--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: In bidding for popular support and…" description: "\"“In bidding for popular support and competing with other cults as a parallel religion, the sangha had been losing ground throughout India since the tim..." image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/deb/john-keay-31557_buddhism_in-bidding-for-popular-support-and-compe_980121.jpg" --- # In bidding for popular support and competing with other… ![“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…” quote by John Keay](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/deb/john-keay-31557_buddhism_in-bidding-for-popular-support-and-compe_980121.jpg) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/deb/john-keay-31557_buddhism_in-bidding-for-popular-support-and-compe_980121.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/deb/john-keay-31557_buddhism_in-bidding-for-popular-support-and-compe_980121.jpg) > ““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.”” [John Keay](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-keay/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. 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. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Bhakti Movement](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/bhakti-movement-1939676/) [Buddhism](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/buddhism/) [Called Bhakti](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/called-bhakti-1939679/) [Enlightenment](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/enlightenment/) [Guptas Populist](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/guptas-populist-1939680/) [Religion](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/religion/) [Religion Sangha](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/religion-sangha-1939678/) [Sangha Losing](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/sangha-losing-1939677/) ## Related quotes > [“Intelligence says think. Understanding says ponder. Insight says perceive. 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