Prince Siddhartha was born into a highly developed civilization that was contemporary with the civilizations of Egypt and Babylon. What we call India did not exist. Brahmin priests taught the Vedas and the Upanishads. Yogis and ascetics were highly revered.

But during the Vedic, Pre-Mauryan, Mauryan, and post-Mauryan ages, society was stratified into various castes, with Brahmins, Kshatriyas, Vaishyas, and Shudras having distinct roles and duties. The practice of animal sacrifice became popular.

While many of Buddha’s teachings reflect similar beliefs about karma, rebirth, and dukkha, he challenged caste biases and promoted equality, ethical living, non-violence, and spiritual liberation without reliance on the harmful rituals or practices of exclusion.

The Buddha challenged the caste system, welcoming anyone, regardless of their birth or heritage, asserting that nobility is determined by one’s actions, not by one’s birth. Buddhist teachings also focused on the arbitrary, meaningless quality of the caste labels, stressing how they say nothing about their members.

Practices and beliefs that might seem unjust today were seen as necessary for maintaining social harmony in the ancient Indian subcontinent; still, the Buddha challenged these by welcoming everyone as a student.

Read or listen to stories of the Buddha that highlight his challenges to the status quo and reflect on how they feel about these stories; and make connections to the activities of contemporary changemakers.

• Why might someone attempting to change a harmful practice or system in society go about it slowly, step by step?

Analyze the radical nature of the Buddha’s teachings on caste, and evaluate their significance within the cultural context in which they emerged.