An Introduction to Specialty of the Buddhist Tradition among the Indian Śramaṇa Traditions; with Respect to Pali Canon

Abstract

India is concerned as the spring of eastern ideological revolution. For this very reason, India (Bhārata) is also known as the ‘treasury of eastern knowledge’. Although, the exact beginning of this ideological revolution is not known, it is agreed by the scholars that it extends to the Vedic period. The śramaṇa (leaving the lay household life for asceticism) tradition can be shown as a major turning point in this revolution. Majority view is that the śramaṇa tradition is an institution was started as an answer to the brāhmanic teachings. This cannot be accepted as a foregone conclusion since historians have shown evidence that the śramaṇa tradition was practiced from the the beginning of Āryans.