Sarnath, where Buddhism began!

Visit to Sarnath felt very different.  There was no rush and we walked around the ancient site at a leisurely pace admiring the stupa, from afar and up close. The surroundings felt peaceful. Gradually it hit me that most of the ruins were at the foundation level! We returned to Varanasi after walking around as the Museum was closed due to the pandemic. 

Tara and I lived in a Buddhist country for 22 years. We had no hassles as we lead a life as Hindus without any restraints.  Perhaps no crackers during Diwali was a bit of a dampener. 

In fact, I  had seen statues of Hindu gods in many places, including government buildings. Very impressive to see the incredibly huge statues of lord Ganesh installed at Chachengsao.  In Thailand, Ganesha is called Phra Phikanet (พระพิฆเนศ) and is worshipped as the deity of fortune and success, and the remover of obstacles. He is associated with arts, education and trade. Shrines and statues for this elephant-headed Hindu God can be seen all around Thailand. Some of the largest statues of Ganesha can be found in Chachoengsao province. This is an easy day trip from Bangkok. But, you would need your own transport.

More about Sarnath:

Sarnath (Hindustani pronunciation: [saːɾnaːtʰ]) is a place located 10 kilometres north-east of Varanasi near the confluence of the Ganges and the Varuna rivers in Uttar Pradesh, India. The Deer Park in Sarnath is where Gautama Buddha first taught the Dharma, and where the Buddhist Sangha came into existence through the enlightenment of Kondanna (Sanskrit: Kauṇḍinya).

Most of the ancient buildings and structures at Sarnath were damaged or destroyed by the Turks*. 

For Buddhists, Sarnath (or Isipatana) is one of four pilgrimage sites designated by Gautama Buddha, the other three being Kushinagar, Bodh Gaya, and Lumbini.

The Chaukhandi Stupa commemorates the spot where the Buddha met his first disciples, dating back to the fifth century or earlier... 

The Ashoka Pillar erected here ..(presently on display at the Sarnath Museum), was broken during Turk invasions but the base still stands at the original location. The Lion Capital now symbolizes the modern state of India. The Lion Capital served as the base of a large 32-spoke stone dharma-chakra, which was found broken into many pieces. The seal of the Supreme court of India displays the Dharma Chakra as it must have originally appeared.

https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sarnath

Buddhism is one of the world's largest religions and originated 2,500 years ago in India. Buddhists believe that the human life is one of suffering, and that meditation, spiritual and physical labor, and good behavior are the ways to achieve enlightenment, or nirvana… Wikipedia 

A group of devotees chanting prayers

A monk in communion with his inner self!

It does disturb, but we are used to ruins all over the world

The whole park was spotlessly clean!

We didn't shop for souvenirs!

Buddhism which began with just 5 to whom it was explained by the enlightened Buddha in Sarnath  is now the 5th largest religion by proportion and 4th largest by population in the world. 

('proportion' indicates the spread of the religion across different countries.)

Whether 'The Buddha' would have been happy at being number 4 by population is anybody's guess!

It is for sure that one who believes that he/she ‘has the knowledge’ would like to share it and want it to be followed by one and all. It is with good intentions it is preached to others.

It is seen the top two religions make up for 56%  of the human population. Third  are those who are irreligious and are atheists. Even if they are well spread all over the world, their numbers are small as a population in many countries. Not really sure whether they have any influence in making their country tolerant. 

There is a race to be number one, especially among the top two religions. Their methods  differ, but it is clear the race has been on for many centuries. 

One wonders if strife is inevitable or is there a way for us to be rational and create a new order? 

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_religious_populations

Contents

• 1Adherents in 2020
  • 1.1Notes
• 2By proportion
  • 2.1Christians
  • 2.2Muslims
  • 2.3Irreligious and atheist
  • 2.4Hindus
  • 2.5Buddhists
  • 2.6Taoists/Confucianists/Chinese traditional religionists
  • 2.7Ethnic and indigenous
  • 2.8Sikhism
  • 2.9Spiritism
  • 2.10Judaism
  • 2.11Jainism
• 3By population
  • 3.1Christians
  • 3.2Muslims
  • 3.3Hindus
  • 3.4Buddhists
  • 3.5Sikhs
  • 3.6Jews
  • 3.7Baháʼís
  • 3.8Jainism
    
    https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Importance_of_religion_by_country