New Delhi, May 1 -- The essence of Dharma in Buddhism lies in morality. For Lord Buddha, morality is a separate force which is sustained by social necessities, and not by injunction of religion or God. What God is to other religions, morality is to Buddhism. Clearly, moral thoughts and codes run all through Buddha's life and teachings.

Not by Birth but Deed

Buddha taught that no human being is more valuable than another based on birth, emphasizing that moral actions, not lineage, define a person. He explicitly said: "Not by birth is one an outcast; not by birth is one a brahman. By deed one becomes an outcast, by deed one becomes a brahman".

Challenging patriarchal structures, Buddha averred that men and women are equally noble and res...