Early Buddhism challenged existing social hierarchies, but how far did its ideas of equality extend? What do the Buddha’s views on women and the rules of the Sangha reveal about the contradictions within the tradition?

In the second episode of Seeking Sangha, a special focus series on What’s Your ISM?, The News Minute Executive Editor Sudipto Mondal speaks to historian and feminist scholar Dr Uma Chakravarti about the social and political world of in and around the lifetime of Siddhartha Gautama. Drawing on her work, including The Social Dimensions of Early Buddhism, they discuss the Buddha’s vision of an egalitarian society, the relationship between Buddhism and Brahmanism, and the role of the Sangha in challenging existing social hierarchies.

They also explore how Buddhist ideas of compassion and liberation influenced anti-caste thought, why B R Ambedkar turned to Buddhism, and how his interpretation of early Buddhism offered an alternative to caste hierarchy. From the Buddha’s radical vision to the struggles within Buddhist traditions, this conversation examines Buddhism’s promise of equality and the contradictions that continue to shape it.

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Camera: Ajay R; Producer: Akshay Lal; Editor: Jaseem Ali