Buddhism Quote by John Keay
““In bidding for popular support and competing with other cults as a parallel religion, the sangha had been losing ground throughout India since the time of the Guptas. Populist devotional cults emanating from south India (the so-called bhakti movement) were pre-empting Buddhism’s traditional appeal as a refuge from brahman authority and caste prejudice. At the same time a reform movement started by Sankara (788–820), a brahman from Kerala, was reclaiming for a distilled essence of Vedic philosophy (vedanta) the high moral and doctrinal ground previously enjoyed by the Noble Eightfold Path. As a result Buddhism was already largely confined to the peripheral regions of Sind, Kashmir, Nepal, and of course the Pala heartland in eastern India.””
About This Quote
Source Book: India: A History by John Keay, 2000
Buddhism’s influence waned in India as popular devotional movements and a reformist Vedanta revival attracted followers, confining Buddhism to peripheral regions.
In simple terms: Buddhism lost ground to bhakti and Vedanta, becoming regionally limited.
Key Takeaway
Recognize how competing ideas reshape religious landscapes.
Themes
religion
history
competition
cultural change
regionalism
Mood
reflective
analytical
Type
historical
interpretive
analytical
When to use this quote
- scholarly research
- educational curricula
- interfaith dialogue
- cultural tourism
- policy making
Key Concepts
Buddhism
bhakti movement
Vedanta
caste dynamics
political patronage
Questions to Reflect On
- How do popular movements challenge established traditions?
- What factors enable a religion to persist despite marginalization?
A Different Perspective
The decline also involved internal doctrinal rigidity and external political shifts.
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