Download - History_ Jainism and Buddhisim _ Exam Resource for Competitive Exams in India

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History:JainismandBuddhisim

ParentsofMahavirawereSiddhartha,aJanatrikachiefofKundapura,andTrishala,aKshatriyaladyrelatedtotherulingfamiliesofVaishaliandMagadha.

MahaviramarriedaprincessnamedYashoda.

MahaviraforsooktheworldattheageofthirtyandroamedasanakedasceticinseveralpartsofeasternIndiaandpracticedseverepenancefor12years.Halfofthistimewasspentwithamendicant(beggar)friar(brother)namedGoshalawhosubsequentlylefthimandbecametheleaderoftheAjivikasect.

Inthe13thyearofpenance,MahaviraattainedthehighestspiritualknowledgecalledKevalajnana,onthenorthernbankofriverRijupalika,outsideJrimbhikagrama,alittleknownlocalityineasternIndia.HewasnowknownasaKevalin(omniscient),aJina(conqueror)andMahavira(thegreathero).

MahavirabecametheheadofasectcalledNigranthas(freefromFretters),knowninlatertimesasJainsorfollowersofJina(conqueror).

MahaviradiedatPavainsouthBihar,afterwanderingfor35yearsasareligiousteacher,attheageof72.

TheJainsbelievethatMahavirawasnotthefounderofanewreligioussystem,butthelastofalongsuccessionof24Tirthankarsorfordmakersacrossthestreamofexistence.

The23rdteacher,Parsav,theimmediatepredecessorofMahavira,wasaprinceofBenarasandenjoinedonhisdisciplesthegreatfourvowsofnoninjury,truthfulness,abstentionfromstealingandnonattachment.MahaviraaddedthevowofBrahamcharyaorcontinencetothis.

Jainismwasatheisticinnature,theexistenceofGodbeingirrelevanttoitsdoctrine.It



Jainismwasatheisticinnature,theexistenceofGodbeingirrelevanttoitsdoctrine.Itbelievesthatuniversefunctionsaccordingtoaneternallawandiscontinuallypassingthroughaseriesofcosmicwavesofprogressanddecline.Everythingintheuniverse,materialorotherwise,hasasoul.Thepurificationofthesoulisthepurposeofliving,forthepuresoulisreleasedfromthebodyandthenresidesinbliss.

JainsbelievethatbyfollowingthethreefoldpathofrightBelief,rightKnowledgeandrightConduct,soulswillbereleasedfromtransmigrationandreachthepureandblissfulabodeorSiddhaSila.

Jainismspreadrapidlyamongthetradingcommunity.TheemphasisonnonviolencepreventedagriculturistsfrombeingJainas,sincecultivationinvolvedkillinginsectsandpests.

AccordingtothetraditionoftheSvetambaraJains,theoriginaldoctrinetaughtbyMahavirawascontainedinfourteenoldtextsstyledPurvas.

Closeto4thcenturyB.C.,duetoafamineinsouthBihar,importantsectionsofJains,headedbyBhadrabahu,fledtoMysore.

Torevivetheknowledgeofsacredtexts,whichwaspassingintooblivionfollowingthefamineinsouthBiharandfleeingofmajorityofJains,acouncilwasconvokedbythosewhowereleftbehindinPataliputra,whichresultedincompilationofthe12AngaswhichareregardedasthemostimportantpartoftheJaincanon.AnothercouncilwasheldatValabhiinGujaratin5thor6thcenturyA.D.whichmadeafinalcollectionofthescripturesandreducedthemtowriting.

ThefollowersofBhadrabahu,ontheirreturntothenorth,refusedtoacknowledgetheAngasandcametobeknownasSvetambaras(cladinwhite)astheyworewhitegarmentsnotwithstandingtheinjunctionsofMahavira.TheoriginalfollowerscametobecalledDigambaras(skycladornaked).

