1) The Buddha claimed no place for Himself in His own Dhamma : Christ claimed to be the Prophet of Christianity. He further claimed that he was the Son of God. Christ also laid down the condition that there was no salvation for a person unless he accepted that Christ was the Son of God. Thus Christ secured a place for Himself by making the salvation of the Christian depend upon his acceptance of Christ as the Prophet and Son of God. Mohammad, the Prophet of Islam, claimed that he was a Prophet sent by God. He further claimed that no one could get salvation unless he accepted two other conditions. A seeker of salvation in Islam must accept that Mohammad is the Prophet of God. A seeker after salvation in Islam must further accept that he is the last prophet. Salvation in Islam is thus ensured only to those who accept these two conditions. Mohammad thus secured a place for Himself by making the salvation of the Muslim depend upon his acknowledgement of Mohammed as the Prophet of God. No such condition was ever made by the Buddha. He claimed that he was no more than the natural son of Suddhodana and Mahamaya. He carved for himself no place in his religion by laying down any such conditions regarding himself for salvation as Jesus and Mahommad did. 2) The Buddha did not promise to give Salvation. He said He was Marga Data (Way Finder) and not Moksha Data (Giver of Salvation) : The Buddha never claimed that he was a prophet or a messenger of God. He repudiated any such description. A more important point than this is that his religion is a discovery. As such, it must be sharply distinguished from a religion which is called Revelation. His religion is a discovery in the sense that it is the result of inquiry and investigation into the conditions of human life on earth; and understanding of the working of human instincts with which man is born; the moulding of his instincts and dispositions which man has formed as a result of history and tradition, and which are working to his detriment. All prophets have promised salvation. The Buddha is the one teacher who did not make any such promise. He made a sharp distinction between a moksha data and a marga data, one who gives salvation and one who only shows the way. He was only a marga data. Salvation must be sought by each for himself by his own effort. 3) The Buddha did not Claim any Divinity for himself or for his Dhamma. It was discovered by man for man. It was not a Revelation : Every founder of religion has either claimed divinity for himself or for his teachings. Moses, although he did not claim for himself any divine origin, did claim divine origin for his teachings. He told his followers that if they wished to reach the land of milk and honey they must accept the teachings, because they were the teachings of Jehovah the God. Jesus claimed divinity for himself. He claimed that he was the Son of God. Naturally His teachings acquired a divine origin. Krishna said that he was God himself, and theGitawas his own word. The Buddha made no such claim, either for himself or his Sasana. He claimed that he was one of the many human beings and his message to the people was the message of man to man. He never claimed infallibility for his message. The only claim he made was that his message was the only true way to salvation as he understood it. It was based on universal human experience of life in the world. He said that it was open to anyone to question it, test it, and find what truth it contained. No founder has so fully thrown open his religion to such a challenge. ~ Revolutionary Dr.Babasaheb Ambedkar.
Reference:
* Dr. Babasaheb Ambedkar Writings and Speeches: English Volume- 11, Buddha and His Dhamma.
Jai bheem...!!!Long Live Ambedkarism.....!!!
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