Gita Rahasya -Tilak 636

Srimad Bhagavadgita-Rahasya OR Karma-Yoga-Sastra -Bal Gangadhar Tilak

CHAPTER XV APPENDIX I have so far pointed out the differences and the similarities "between the Vedic and the Buddhistic Paths of Renunciation. Let us now see what Buddha had to say regarding the state of a householder. Although Buddhism is based on four visible foundations, namely, the existence of unhappiness in worldly life, etc., and does not attach any importance to the Philosophy of the Atman and the Non-Atman, yet, it must be borne in mind that Buddhism was not fundamentally Energistic, like the purely Materialistic religion of modern philosophers like Comte, or even like the Gita-religion. It is true that Buddha does not accept the philosophical 'vision' (drsti) of the Knowledge of the Atman described in the Upanisads. But, as Buddhism has adopted in toto the doctrine enunciated by Yajnavalkya in the Brhadaranyakopanisad, that it is the highest duty of every man in this world to give up worldly life altogether, and to make the Mind desireless and free from slavery to the objects of pleasure, that religion has fundamentally become a religion of Renunciation purely. The sum and substance of the whole advice of Buddha is, that it is impossible to acquire the highest happiness, or the position of an arhata, if one remains in the state of a householder. Still, it is not that Buddhism does not at all deal with the state of a householder. Buddhistic treatises have given the name 'upasaka' to those persons who, without becoming monks, put faith in BUDDHA, in his RELIGION, and in the SOCIETIES of MONKS, and who surrender themselves to these three, by reciting the incantation 'buddham saranam gacchami', 'dharmam saranam gacchami', 'sangham’ saranam gacchami', i. e., 'I surrender myself to Buddha, to his religion, and to the religious societies'. These Upasakas may be taken to be the householders of Buddhism; and Buddha himself has in some places preached how these Upasakas should live in the state of householders, when he had occasion to give this advice. Buddha did not accept either the Srauta religious sacrifices pertaining to the state of a householder, which involved the slaughter of animals, or the division of society into the four castes. When these things are eliminated, all that remain out of the duties of a householder, are the five Mahayajnas of the Smrtis, philanthrophy and other charitable duties, and leading a moral life ; and in describing the state of a householder, these are the only things which are referred to in Buddhistic religious treatises. Buddha has said that every householder, or Upasaka, must perform the five Mahayajnas ; and he has also clearly laid down that the Buddhist Upasaka must observe such rules of Morality as, Non- Violence , Veracity , Not-Stealing , Sympathy towards all created things , Self -Identification (although he did not accept the existence of the Atman), Purity, or mental chastity, and especially, making charitable gifts of food, raiment etc. to Buddhist monks or Buddhist monasteries.