GautamaBuddhawasbornasSiddharthatoSuddhodana,aRajaornobleofKapilvastu(intheNepalTeraitothenorthofBastidistrictofUttarPradesh)andMaya,aprincessofDevadaha,asmalltownintheSakyaterritory.MayadiedwhilegivingbirthtoSiddharthaandhewasbroughtupbyhisauntandstepmotherPrajapatiGautami.

ThesiteofnativityofGautamaBuddhaismarkedbythecelebratedRummindeiPillarofAshoka.

SiddharthawasmarriedtoYashodaraattheageof16.YashodarawasalsoknownasBhaddaKachchana,Subhadraka,BimbaorGopa.

TheGreatRenunciationtookplacewhenSidharthareachedtheageof29.Forsixyearshelivedasahomelessascetic.AtUruvilahepracticedthemostrigidausteritiesonlytofindthattheywereofnohelptohimtoachievehisgoal.

SidharthafinallysatunderapipalorBanyantreeatmodernBodhGaya,aftertakingabathinthestreamofriverNairanjana,modernLilajan.HereheattainedthesupremeknowledgeandinsightandbecameknownasBuddhaortheEnlightenedOne,Tathagata(hewhoattainedthetruth)andSakyamuniorthesageoftheSakyaclan.



ThefirstsermonbyBuddhawasgivenintheDeerParknearSarnath,intheneighbourhoodofBenaras.ThissermonwascalledtheTurningoftheWheelofLaw,andwasthenucleusoftheBuddhistteachings.

AmongBuddhasearlyconvertswashiscousinDevadattawho,subsequentlybrokeawayandfoundedarivalsectthatsurvivedinpartsofOudhandwesternBengaltilltheGuptaperiod.

TheBuddhaissaidtohavediedattheageof80atKusinagar,modernKasiaintheGorakhpurdistrictofUttarPradesh.

BuddhataughthisfollowersthefourNobleTruths(AryaSatya)concerningsuffering,thecauseofsuffering,thedestructionofsufferingandthewaythatleadstothedestructionofsorrow.

AsperBuddhistteachings,salvationispossiblethroughtheEightfoldPath,whichconsistedofeightprinciplesofaction,leadingtoabalanced,moderatelife(rightviews,resolves,speechconduct,livelihood,effort,recollectionandmeditation,thecombinationofwhichwasdescribedasMiddleWay).

ThedoctrineofkarmawasessentialtotheBuddhistwayofsalvation.

Unlikethebrahmanicalidea,karmawasnotusedtoexplainawaycastestatus,sinceBuddharejectedcaste.

Buddhismwasatheistic,inasmuchasGodwasnotessentialtotheUniverse,therebeinganaturalcosmicriseanddecline.

TheacceptanceofnunsintheBuddhistmonasterieswasarevolutionarystepfromthepointofviewofthestatusofwomen.

TheearliestsurvivingformofBuddhism,calledTheravada,isstillpredominantinSriLankaandSouthEastAsiancountries.

ShortlyafterthedeathofBuddhaagreatCouncil(Sangiti)washeldatRajagrihatocompilethereligiousdoctrine(Dharma)andthemonasticcode(Vinaya).AsecondcouncilwasconvokedacenturylateratVaishaliwhichcondemnedtherulesinrespectofthetenpointsandrevisedthescriptures.

AfreshcondemnationofheresytookplaceduringthereignofAshoka,underwhosepatronageathirdcouncilwassummonedatPataliputrabyalearnedmonk,TisaaMoggaliputta,236yearsafterBuddhasdeath.

ThefourthcouncilwasheldunderKanishkawhichpreparedelaboratecommentaries(UpadeshShastrasandVibhashaShastras)onthesacredtexts.

AccordingtoSriLankantradition,thesacredtextsandcommentarieswerewrittendowninbooksinfirstcenturyB.C.duringthereignofKingVattagamaniAbhaya.Later,thetexts,asdistinguishedfromthecommentaries,cametobeknownasPali.



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Download - History_ Jainism and Buddhisim _ Exam Resource for Competitive Exams in India

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