Is It True That Buddhism and Jainism Are Also Atheistic Like Philosophy of Sage Charvaka?

O Learned and Devoted Servants of God,

[This question is part of a Mahā Satsaṅga (grand spiritual discussion) between Swami, Shri Parikshit, Smt. Bindiya and Dr. J. S. R. Prasad.]

Q. Buddhism and Jainism are considered to be atheistic religions like Chaarvaakamatam. Is it true?

Swami replied:- It is utter lie. Buddha is the 9^th incarnation of God Vishnu mentioned in the famous 10 incarnations. If He is atheist, this results in God Buddha denying His own existence! He kept silent about the ultimate unimaginable God because the unimaginable God is always expressed through silence (maunavyaakhyaa prakatita parabrahma…—Shankara). Buddha stressed on essence of the path keeping silent about the goal for some time and this silence is misunderstood as His negation of the existence of God. If IAS examination is passed, one will become a collector. If the student is always thinking about the goal to be achieved after passing the examination, a good advisor will say to him “forget about the post of collector for some time and concentrate on the preparation for IAS examination”. Does this mean that the advisor is negating the existence of the very post of collector? The important point in the path to attain the grace of God is that one shall not aspire for any worldly fruit in return from God for the service and sacrifice done by the devotee to God. The main advice of Buddha is that one shall avoid the worldly desire.

Let us take Jainism. The first Jina (Tiirthamkara) or the first spiritual preacher (Aadinatha) is the incarnation of God Vishnu, called Rishabhadeva (mentioned in the Bhagavatam). He is the human incarnation of God and can the first human incarnation (Rishabhadeva) deny His own existence to be atheist? Jainism also stressed on the path keeping silent for sometime about the goal and this cannot be misunderstood as the denial of the existence of the ultimate goal as in the above case of Buddhism. We are always trying to divide the religions and to increase the quarrels, which is against the aim of God. The wonder is that we are making God to become furious and we are simultaneously claiming that we are working to please God!

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