There's an interesting question circulated in social media: "Did Buddha really reject the teachings of the Vedas? What were his views on Hindu philosophies? Don’t both Buddhism and Hinduism teach the same things?"
This question is quite intriguing. People can have a lot of different interpretations and opinions regarding this matter.
But there’s a time when the Hindu-Buddhist beliefs were live side by side on their most prominent way, whose giving birth to an infamous Hindu-Buddhist manuscript entitled as “Kakawin Sutasoma”, written by Mpu Tantular during the ‘golden age’ of the Majapahit empire, which tells the epic story of Lord Sutasoma, a teaching of religious tolerance, specifically between the Hindu & Buddhist religions.
Mpu is a honorific title in Java that’s given to a certain individual whose recognized by their distinguish achievement, whether in art, wisdom, knowledge, sastra, weaponary and other important expertise, that is equal with honorific title of professor or sensei in Japan according to today definition.
The legacy itself still can be recognized on the golden statue of Sutasoma riding the giant Kalmasapada originating from the time of Majapahit kingdom, in the Dutch Tropen Museum Netherland.
I’ll be quoting the canto 139, verse 5, from the Kakawin or Kāvya Sutasoma writen by Mpu Tantular during the 14th century CE.
Ancient Java:
“Rwaneka dhatu winuwus Buddha Wiswa,
Bhinneki rakwa ring apan kena parwanosen,
Mangka ng Jinatwa kalawan Siwatatwa tunggal,
Bhinneka tunggal ika tan hana dharmma mangrwa”
In which in English means:
It is said that Buddha and Shiva are two different substances.
They are indeed different, but how can both of them can be recognized?
While the truth of Jinna (Buddha) and truth of Shiva are singular (one).
Different but singular, there is no duality (ambiguous) in truth.
Mpu Tantular who lived in the 14th century in Majapahit was a well-known poet of Javanese Literature. He lived in the reign of King Rajasanagara (Hayam Wuruk). He is actually still the nephew (bhrātrātmaja in Kawi or Sanskrit) of the king himself and also the son in law of the king’s sister.
The name “Tantular” consists of two words: tan (“no”) and tular (“tular” or “affected”). This means that he is “firm” or “unaffected” by anything.Mpu Tantular is a Buddhist, but he is open to other religions, especially Hindu-Shiva. This can be seen in two famous kakawin or poems namely kakawin Arjunawijaya and especially kakawin Sutasoma.
In fact, the teaching of religious tolerance that has been told by Mpu Tantular in the Kakawin Sutasoma has been preserved and save the whole Nusantara archipelago from the unnecesary conflicts among religious beliefs (up until now), and becoming the motto of today Republic of Indonesia: “Bhinneka Tunggal Ika“, means “Unity in Diversity”.
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