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Question
Hi Alex, back in the first civilizations why were the lower castes more likely to covert to Buddhism? What did the believe happened in afterlife?
Hi Jaime,
Surprisingly little is known about beliefs in India 2500 years ago. There are documents that show that many beliefs were held, but we don't really know how popular those beliefs were. It does seem that the Brahmins believed that by making all the appropriate sacrifices and recitations the future life would be good.
Buddhism rejected the caste system, but we again don't know which castes were mainly drawn to the Buddha's teaching, although it is reasonable to guess that the followers were mainly high-caste, as only they would have had enough freedom.
I wonder if what you are thinking of is a modern movement to convert low-caste people to Buddhism (see http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ambedkar), as this is a way they can step *outside* the caste system. Could that be it?
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Answers by Expert:
Alex Wilding
Expertise
I have practiced and studied Tibetan Buddhism in the Kagyu and Nyingma traditions since the early 1970s, and have a good knowledge of theory, history and of the struggles of trying to practice the teachings, including meditation, while leading a normal, modern life. I am also available to provide background information for journalists.
Experience
I have been a practitioner since the early 1970s; have run a small Buddhist centre in the English Midlands and was vice-president of Kagyu Benchen Ling e.V. in Germany, for whom I managed three large Buddhist summer-camps. More importantly, I maintain a habit of personal practice.
I am the "owner" of the Kagyu list at Yahoo.
Education/Credentials
My first degree was an M.A. from Oxford. I later obtained a Master of Philosophy degree for a research thesis in "Initiation in Tibetan Buddhism" from Leicester University. I also have engineering and educational qualifications.
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