[Buddha-l] Was Buddha a Buddhist

[Franz Metcalf]

Gang,

I think nearly the whole field of the history of religion stands with 
Jim Blumenthal in thinking Siddhartha Gautama's relationship to 
Hinduism--at least in the last half of his life--is quite different 
than Jesus of Nazareth's relationship to Judaism. (The theological 
question of whether they are "Buddhists" or "Christians" is quite 
another matter.)

I'm not sure I'd say it was doctrinal matters (such as anatman) that 
separate Buddha from the general run of the sramana movement, though. 
The movement, as far as I know or guess, was really only united by one 
thing: being sramanas rather than householders. There was a huge range 
of ideas represented in it, including radical materialism. Still, I 
agree that the Buddha's ideas were pretty "out there." What I'd add to 
this, what I personally think was exceptional in his sangha, was his 
emphasis on the middle way. Where almost *all* sramanas had tapas, 
asceticism, as their raison d'etre, and gained their status that way, 
the Buddha and his sangha explicitly rejected this approach. This and 
their acceptance of non-Brahmin members--and, later, women--set them 
quite apart from other groups and on the road to being--too at last 
return to the subject of this thread--"Buddhist," not "Hindu."

That's what I think, anyway, though I'm far from a scholar on this 
subject.

Franz