Buddhism in the Indus Civilization:

We have found the statue of rhinoceros, tree, meditative Siva or Avalokiteshvera Bodhisattva, a hermit king statue, coins and several ancient things in Mohenjodaro & Harappa. Mohenjodaro’s tree reminded the Bodhi tree representing the Buddhas of past. Emperor Asoka went to the Bodhi tree of Buddhagaya which is situated 84 miles from the capital Pataliputra (Patna), after having decked and adorned the royal road. He (Asoka) was an ardent worshipper of the Bodhi tree. For the welfare of all beings Asoka’s edicts also speak of trees planted along roads in his empire.

 Earlier Buddhist Texts reported that the Buddha has been represented by the Bodhi tree and other objects like the foot print, Dhammacakka (Wheel of Dhamma) and stupa etc. Such sculptures of Pre-Vedic Buddhas are found in Mohenjodaro and Harappa. Even the eastern gateway of the Sanchi stupa contains a sculpture representation of the great emperor Asoka’s visit to the Bodhi tree. The Pali Buddhist Canon of Vimanavatthu and Petavatthu explained several such stories related to the tree – connection. 

Emperor Asoka studied on Pre-Vedic Buddhas:

According to the historical account of Venerable Sariputta asks the Gautama Buddha when it was that he (Buddha) first resolved to work for attainment of the Buddha-hood and what virtues towards perfections (PARAMIS) he has fulfilled to attain his goal of Supremely Enlightenment.

As we found in the second section that the Buddha describes while he was inspired by Dipankara Buddha (as he was Sumedha hermit) gives the hermit Sumedha his blessings prophesying that Hermit Sumedha would become a Buddha by the name of Goutama Buddha after a lapse of for four asankheya and a hundred thousand kappas (world cycles).

May we pay respect to 28 (Attavisati) Buddhas:

I respect Tanhanmkaram, the wise

I respect Medahankaram, the sage,

Sarankaramkaram, the sage, I respect

Dipankaram the conqueror, I respect.

I respect Kondana, the Teacher

Irespect Mangala, the leader

I respect Sumana, the Fully Enlightened

I respect Revata, the leader.

I respect Sobhita, the Fully Enlightened

Anomadassi the sage, I respect

I respect Paduma, the Fully Enlightened

I respect Narada, the leader.

Padumuttaram the sage, I respect

I respect Sumedha the leader,

I respect Sujata, the Fully Enlightened

Piyadassi the sage, I respect.

Attadassi the sage, I respect,

Dhammadassi the conqueror, I respect

I respect Siddhartha, the teacher

I respect Tissa, the great sage.

I respect Phussa the great hero

I respect Vipassi, the leader

Sikhi, the great sage, I respect,

I respect Vessabhu, the leader.

Kadusandha the sage, I respect

I respect Konagama, the leader

Kassapa the Welcome One, I respect,

I respect Gautama, the leader.

These twenty eight Buddhas,

The Givers of Deathless Nibbana

Ever I salute with my head

May they ever protect me!

Birth Stories of the Buddha (Jataka Pali):

Pali Tipitaka’s Khuddaka Nikaya’s Jataka explained the stories of the previous existences of Gautama Buddha before his enlightenment. The Jataka is an extensive work in verses containing five hundred forty seven or fifty previous existences as recounted by the Buddha. Main objects of these birth stories are embedded moral principles and practices which the Bodhisatta had observed for self development and perfection to attain Buddhahood.

 Dr. Lal Moni Joshi explained, “But the credit of making a detailed and critical study of the prehistoric background of the rise of Buddhism and suggesting Harappan influence in the culture of the Munis and Sramanas, goes to Dr. G. C. Pande.  Brutal selfishness is wrong (adharmma) and universal love is right (dharma).

The result was a coalescence of the two traditions (p. 51, Brahmanism Buddhism & Hinduism).” There is a book entitled ‘Pre-Buddhistic India by Dr. Beni Madhab Barua (Ph. d. thesis) and the question arises relating to “Pre-Vedic India. There is no rule of law, Human Rights and civil rights in the tragedy of caste system of Vedic civilization. India sings the glory of Buddhas and she belongs to Buddhism. Hindu rulers and Brahmins scholars were created the false history and took over the Buddha Gaya and Buddhism from the Buddhists.

The consensus of opinion is that they were not Aryans, but Buddhist Bhumiputra (sons of the soils) of Dravidians, perhaps the Buddhist ancestors of the Tamils and South Asian people. Relating to the pre-historic Buddhism as the Gautama Buddha said, “Even so monks, I have seen an old path, and an old road, traversed by the supremely Enlightened One of yore ( Past Buddhas).”