Some Reflections on Buddhism and Gandhism

THE teachings of Lord Buddha may be divided into two groups: 1.Philosophical; 2. Moral. The two groups are interwoven in such a way that the one cannot be understood properly without knowledge of the other. The fundamental principle of the Buddha’s philosophy is the theory of Causation or Dependent-Orientation. The Buddha said, “Suf-fering and pain are the direct result of ignorance. ” Commenting on the cause of suffering in the Buddhistic ethics, Radhakrishnan writes, “Ignorance is the main cause out of which false desire springs. When knowledge is attained, suffering is at an end. Ignorance and false desire are the theoretical and the practical sides of the one fact. ” The desire to live as the sole cause of suffering is not possible as long as the desire to live continues. If the craving for passion, existence, birth, rebirth, and pleasure is the cause of evil, the removal of evil can occur through the cessation of craving. The other important theory of the Buddha concerns the Four Noble Truths, the first being that all existence is full of suffering. The secon