Title : The Relationship between Buddhism and Indigenous Beliefs and People as Reflected in the Names of Lokapālas in Early Buddhist Literature

Author(s) : Natchapol Sirisawad

Pages : 67-82

Abstract in English : The purpose of this article is to analyze
aspects of the relationship between
Buddhism, indigenous beliefs and
people through the names of lokapālas
in early Buddhist literature, and
especially the names of the three great
kings, Dhataraṭṭha, Virūḷha (or
Virūḷhaka), and Virūpakkha. The study
revealed that the name of the three
great kings, Dhataraṭṭha, Virūḷha (or
Virūḷhaka), and Virūpakkha, may reflect
traces of earlier or contemporaneous
indigenous beliefs and people who had
cultural encounters with Buddhism. The
indigenous beliefs consist of the nāga
cult, belief in spirits, early practice of
urn-burials and belief in the soul or
spirit of the dead rising from the grave,
primitive beliefs of Aryan people and,
nāga as a tribe. Buddhism shows an
attempt to incorporate these beliefs and
people into the Buddhist cosmology by
elevating some local gods, indigenous
beliefs and tribal people to divine status,
such as lokapālas, who become
chieftains of the gandhabbas, the
nāgas, and the kumbhaṇḍas, in order
to show acceptance of earlier or
contemporaneous indigenous beliefs
and tribes. These findings may help to
improve understanding more of the
sociology of early Buddhism.