Buddhism in Tagore's Writings

Religious views of Rabindranath Tagore was undoubtedly shaped by his life-long association with Upanishads- a legacy left by his grandfather Dwarkanath Tagore and his father Debendranath Tagore.Tagore was brought up at Jorashanko  at his ancestral house where slokas and texts were part of everyday ritual of worship. Hence his idea of spirituality and God is a congruence of the ideas of supreme cosmic energy, worship of nature and beauty of the soul or Aatman. Many of the slokas of Upanishads is echoed in his poems. The famous Rigveda  sloka- “ Madhubata Hritayate, becomes in poet’s words-E dyulok madhumoy, madhumoy ei prithibir dhuli..

His love for humanity, his view of a humanistic religion transcending the borders of political states was, to some extent , ethered from his association with the Vaishnava poets . The notions of tolerance and harmony he got from “ Maitri Bhavna” of Buddhism.

Unlike the more rigid code of the Hinayana or Lesser Vessel of Buddhism, Tagore found a greater appeal in Mahayana vessel. The Buddhist scriptures often depicts salvation as –

“ salvation is essentially the breaking down of this continuity- an escape from the cycles of existence. Buddhism thus sees salvation as the complete obliteration of individual consciousness called ‘nirvana’.”

Tagore looked beyond this self- annihilation and exclusion of oneself from the mainstream of humanity as the only road towards salvation that is so commonly spoken of in Buddhism.

Unlike the harsher code of self denial of Hinayana, Mahayana Buddhism offers to all beings salvation by following the path of love, faith and even the pursuit of knowledge. It stresses on the attainment of nirvana with noble emotions and with action for the good of community. This humane aspect of Buddhism appealed to the poet. In an address at shantiniketan, the poet says, “ At the root of Buddhism, there is a metaphysical theory. But it is not this that has united people under its banner. Its friendship- its pity and mercy and the universal love preached by the Buddha have helped to remove barriers between man and man.”

Tagore in his poems pens this thought of humane internationalism. He denounces the self-annihilation as nirvana- rather, he believes in the evolution of the human spirit or aatma through service to the others. He condemns the inaction and exclusion of oneself from the sorrows and struggles of the society in order to attain nirvana as preached by some doctrines of Buddhism. Isolation of mind and soul from the material world never appealed to him. Rather, he expresses the more humanistic nature of Buddha’s teachings- universal love, spiritual beauty and service to mankind. He highlights the tenets of “ Maitri Bhavana” as was preached by Buddha. Buddha says-

“ Avyapajjyo homi, aneegho homi, Sukhi attanang pariharami-

Yathalabhdho sampattityo ma vigachhantu-“

Let all living beings be happy, let all beings be without enemy. Let all beings be nonviolent. Let every soul be happy, let every being get what is rightfully his.

Buddha further defines this universal love towards every creature as-

“ Mata yatha nijang puttong ayushla ekputtamanurkshe,

Evamapi sabbabhuteshu man sang bhaavye aparimaaye..”

As a mother saves her child with her own life, so also we should strive to save maittri among all living beings.

Many of Tagore’s work thus refers to the service of humanity as the best form of service to God.

The Buddhist themes in his works necessarily depicts this message whether in Chandalika or Shaapmochan or Avisar, to name a few.

One of his poems can be quoted which nurtures the poet’s view on religion-

Leave this chanting and singing and telling of beads! 
Whom dost thou worship in this lonely dark corner of a temple with doors all shut? 
Open thine eyes and see thy God is not before thee! 

He is there where the tiller is tilling the hard ground 
and where the pathmaker is breaking stones. 
He is with them in sun and in shower, 
and his garment is covered with dust. 
Put off thy holy mantle and even like him come down on the dusty soil! 

Deliverance? 
Where is this deliverance to be found? 
Our master himself has joyfully taken upon him the bonds of creation; 
he is bound with us all for ever. 

Come out of thy meditations and leave aside thy flowers and incense! 
What harm is there if thy clothes become tattered and stained? 
Meet him and stand by him in toil and in sweat of thy brow.