When it comes to the question of origin, people of different religions
think of names such as Muh.ammad, the Buddha, Confucius, and Jesus. In
almost every religion, we can find a central figure to whom credit is
given for establishing the ‘true faith.’ Some of these were iconoclastic
reformers. Others were moralistic philosophers. Still others were
selfless folk heroes. Many of them have left behind writings or sayings
that formed the basis of a new religion. In time what they said and did
was elaborated, embellished, and given a mystic aura. Some of these
leaders were even deified.
Even though these individuals are considered founders of the major
religions that we are familiar with, it must be noted that they did not
actually originate religion. In most cases, their teachings grew out of
existing religious ideas, even though most of these founders claimed
divine inspiration as their source. Or they changed and modified
existing religious systems that had become unsatisfactory in one way or
another.
For example, as accurately as history can tell us, the Buddha had been
a prince who was appalled by the suffering and deplorable conditions he
found surrounding him in a society dominated by Hinduism. Buddhism was
the result of his search for a solution to life’s agonizing problems.
Similarly, Muh.ammad was highly disturbed by the idolatry and immorality
he saw in the religious practices around him. He later claimed to have
received special revelations from God, which formed the Qur’a-n and
became the basis of a new religious movement, Isla-m. Protestantism grew
out of Catholicism as a result of the Reformation that began in the
early 16th century, when Martin Luther protested the sale of indulgences
by the Catholic church at that time.
Thus, as far as the religions now in existence are concerned, there is
no lack of information regarding their origin and development, their
founders, their sacred writings, and so on. But what about the religions
that existed before them? And the ones even before those? If we go back
far enough in history, we will sooner or later be confronted with the
question: How did religion begin? Clearly, to find the answer to that
question, we must look beyond the confines of the individual religions.
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