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History:JainismandBuddhisim|ExamResourceforCompetitiveExamsinIndia

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History:JainismandBuddhisim
ParentsofMahavirawereSiddhartha,aJanatrikachiefofKunda
pura,andTrishala,aKsha

triyaladyrelatedtotherulingfamiliesofVaishaliandMagadha.
MahaviramarriedaprincessnamedYashoda.
Mahaviraforsooktheworldattheageofthirtyandroamedasanakedasceticinseveral
partsofeasternIndiaandpracticedseverepenancefor12years.Halfofthistimewasspent
withamendicant(beggar)friar(brother)namedGoshalawhosubse
quentlylefthimand
becametheleaderoftheAjivikasect.
Inthe13thyearofpenance,Mahaviraattainedthehighestspiritualknowl
edgecalled
Kevalajnana,onthenorthernbankofriverRijupalika,outsideJrimb
hikagrama,alittle
knownlocalityineasternIndia.HewasnowknownasaKevalin(omniscient),aJina
(conqueror)andMahavira(thegreathero).
MahavirabecametheheadofasectcalledNigranthas(freefromFret
ters),knowninlater
timesasJainsorfollowersofJina(conqueror).
MahaviradiedatPavainsouthBihar,afterwanderingfor35yearsasareligiousteacher,at
theageof72.
TheJainsbelievethatMahavirawasnotthefounderofanewreligioussys
tem,butthelastof
alongsuccessionof24Tirthankarsorfordmakersacrossthestreamofexistence.
The23rdteacher,Parsav,theimmediatepre
decessorofMahavira,wasaprinceofBenaras
andenjoinedonhisdisciplesthegreatfourvowsofnoninjury,truthfulness,abstentionfrom
stealingandnonattachment.MahaviraaddedthevowofBrahamcharyaorcontinenceto
this.

Jainismwasatheis
ticinnature,theexistenceofGodbeingirrelevanttoitsdoctrine.It

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History:JainismandBuddhisim|ExamResourceforCompetitiveExamsinIndia

Jainismwasatheis
ticinnature,theexistenceofGodbeingirrelevanttoitsdoctrine.It
believesthatuni
versefunctionsaccordingtoaneternallawandiscontin
uallypassing
throughaseriesofcosmicwavesofprogressanddecline.Every
thingintheuniverse,mate

