HISTORY(VI)-LESSON-6 NEW QUESTION AND IDEAS (LESSON NOTES)

 

HISTORY(VI)-LESSON-6

NEW QUESTION AND IDEAS

(LESSON NOTES)

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v INTRODUCTION

  Ø In this lesson we will discuss about the new question and ideas which developed in the ancient time. These ideas introduce new religions.

v THE STORY OF BUDDHA

  Ø Gautam Buddha, founder of Buddhism, was born about 2500 years ago, at Lumbini (Nepal). His earlier name was Siddhartha.    

  Ø The Buddha belonged to a small gana known as the Sakya gana.

  Ø He left home in search of knowledge.

  Ø He meditated for days on end under a peepal tree at Bodh Gaya (Bihar) in Bihar, where he attained enlightenment. After that, he was known as the Buddha or the Wise One.

  Ø He then went to Sarnath (UP) near Varanasi, where he taught for the first time.

  Ø After that he travelled place to place to teach people.

  Ø He passed away at Kusinara (UP)

v TEACHING OF BUDDHA

Ø The Buddha taught that life is full of suffering and unhappiness.

Ø The reason of the suffering is our endless desires, Buddha described this as thirst or tanha.

Ø He also taught people to be kind, and to respect the lives of others, including animals.

Ø He believed that the results of our actions (called karma), whether good or bad, affect us both in this life and the next.

Ø The Buddha taught in the language of the ordinary people, Prakrit.

v UPANISHADS

Ø Upanishad means ‘approaching and sitting near’. These textbooks contained the conversations between teachers and students. Most Upanishadic thinkers were men, especially brahmins and rajas. Some women also as Gargi, Satyakama Jabala (slave woman).These ideas were developed by the famous thinker Shankaracharya later on.

v QUESTIONS THAT UPANISHADIC THINKERS WANTED

  Ø Upanishadic thinkers tried to find answers to difficult questions as:-

§  They wanted to know about life after death.

§  They wanted to know why sacrifices should be performed.

§  They also wanted to know about the atman or the individual soul and the brahman or the universal soul.

v SIX SCHOOLS OF INDIAN PHILOSOPHY

Sr no	School of Indian philosophy	founder
1	Vaishesika,	Konada
2	Nyaya,	Gotama
3	Samkhya	Kapila
4	Yoga	Patanjali,
5	Purva Mimansa	Jaimini
6	Vedanta or Uttara Mimansa	Vyasa

 

v JAINISM:-

  Ø The word Jaina comes from the term Jina, meaning conqueror. First Tirthankara was Rishambhdeva and the last or 24^th Tirthankara was Vardhamana Mahavira.

§  He was a kshatriya prince of the Lichchhavis, a group that was part of the Vajji sangha.

§  At the age of 30, he left home and went to live in a forest.

§  For 12 years he led a hard and lonely life, at the end of which he attained enlightenment.

v TEACHING OF JAINISM

Ø He taught a simple doctrine: men and women who wished to know the truth must leave their homes.

Ø They must follow very strictly the rules of ahimsa, means not hurting or killing living beings.

Ø They had to lead very simple lives.

Ø They had to be absolutely honest and were especially asked not to steal.

Ø They had to observe celibacy and men had to give up everything, including their clothes.

Ø It was very difficult for most men and women to follow these strict rules. The teachings of Mahavira and his followers were transmitted orally for several centuries.

v SPREAD OF JAINISM

  Ø Jainism was supported mainly by traders.

  Ø Jainism spread to different parts of north India, and to Gujarat, Tamil Nadu and Karnataka.

  Ø The teachings of Mahavira and his followers were transmitted orally for several centuries.

  Ø They were written down in the form in which they are presently available at a place called Valabhi, in Gujarat, about 1500 years ago.

v THE SANGHA

Ø Sangha was an association of those people who left their homes. All persons can join sangha however children have to ask from their parents and servants from their master. The rules of  Buddhist sangha were written down in a book called the Vinaya Pitaka. Rules were as:-

§  They have to led simple lives.

§  They meditated for most of the time.

§  They taught others, and helped one another.

§  They went to cities and villages to beg for food during fixed hours. They were known as bhikkhus (the Prakrit word for renouncer – beggar) and bhikkhunis.

v MONASTERIES

Ø The shelter built by their supporters to stay for bhikkhu and bhikkhuni during the rainy seasons were known as monasteries or Vihara.

Ø Initially they lived in cave (Karle Cave in Maharashtra) or forest.

Ø After that the earliest viharas were made of wood, and then of brick.

Ø Over the centuries, Buddhism spread to many parts of the subcontinent and beyond.

v THE SYSTEM OF ASHRAMAS

  Ø Ashramas was used for a stage of life instead of meditate place. Four ashramas were recognised: -

§  Brahmacharya- Brahmin, kshatriya and Vaishya men were expected to lead simple lives and study the Vedas up to age of 25 years.

§  Grihastha- Then they had to marry and live as householders (25-50)

§  Vanaprastha- Then they had to live in the forest and meditate(50-75)

§  Samnyasa- Finally, they had to give up everything and become samnyasins (after 75 years)