Foreword

Summary

The foreword sets the tone for the volume by linking it to the twenty‑fifth centenary of Gautama Buddha. It notes that the celebrations awakened popular awareness of India’s cultural heritage and emphasised the deep cultural links between India and the countries of eastern Asia. Buddhism, the editor explains, made multifaceted contributions to Indian civilisation – in language, literature, art, architecture and social ideals. The Buddha lived in a time of entrenched ritualism and caste‑based orthodoxy, and he had to overcome considerable opposition from traditionalists. His teachings appealed to intellectuals and common people alike because they showed that salvation was not the monopoly of a few. The foreword highlights the Buddha’s emphasis on self‑reliance and the law of causality. It notes that, although raised in the Indian religious tradition, the Buddha had the courage to challenge its efficacy in ending human suffering. By negating any positive metaphysical concept of the absolute, he underscored that ultimate truth cannot be conceptualised. The editor also introduces ethics and social ideals. He contrasts the ritual‑based ethics of Brahmanical texts with the Buddha’s emphasis on compassion and the moral law, and notes that the monastic institutions later evolved into centres of learning, art and architecture. Finally, the foreword acknowledges the contributions of Buddhist philosophers, logicians and translators over two millennia, emphasising how their ideas and literary activities enriched Indian and Asian thought.