Welcome dear students! Today we are going to learn about Jainism and Buddhism from Class 8 Social_Science. After studying this chapter you will learn the background for the rise of Jainism and Buddhism, the principles of Jainism and Buddhism, and the spread of Jainism and Buddhism. India is a land of many cultures and religions. This diverse culture is nourished by various religions. Cultural diversity is the speciality of India. During the 6th century BCE, two new religions arose in the Gangetic Plains. They are Jainism and Buddhism. They propagated peace, non-violence, tolerance and other human values. The main reasons for the rise of these religions were the social, political and religious practices of that period. Without any reasons there were no new developments in history. There are strong reasons behind all the phenomenon. The background of the rising of Jainism and Buddhism can be seen in immobilized social strata. The system of varna made the life of the shudra community very difficult. The shudras were considered as the labour class and they were only household labourers and skilled workers. The women and the shudras were considered as profane. The agriculture based economy had changed. New cities had grown. As the cities grew, traders became prominent. Another important change was the changing in the nature of administration. The Janapadas and Mahajanapadas in the Gangetic Plains were getting transformed into kingship. This background tells us how Jainism and Buddhism became popular. Because the new kings from Janapada communities, the traders and clan artisans gave strength to Jainism and Buddhism. Both the religions declared that desire is the root cause for the problems of human beings. They opposed accumulation of wealth, luxurious life style and upheld simple pure family life. They preached their principles in Pali and Prakrit language instead of Sanskrit. Jainism and Buddhism are considered as Shramanic Tradition. [CHECKPOINT]
Now let us move on to Jainism. Jainism is one of the very ancient religions. Traditionally, the Jains believed in the existence of 24 Tirthankaras. Rishabhanatha was the first Tirthankara whereas Parswanatha was the 23rd Tirthankara. Parswanatha was born as the son of King Aswasena in the 8th century BCE. It is believed that he renounced all luxury and indulgence, and attained immortality. He renounced society and became a hermit. He preached four principles for a peaceful life. The four principles preached by Parswanatha were non-violence, truth, Astheya which means not to steal, and Aparigraha which means not to own property. The fifth principle of Brahmacharya was taught by Vardhamana. He was the 24th Tirthankara. Let us learn about Vardhamana Mahaveera who lived from 599 BCE to 527 BCE. Vardhamana was born in Kundala grama in Vaishali, one of the republics. His father was Siddhartha, the king of the Gnatrika tribe. His mother was Trishaladevi, the princess of the Republic of Licchavi. At the age of 30, Vardhamana set out in search of truth and renounced his family and house. He wandered for 12 years in this quest, and meditated. He punished his body by fasting. At the age of 42, he achieved enlightenment known as Kaivalya. Vardhamana controlled his senses and achieved power over comfort and pain. Due to this achievement, he came to be known as Mahaveera and became a Jina. A Jina was one who had overcome his senses and become victorious. Thus his followers came to be called Jains. [CHECKPOINT]
Mahaveera spent his last 30 years in preaching his knowledge to the people around the Ganga and Yamuna rivers. He travelled towards Western India preaching his thoughts. He attained nirvana in his 72nd year in Pavapuri of Bihar. Mahaveera taught five vows and three principles of behaviour. The latter are called Triratnas. The five vows are as follows: non-violence, truth, Astheya, Aparigraha, and Brahmacharya. The triratnas are as follows: Samyakgyan, Samyakdarshan, and Samyakcharitra. Jainism does not reject the existence of God completely, yet it advocates atheism. It denies the role of God in the daily affairs of people. It places God at a lower level than Jina. The Jains believe that every animate and inanimate thing possesses a soul. They also believe that it is only through purification of the soul that one can achieve freedom from rebirth and attain nirvana. Purification is possible through meditation, fasting, punishment of the body and thereby, destruction of the body. This process is known as sallekhana. The concept of Karma is a very important aspect of Jainism. According to this, a human being can attain salvation only through good and holy acts. To attain enlightenment, the soul had to achieve freedom from the bondage of the body. Traditionally, we get to see two important sects among Jains called Swethambars and Digambars. Those saints and their followers who wear white clothes are called Swethambars, whereas those saints and their followers who do not wear any clothes are called Digambars. After the first Jain council, the preachings of Mahaveera were compiled in 12 volumes. These were called 12 angas by the Jains. They are in Prakrit language. [CHECKPOINT]
