Swami Vivekananda's lecture titled "Buddhistic India," delivered on February 2, 1900, explores the significance of Buddhism as a transformative global religion. He emphasizes that while many great religions existed before Buddhism, they were primarily confined to specific ethnic groups. Buddhism, in contrast, marked the first historical emergence of a world religion aiming to spread universally. Vivekananda notes that within a few centuries of its inception, Buddhist missionaries reached far and wide, significantly influencing the known civilized world, even coming close to converting two-thirds of India's population at one point. However, he also points out that India was never entirely Buddhistic, as the ancient Indian religion continued to exist alongside it. Unlike Christianity, which largely absorbed Judaism, Buddhism was eventually absorbed back into the Indian cultural fabric, leading to a decline in the prominence of Buddha's name in modern India. Vivekananda highlights the complex relationship between Buddhism and the indigenous religions of India, noting that while Buddhism made a substantial impact, it ultimately became part of the broader religious landscape of the region.

by Swami Vivekananda in English Biography

Writen by Swami Vivekananda

Category Biography