I've seen this behavior before (the way Hinduism is clinging to Buddhism in this manner expressed in this thread) in my ex-boyfriends and my guy friend who are geeky who suffer from low self-esteem and insecurity issues.
Hinduism it seems, is suffering from a collective insecurity issue, as it faces the modern age with uncertainty. The uncertainty of relevance to the rest of the world outside India... the uncertainty of the growth and expansion of secularism and Christianity in India... the uncertainty of whether the younger generations will adopt the traditions and way of life... all adds up to a religion which is insecure about itself.
Hinduism - if we may refer to the many religious sects and Traditions by that name for the sake of convenience - has been bitten in the backside by Buddhism in the past before... if we recall history:
***Quote Wikipedia***
The decline of Buddhism in India, the land of its birth, occurred for a variety of reasons, and happened even as it continued to flourish beyond the frontiers of India.[1] Buddhism was established in the area of ancient Magadha and Kosala by Gautama Buddha in the 6th century BCE, in what is now modern Uttar Pradesh and Bihar.[2] Buddhism, over the next 1500 years became the region's dominant belief system, spreading across the Indian sub-continent (see History of Buddhism).
After the death of Gautama Buddha, Buddhism saw rapid expansion in its first century, especially in northern and central India.[2] The Mauryan Emperor Ashoka (304-232 BCE) and later monarchs encouraged the expansion of Buddhism into Asia through religious ambassadors.
Chinese scholars traveling through the region between the 5th and 8th centuries CE, such as Faxian, Xuanzang, I-ching, Hui-sheng, and Song Yun, began to speak of a decline of the Buddhist sangha, especially in the wake of the White Hun invasion.[2] A continuing decline occurred after the fall of the Pala dynasty in the 12th century CE, continuing with the later destruction of monasteries by Muslim conquerors.[2]
Buddhism was virtually extinct in India by the end of the 19th century [...]
Following the Mauryans, Pusyamitra Sunga is linked in legend with the persecution of Buddhists and a resurgence of a form of Hinduism (Brahmanism) that forced Buddhism outwards to Kashmir, Gandhara and Bactria. There is some doubt as to whether he did or did not persecute Buddhists actively.[18]
A Buddhist tradition holds him as having taken steps to check the spread of Buddhism as "the number one enemy of the sons of the Sakyas[19] and a most cruel persecutor of the religion".[18] The Divyavadana ascribes to him the razing of stupas and viharas built by Ashoka, the placing of a bounty of 100 dinaras upon the heads of Buddhist monks (bhiksus) and describes him as one who wanted to undo the work of Ashoka.[20] -
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Decline_of_Buddhism_in_India
***End Quote***
Our Hindu friends today are very quick to cling to Buddhism, telling people Buddhism can't exist with out Hinduism... but when it comes to the past actions of this same Hindu religion against Buddhism they are silent.
Under Ashoka "Hinduism's" existence was threatened with the growth and expansion of Buddhism. When the opportunity arose after the age of Ashoka, the Hindus took full advantage of the situation and slaughters Buddhist. Of course we can't give all the credit of Buddhism extinction to Hinduism. That was eventually done by Islam. If it weren't for Islam, I believe Hinduism would have had to fight with Buddhism for its relevance and existence.
Everything was cool for the next 2000 years when Hinduism and Buddhism existed apart in different parts of the world. But this world grew smaller and smaller as the modern era passes on.
Today Buddhism - in all of its major vehicles, especially thanks to the likes and works of the Dalai Lama - has successfully "jumped" the cultural barrier into the West. In the West, Buddhism has become the fastest growing "religion" or way of life or philosophy due in part to its rationalistic approach on life. In countries like Australia it has become the 3rd or fourth largest religion.
Buddhism has also managed to make friends with the scientific community... in the sense that an Occidental mind who is scientifically inclined can see parallels in such fields as Quantum Mechanics and Zen, ect.
Add to this the fact that Islam is the fastest growing religion in the world, with Buddhism coming in second, and we see that Hinduism's old sectarian rivals have come back to haunt it in this modern age; albeit on a global and international level.
As Islam and Buddhism takes the global stage, remaining relevant, meaningful, to many different peoples, ethnicities, worldviews, and cultures... Hinduism remains isolated in India. Hinduism tried to gain a footing in the West - and globe - during the 60's-70's, but this eventually ended up being a circus of scam artist "MacGurus."
Even in its isolated home nation, it faces an unsure future with the spread of secularism, "Western culturalism," the growth of Christianity and Islam... as well as the return of Buddhism: Which has in store, great political and social implications:
"
The Dalit Buddhist movement or Navaya-na (Pa-li ?????, as dubbed by certain Ambedkerites)[1] in India began with support of Sri Lankan Buddhist monks. It received an impetus with B. R. Ambedkar's call for conversion of Dalits to Buddhism in the context of a caste based society that considered them to be at the lower end of the hierarchy [...]" -
Dalit Buddhist movement - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
The "lowest" members of the tyrannical and inhuman Hindu caste system are mass converting to Buddhism. At the moment these Dalit Buddhists, via the political party they support, already owns the largest State in India.
It doesn't surprise me with all these factors put together, that Hinduism is reaching out to hold onto Buddhism, and making such claims as Buddhism cannot exist without Hinduism. This idea that Hinduism gave birth to Buddhism is all they have left. I am proud being a Buddhist. What a Hindu believes of Buddhism to be or where they believe it came from, does not affect My Buddhism in the least in my mind and heart. I don't mind Hindus passionately asserting that Hinduism gave birth to Buddhism. Any girl with experience can detect insecurity and low self-esteem beneath the claims.