Very early, one group of Jains migrated to the South due to the famine in Bihar, and settled down at Shravanabelagola. Thus even here, Jainism spread and many works were written in Kannada, Telugu and Tamil languages. The famous Kannada poets Pampa, Ranna, Janna and Ponna were Jains. Now let us explore Buddhism. Siddartha who came to be known as Gautama Buddha was born in the 6th century BCE. His father Shuddodana was the king of the republic of Shakya. Renouncing royal luxury and familial pleasure, Siddartha became a hermit. Disillusioned with the prevailing ways of life, he embarked upon a quest for truth. Attaining enlightenment, he became Buddha. After becoming Buddha, the Enlightened One, he first went to Sarnath near Banaras. There, in the deer park, he gave his first sermon. This has been called Dharma Chakra Pravarthana. Here he preached the Four Noble Truths and the Eightfold Path. The Four Noble Truths are: first, the whole world is full of sorrows and suffering. Second, desire is the main cause for sorrows. Third, only by the liberation of excessive desires could a peaceful life be led. Fourth, for eliminating desire one should follow the Eight Fold Path. The Eight Fold Path is called the Middle Path. The Eight Fold Path consists of: Right Action, Right Speech, Right Vision, Right Livelihood, Right Effort, Right Recollection, Right Resolve, and Right Thought. [CHECKPOINT]
Wealthy merchants, artisans and common people were inspired by the new teachings. Buddha gave his messages in Prakrit, the language of the common man and related them to various aspects of their tradition. The atmosphere of the new cities changed the ways of life of the people. The new religions became a ray of hope in the changed circumstances. Buddhism, especially, took on a new role of transforming the lives of people. Buddha and his followers visited Kosala, Magadha and many cities on the Gangetic plain and spread his messages there. They walked from one city to another and devoted their lives for others. In his 80th year, Buddha’s glorious life of selfless service came to an end at Kushinagar. This has been called Mahapari nirvana. Viharas were constructed in all the areas in which Buddha wandered. People preserved his relics and bones in chaityalayas and stupas, and in memory of his accomplishments started worshipping him in chaityalayas and stupas. This was how the first temples, idols and idol-worship began. The textbook shows an image of the Sanchi Stupa, a large hemispherical dome structure built to preserve sacred Buddhist relics, surrounded by stone railings and carved gateways depicting scenes from the life of the Buddha. Buddhism spread not only in India but also in foreign countries. Chinese travellers like Fa Hien, It Sing and Hiuen Tsang have described vividly the glory of Buddhism. Buddhism had spread to Malaya, Burma, Thailand, Vietnam, Cambodia, Sri Lanka and Bamiyan too. Boulders have been cut from mountains and shaped into statues of Buddha. Even today we can see gigantic statues of Buddha in Angkor Vat of Cambodia and Bamiyan of Afghanistan. Unfortunately, the huge statues of Buddha in Bamiyan came under attack and were destroyed in recent times. In 1956, inspired by Buddha’s teachings, India’s prominent social philosopher and architect of the constitution, Baba Saheb Dr. B.R. Ambedkar embraced Buddhism. [CHECKPOINT]
