history_ jainism and buddhisim _ exam resource for competitive exams in india
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jainism and buddhismTRANSCRIPT
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12/8/2014 History:JainismandBuddhisim|ExamResourceforCompetitiveExamsinIndia
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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
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12/8/2014 History:JainismandBuddhisim|ExamResourceforCompetitiveExamsinIndia
http://examresource.in/quickrevisionnotes/historyjainismandbuddhisim/ 2/4
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.
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12/8/2014 History:JainismandBuddhisim|ExamResourceforCompetitiveExamsinIndia
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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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12/8/2014 History:JainismandBuddhisim|ExamResourceforCompetitiveExamsinIndia
http://examresource.in/quickrevisionnotes/historyjainismandbuddhisim/ 4/4
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