Decline & Revival of Buddhism

A Critical Study of Decline and Revival of Buddhism in India.

Article.Write Up.History.

Dr. Madhup Raman.

Birth of Buddhism India is the country where Buddhism was born and where from the river Kosi to Saraswati from Vindhya to Himalaya. Buddha taught his love and non violence based doctrine to this world and showed the way Aashtangik Marga to get rid of the world sufferings, wandering from place to place during forty-five years. 

Where from king to beggar, from illiterate to philosopher, from the common people to the greatest intellect, all were living with one another in their love of Buddhism through many countries. Surprisingly now Buddishm became a world wide liking religion specially for the south east Asian countries.    

For thousand of years students from the various countries of the  world came to learn sublime  teaching of  Buddha, the love and brotherhood of all humanity. They visted the different cites and universities wherever  Buddha resided and frequently visited for giving sermons to their disciples. This area was mostly centering around Nalanda, Rajgrih, and Bodhgaya etc. As the Nalanda University has been a very important place where Buddhism philosophy was taught by the renowned scholars like Sheelbhadra and Hiuen Tsang.  From here the message of peace and love was sent to the far away countries from the Pacific to the Mediterranean, from Altai to Oceania, and the great civilized people such as the Greeks and Chinese were profoundly influenced by the valuable teachings of the Buddha. Even now the religion which was born here, has the greatest followers among the world-religions. 

How it was possible for India to lose Buddhism is a strange and painful question. History of Buiddhism from the eighth Century onward is  a very sad story of degeneration, decline and ultimate disappearance. 

During the period from 700 to 1150 A.D., we hear very little of Buddhism outside Kashmir, Bengal and Bihar where the  religion of Buddha was still flourishing. For our remembering the Kushan ruler  king Kanishka (78-101CE) a great supporter of  Mahayan Buddhism heartedly and built so many Buddhist monasteries  in  Kashmir and where ever he was ruling during his period .Even he summoned the 4th Buddhisht council in his reign.  

What was the condition of the religion of the Buddha was still flourishing.

What was the condition of Buddlhism in those days?  What were internal and external affairs of the country and how it arrived at its condition then, we know little.  

The renaissance of Buddhism can be said to have commenced in India towards the middle of the 18th century when  the British civil servants started bringing to light its treasures hidden under dust and debris.  

The systematic revival of Buddhism in India began in 1891 with the arrival of Anagarika Dharampala, a young Sinhal Buddhist, who turned out to be the first great missionary of modern times.  

And after independence of India, the revival movement took a new turn as Buddhism came to be associated with nationalism and ancient Indian culture. However the  diversity in Indian culture , lack of the patronage, Buddhism as a too tolerant religion were the reasons in India where the pace of popularity remained slow in India. Presently Buddhism a religion of humanity never believed in pomp and show.   
We have a discussion over the issues of Political causes of Decline, Social causes of Decline, Religious causes of Decline ,Buddhist Renaissance a 1750-1890.Systematic Revival of Buddhism (1891–1947),Mass Movement for Buddhist Revival (1947 onward ) for the Conclusion. 

Now at few places in India like Sikkim, Himachal Dharamshala, Bihar Bodhgaya, still striving to revive Buddhism in India. As in  Dharamshala, Himachal a world wide famous Nobel prize winner now a refugee from Tibet to India is residing here and striving to revive Buddhism through his work naturally comes in a lime light.    

Purpose of  this work will be to do some scientific analysis of these causes of decline    

Leaving behind such a dark age this work will further unfold the story of revival movement of Buddhism in modern India. 

The history of revival movement can be conveniently divided  into three distinct phases  namely.(a) Renaissance (1750 - 1890) (b) Systematic Revival (1891–1917): and (c) Mass Movement (1947 onward)