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BUDDHISM
Buddhism seems to have a wider sway in Orissa.
It was from Orissa that the two merchants, 'Tapasu' and 'Bhallika', spread
the message of the Buddha in Kalinga and two tribes, 'Vass' and 'Bhanja'
were converted to Buddhism and made efforts for its propagation.
It
is believed from legends that a mendicant or 'Bhikshu' named 'Kshama'
retrieved a tooth of the Buddha from the pyre and gave it to the Kalinga
King 'Brahmadatta' who built a 'Chaitya' and named the place as Dantap.
In the history of Buddhism in India the Kalinga War is one of the most
memorable events since the scene of massacre and the carnage there
resulted in a profound change in Ashoka's heart culminating in his
conversion to Buddhism to eschew violence, on the realization that the
victory of the sword was not genuine. Thus the terrible 'Chandashoka' was
transformed into the compassionate 'Dharmashoka'.
Under Ashoka's patronage Buddhism spread swiftly over the world from
Greece to Ceylon (now known as Sri Lanka). Tissa, brother of Ashoka, spent
his last years in Kalinga and Bhojakagiri Vihar became the residence of
Dharmarakshita, the teacher of Tissa, from where he transmitted the
doctrines of Buddhism and inspired the people of Kalinga. His
distinguished disciple 'Dhitak Kumar' came to Kalinga to establish the
foundation of the 'Sravastivada' school of Buddhism, which received wide
acceptance, and Kalinga turned out to be one of its principal centres.
In order to make it a mass religion the followers of this school admitted
common people into its fold and in the process transformed Budda into an
omnipotent, omniscient super human being. 'Asta Sahasrika', the earliest
'Prajnaoaramita' literature, was prepared in Orissa leading to the
development of the 'Mahayana' school of Buddhism in Orissa. It did not,
however, displace the 'Hinayana' school, which had influenced the life of
the Oriya people after the construction of the Chaitya at Dantapur to
preserve the sacred tooth relic, Guhasiva, the king of Kalinga in the 3rd
century AD had become a Buddhist and he sent the relic to Ceylon for its
safe preservation.
The 'Sailodbhava' kings were Buddhists who took Buddhism to the Southeast
Asian countries along with Orissan art and culture. 'Sasanka' who conqured
Kangoda was, however, an opponent of Buddhism which, as a result,
disappeared from Kangoda although it survived in the Kalinga region where
Puspagiri became famous as one of the great centres of Hinayana Buddhism
as mentioned by the Chinese traveler 'Hiuen Tsang', who found it to be a
centre for both Hinayana and Mahayana Buddhism.
The Home Of Buddhist Complexes
The wide influence of Buddhism between the 1st and 7th centuries AD on
the religious and spiritual life of Orissa is evident from the literature,
art, architecture, sculpture and philosophy of the period. To this
efflorescence of Mahayana Buddhism the contribution of Orissa can be
judged from the flourishing Buddhist centres at Parimalagiri, Surabhagiri,
Bhorasila, Tamralipti amd Chelitalo.
The great "Madhyamika" philosopher 'Nagarjuna' is supposed to
have lived on the "Harisankar-Nrusinghanath" in Balangir
district. "Surabhagiri" is identified as the Dhauli hill at
Bhubaneswar where the philosopher 'Acharya Sarvagami' had his 'Vihara' for
the teaching of 'Yogachara'.
The philosopher 'Dingnaga', the founder of Buddhistic logic is believed
to have lived at "Bhorsila", which is imagined by some to be
'Delang' (Puri). The ultimate development of logic was achieved by Acharya
Dharmakirti who lived in the Ganjam district.
The greatest centre of the Yogachara School, however, was 'Lalitgiri'
(Jajpur) and the
archaeological excavations there as also at
'Udaigiri'
have proved beyond doubt that it must have been a great flourishing centre
of 'Buddhism' of the Hinayana, Madhyamika and Yogachara schools.
'Tantric' Buddhism seems to have evolved from the Yogachara School.
'Acharya Pitupada', (800-900 AD) achieved a great reputation for scholar
and saint at Ratnagiri and promulgated "Kalachakryana", a new
vehicle of Buddhism.
By the 7th century AD, Tantric Buddhism made its appearance and 8th
century, King 'Indrabhuti' of Sambalpur
purified Tantric Buddhism and introduced it as Vajrayana, which is
supposed to have travelled to the remaining parts of the country and
Tibet. Vajrayana was changed to 'Sahajayana' by 'Lashminkara', the
princess of Sonepur and sister of 'Indrabhuti'. It is believed that the
great Buddhist saint 'Padmasambhava' went to Tibet from Orissa to
propagate "Vajrayana" Buddhism.