After Buddha’s death, his followers collected his teachings and tradition in the form of Tripitakas. These are Vinaya, Dhamma and Abhidhamma pitakas. Over a period of time, disagreements developed in the teachings and different branches of Buddhism sprang up. Thus Hinayana, Mahayana, Vajrayana and their sutras came into being. Today we see many organizations across the globe adopting different ways of realizing Buddha. Let us now turn to the section on Foreign Invasions. During this period, there sprang up city-states in Greece. Ancient Persia had grown into a powerful empire. These two areas engaged in continual conflicts. The Akhimenians were one group who ruled Persia. In 6th century BCE, King Darius of this dynasty established a strong empire. His kingdom extended up to the Indian border during his time. In 4th century BCE, the Macedonian king Alexander won over the Greek city-states and captured Persia. Thus even the part of the Persian kingdom which had spread up to the Indian border, came under the control of Alexander. After overpowering Persia, Alexander entered India through the passes in Kandahar and Hindu Kush. He advanced till Ravi and Beas rivers, and unable to proceed further, he crossed the Indian border through river Jhelum, and on his way back home, he died at Babylonia. [CHECKPOINT]
Now let us discuss the battle between Alexander and Paurava. When Alexander accepted the invitation of Ambhi, the king of Taxila, and came to India, it was with Paurava that he had to confront. Paurava was also called Porus. The two armies faced each other on the banks of the river Jhelum which was flooded and wild at that time. Alexander’s army attacked Paurava who had never expected anyone to cross the swollen river, and won. Alexander asked the captured Paurava how he desired to be treated. Paurava replied with pride and courage, as one king deserves to be treated by another. Paurava’s brave adventures have been immortalized in Greek writings. Alexander’s attack led to the consolidation of small and big republics and the establishment of the Mauryan dynasty. The arrival of the Greeks influenced North Indian art and science. Proof of this influence can be found in the famous art form known as Gandhara art which existed at that time. Now, let us carefully go through the exercises to ensure you are fully prepared for your exams. [CHECKPOINT]
Exercise One asks you to fill in the blanks with suitable words. I will read each statement and provide the correct answer. Number one: The first Jain Tirthankara was Rishabhanatha. Number two: Vardhamana was born at Kundala grama in Vaishali. Number three: Mahaveera attained enlightenment or Kaivalya in his 42nd year. Number four: Mahaveera attained Nirvana at Pavapuri in his 72nd year. Number five: The original name of Gautama Buddha was Siddartha. Number six: Buddha delivered his first sermon at Sarnath near Banaras. Number seven: The first sermon of Buddha is called Dharma Chakra Pravarthana. Number eight: Macedonian king who attacked India was Alexander. [CHECKPOINT]
Now let us answer the second part, which asks you to answer the following questions in brief. Question nine asks: Which are the five Vows and Triratnas preached by Mahaveera? The five vows are non-violence, truth, Astheya, Aparigraha, and Brahmacharya. The Triratnas are Samyakgyan, Samyakdarshan, and Samyakcharitra. Question ten asks: Name the sects among the Jains. The two sects are Swethambars, who wear white clothes, and Digambars, who do not wear any clothes. Question eleven asks: Which are the four Noble Truths preached by Buddha? They are: the whole world is full of sorrows and suffering, desire is the main cause for sorrows, only by the liberation of excessive desires could a peaceful life be led, and for eliminating desire one should follow the Eight Fold Path. Question twelve asks: What is the middle path? The Eight Fold Path is called the Middle Path. Question thirteen asks: Which are the Eight Fold Path preached by Buddha? They are Right Action, Right Speech, Right Vision, Right Livelihood, Right Effort, Right Recollection, Right Resolve, and Right Thought. Question fourteen asks: Write a note on the Tripitikas. After Buddha’s death, his followers collected his teachings and tradition in the form of Tripitakas. These are Vinaya, Dhamma, and Abhidhamma pitakas. [CHECKPOINT]
Finally, let us look at the activities. Activity one asks you to collect information about the life of Mahaveera. You can research his birth in Kundala grama, his renunciation at age 30, his 12 years of wandering and fasting, his enlightenment at 42, his 30 years of preaching around the Ganga and Yamuna, and his nirvana at 72 in Pavapuri. Activity two asks you to collect pictures related to the life of Gautama Buddha. You may look for images of his birth, his renunciation, his meditation under the Bodhi tree, his first sermon at Sarnath, and the Sanchi Stupa. I hope these activities help you visualize the historical context better. Thank you for listening! Keep revising and practicing. Goodbye! [CHAPTER_COMPLETE]