rialorotherwise,hasasoul.Thepurificationofthesoulisthepurposeofliving,forthepure
soulisreleasedfromthebodyandthenresidesinbliss.
JainsbelievethatbyfollowingthethreefoldpathofrightBelief,rightKnowledgeandright
Con
duct,soulswillbereleasedfromtransmigrationandreachthepureandblissfulabodeor
SiddhaSila.
Jainismspreadrapidlyamongthetradingcommunity.Theemphasisonnonviolence
preventedagricul
turistsfrombeingJainas,sincecultivationinvolvedkillinginsectsand
pests.
Accordingtothetra
ditionoftheSvetambaraJains,theoriginaldoctrinetaughtbyMahavira
wascontainedinfourteenoldtextsstyledPurvas.
Closeto4thcenturyB.C.,duetoafamineinsouthBihar,importantsec
tionsofJains,headed
byBhadrabahu,fledtoMysore.
Torevivetheknowl
edgeofsacredtexts,whichwaspassingintooblivionfollowingthe
famineinsouthBiharandfleeingofmajorityofJains,acouncilwasconvokedbythosewho
wereleftbehindinPatalipu
tra,whichresultedincompi
lationofthe12Angaswhichare
regardedasthemostimpor
tantpartoftheJaincanon.AnothercouncilwasheldatValabhi
inGujaratin5thor6thcenturyA.D.whichmadeafinalcollectionofthescripturesand
reducedthemtowriting.
ThefollowersofBhadrabahu,ontheirreturntothenorth,refusedtoacknowledgetheAngas
andcametobeknownasSve
tambaras(cladinwhite)astheyworewhitegarments
notwithstandingtheinjunc
tionsofMahavira.Theorigi
nalfollowerscametobecalled
Digambaras(skycladornaked).
GautamaBuddhawasbornasSiddharthatoSuddhodana,aRajaornobleofKapilvastu(in
theNepalTeraitothenorthofBastidistrictofUttarPradesh)andMaya,aprincessof
Devadaha,asmalltownintheSakyaterritory.MayadiedwhilegivingbirthtoSid
dhartha
andhewasbroughtupbyhisauntandstepmotherPrajapatiGautami.
ThesiteofnativityofGautamaBuddhaismarkedbythecelebratedRummindeiPillarof
Ashoka.
Siddharthawasmar
riedtoYashodaraattheageof16.YashodarawasalsoknownasBhadda
Kachc
hana,Subhadraka,BimbaorGopa.
TheGreatRenunci
ationtookplacewhenSid
harthareachedtheageof29.Forsixyearshe
livedasahomelessascetic.AtUruvilahepracticedthemostrigidausteritiesonlytofind
thattheywereofnohelptohimtoachievehisgoal.
SidharthafinallysatunderapipalorBanyantreeatmodernBodhGaya,aftertakingabath
inthestreamofriverNairanjana,modernLilajan.Hereheattainedthesupremeknowledge
andinsightandbecameknownasBuddhaortheEnlight
enedOne,Tathagata(hewho
attainedthetruth)andSakyamuniorthesageoftheSakyaclan.
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ThefirstsermonbyBuddhawasgivenintheDeerParknearSarnath,intheneighbourhood
ofBenaras.ThissermonwascalledtheTurningoftheWheelofLaw,andwasthenucleusof
theBuddhistteach
ings.
AmongBuddhasearlyconvertswashiscousinDevadattawho,sub
sequentlybrokeaway
andfoundedarivalsectthatsur
vivedinpartsofOudhandwesternBengaltilltheGup
ta
period.
TheBuddhaissaidtohavediedattheageof80atKusinagar,modernKasiainthe
GorakhpurdistrictofUttarPradesh.
BuddhataughthisfollowersthefourNobleTruths(AryaSatya)con
cerningsuffering,the
causeofsuffering,thedestructionofsufferingandthewaythatleadstothedestructionof
sorrow.
AsperBuddhistteachings,salvationispos
siblethroughtheEight
foldPath,whichconsisted
ofeightprinciplesofaction,leadingtoabal
anced,moderatelife(rightviews,resolves,
speechconduct,livelihood,effort,recollectionandmedita
tion,thecombinationofwhichwas
describedasMiddleWay).
Thedoctrineofkar
mawasessentialtotheBud
dhistwayofsalvation.
Unlikethebrahmanicalidea,karmawasnotusedtoexplainawaycastestatus,sinceBuddha
rejectedcaste.
Buddhismwasathe
istic,inasmuchasGodwasnotessentialtotheUniverse,therebeinga
naturalcosmicriseanddecline.
TheacceptanceofnunsintheBuddhistmonas
terieswasarevolutionarystepfromthepoint
ofviewofthestatusofwomen.
Theearliestsurviv
ingformofBuddhism,calledTheravada,isstillpredominantinSriLanka
andSouthEastAsiancoun
tries.
ShortlyafterthedeathofBuddhaagreatCouncil(Sangiti)washeldatRajagrihatocompile
thereligiousdoctrine(Dharma)andthemonasticcode(Vinaya).Asecondcouncilwas
convokedacenturylat
eratVaishaliwhichcon
demnedtherulesinrespectofthetenpoints
andrevisedthescriptures.
Afreshcondemna
tionofheresytookplaceduringthereignofAshoka,underwhose
patronageathirdcouncilwassum
monedatPataliputrabyalearnedmonk,TisaaMog

galiputta,236yearsafterBuddhasdeath.
ThefourthcouncilwasheldunderKanishkawhichpreparedelaboratecommentaries
(UpadeshShastrasandVibhashaShas
tras)onthesacredtexts.
AccordingtoSriLankantradition,thesacredtextsandcommentarieswerewrittendownin
booksinfirstcenturyB.C.duringthereignofKingVattaga
maniAbhaya.Later,thetexts,as
distinguishedfromthecommentaries,cametobeknownasPali.

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