Samantabhadra v.s. Socrates

Ever since a comparison was made in class between the Greek goddess Athena and the Hindu goddess Kali, I’ve been curious about other Ancient Indian and Greek connections. Not the less relevant (to our class) Greco-Buddhism hellenistic (post Alexander the Great) similarities, but rather the similarities that arise before the Macedonian invasion into Ancient India; before Alexander’s trouncing campaign allowed for the wealth of Ancient Indian knowledge, tradition, and scripture to influence hellenistic values. Before any influential links had been established between Ancient Greece and Ancient India, Plato writes about a dietus Socrates and his teachings that hold surprisingly similar values to Madhyamaka Buddhism.

The most striking comparison I have drawn between Ancient Buddhism the Socratic Dialogues, is that between the depiction of the slightly nomadic-esque Socrates and the vagrant Indian Bodhisattvas. Much like Socrates, Mahayana Bodhisattvas traditionally live off of the generosity, or dāna*, of others and extend, in turn, their knowledge and wisdom. It is easy to see the connection between a Bodhisattva, wandering freely without a home and offering conversation, receiving dāna in return, and Plato’s depiction of Socrates. The preliminary similarity is apparent simply in the depiction of an elderly man spreading wisdom through “sunasia”. The real similarity, however, lies within the similar ideologies that were valued enough by both cultures to provided us with two very similar portrayals of “enlightened”, or highly esteemed individuals. It is incredibly intriguing to me how two cultures, with infinite variables, have somehow managed to share shockingly similar depictions of moral/spiritual leadership. What does this add to the debate over the innateness of human values?

*Dāna - Sanskrit for “generosity”, often referring to the mutual exchange of generosity between teachers and students

Also interesting: Already in the 6th century B.C., the Ancient Indian school of Nalanda and Takshashila adamantly expressed the importance of dialectic teaching, much like the ‘Socratic method’.