditions.

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