We know that in ancient Tamil Nadu, several religions were practised till the 6^th century. Among them, Buddhism occupies an important place. In this lesson, you will learn about the growth of Buddhism in general and the conditions under which it flourished and also about how it then declined.

What is Buddhism? It is the religion founded by Prince Siddhartha, who renounced his princely life, did penance, attained enlightenment and then preached the truths that he had lighted upon. Though it originated in North India, it soon spread all over India and even abroad.

It was Emperor Ashoka who was responsible for the spreading of Buddhism. He lived during the 3rd century B.C. This information can be obtained from stone inscriptions of that age. Buddhism was propagated in Tamil Nadu and elsewhere by groups of Buddhist monks called Thevar. In Tamil Nadu , they acquired the patronage of the kings, merchants and wealthy people in order to establish schools and temples. In their monasteries, these monks not only studied medicine but treated patients free of charge. In their schools, students were taught Buddha’s teachings, his life-history and stories associated with his life. Putha Jathakakkathaikal In addition to all this, the Buddhist monks constructed choultries where food was distributed freely to the disabled and the poor. Such acts of kindness enabled the monks to endear themselves to the common people. This facilitated the creation of Buddhist Literature in Tamil, and later a grammar based on that literature. Two of the five great classics in Tamil, Manimekalai and Kundalakeci were written specifically to propagate Buddhism.

It is surprising that such a popular and firmly established religion soon lost its hold on the masses thanks to the all embracing, music oriented Bhakthi movement, which attracted the people by its practicality. It also advocated the doctrine that by chanting the Lord’s name, one could attain all the good things of life and also salvation. The common man felt that this was easier and better than realising God through a rigidly disciplined life which involved the renunciation of earthly pleasures. This led to the gradual decline of Buddhism.