Religion : Cults, Doctrines and Metaphysics

The Religion of the Vedas

Rig Veda Collection of hymns for use at the sacrifice

Sama Veda Melodies and chants

Yajur Veda Contains sacrificial formulae

Atharva Veda Magic spells

● Adhvaryu = priest who performs the manual part of the sacrifice

● Brahmanas, Aranyakas and Upanishads
● Devas = the shining ones
● Rita = The Cosmic Order
○ The world takes its regular course, day follows night and season succeeds season, because of rits
○ Man must live according to Rita
○ Rita depended on Varuna
○ In later says , An-Rita = Untruth and Sin
● Sin included lying in vedic times
● Gandharvas = divine musicians
● Barhis = sacred straw during the sacrifices
● Brahman
○ Magical power in the sacred utterance (mantra)
○ Fills all space and time
○ This is the gound beyond and below all forms and phenomena, and from it the whole universe,
including gods themselves, have emerged
● Prajapati = the Lord of the Beings
○ Masculine form of the neuter ‘Brahman’
○ Prajapati = Primeval man (Purusa), who existed before the foundation of the universe
● Doctrine of Samsara = Transmigration
● Karma = result of deeds of one life affecting the next
○ Literally = deed
● Munis = Silent Ones
● Vratya = priest of non-vedic cult
○ The one who had fallen from the vedic faith
● Yoga = Union
● Hiranyagarbha
○ Golden Embryo
○ Prototype of the Cosmic Egg of later Hindu mythology
● Pratikas = symbols
● Tapas = power derived from asceticism
● Principles of
○ Niyati = fate
○ Kala = time
○ Svabhava = nature
○ Samgati = chance
● Parinama = evolution / ripening
● Vanaprastha = Forest Hermits
● Parivrajaka = Wanderers
● In general Upanishads porcelain salvation by Knowledge or Realization rather than by faith or works
 Buddhism

● Buddha = The Enlightened / Awakened

● Son of a Chief of Sakays
● Born in Lumbini, near Kapilavastu (Capital of Sakyas)
● Married Yashodhara
● Envious cousin - Devadatta
● Faithful charioteer Channa
● Favorite horse Kanthaka - on this he escaped palace
● Mahabhiniskramana = The Great Going Forth
● From sage Alara Kalama = learnt meditation
● Seated beneath a “Pipal Tree”
○ Outskirts of Gaya, in Magadha
○ Then ruled by Bimbisara

● Sujata - bought him a bowl of rice boiled in Milk

● Mara = Buddhist Devil
● Deer Park in Sarnath, near varanasi
● Bhikkhus = beggars
● Son = Rahul
● Buddha averted a war between Sakyas & Koliyas
● Converted the notorious bandit - Angulimala
● Sangha = Buddhist Order
● Died in Kushinara
● Parinirvana = Final Blowing Out
● His ashes also divided to King Ajatasatru of Magadha
● 1st Buddhist Council
○ At Rajgir
○ Vinaya Pitaka by Upali
■ Rules of order
○ Sutta Pitaka by Ananda
● 2nd Buddhist Council
○ At Vaishali
○ 100 yrs after Buddha’s death
○ Broke into Sthaviravadins & Mahasanghikas
● Sthaviravadins / Theravadin
○ Believers in the Teaching of the Elders
○ Orthodox
● Mahasanghikas
○ Members of the Great Community
● 3rd Buddhist Council
○ At Pataliputra
○ Under patronage of Ashoka
○ Upheld “Sthaviravadins”
○ Expulsion of others
○ Abhidhamma Pitaka was added
■ Dealing with Psychology and Metaphysics
■ Kathavatthu of Abhidhamma Pitaka
○ a
● Ashoka classified all the religions in his empire under 5 heads
○ Sangha (Buddhists)
 ○ Brahmanas
○ Ajivikas
○ Nirgranthas (Jainas)
○ Other sects
● Viharas = Monasteries and temples
● Chaityas = Sacred Spots
● Stupas = built over Buddha’s ashes
● Original Bodhi Tree in Gaya
● Stupa - recalling his PariNirvana
● Pipal Tree - recalling his enlightenment
●
Lumbini Grove at Kapilavastu Where Buddha was born

Tree of Wisdom at Gaya Gained enlightenment

Deer park near Varanasi 1st Sermon

Kusinara He died

● Buddhism persecuted by Pushyamitra Sunga

● Sarvastivadins
○ Region of Mathura and Kashmir
● 4th Buddhist Council
○ Under Kanishka
○ Sarvastivadin doctrines were codified in “Mahavibhasa”
● Mahayana (greater vehicle) vs Hinayana (lesser vehicle)
● Nalanda
○ Patronage of Pala kings
○ Centre of Buddhism
● 3rd Vehicle - “Vajrayana”
○ Vehicle of the Thunderbolt
○ Grew rapidly in Bengal and Bihar
○ Later established in Tibet
● Vajrayana Monastery in Vikramshila, Bihar
● Huna king - Mihirakula
○ Persecuted buddhists
● Saivite King of Bengal - Sasanka
○ Almost destroyed the “Tree of Wisdom at Gaya”
● 9th Century - Sankaracharya
○ Traveled the length and breadth of the country
○ Debated with Buddhists
○ Led to decline of Buddhism
● Tri-Pitakas (Pitaka = Basket)
○ Vinaya Pitaka “Conduct”
○ Sutta Pitaka “Sermon”
○ Abhidhamma Pitaka “Metaphysics”
● Sutta Pitaka into 5 Groups (“Nikaya”) (written in Pali)
○ Digha Nikaya “Long”
○ Majjhima Nikaya “Medium”
○ Samyutta Nikaya “Connected”
○ Anguttara Nikaya “Graduated”
○ Khuddaka Nikaya “Minor”
 ■ Dhammapada
● Verses on Virtue
■ Theragatha
● Hymns of Elder Monks
■ Therigatha
● Hymns of Elder Nuns
● Bodhisattva - being destined to become buddha
● Milinda-Panha = “Questions of Menander”
○ Monk Nagasena
● Dipavamsa - “Island Chronicle”
● Mahavamsa - “Great Chronicle”
● Dukkha = suffering
● Tanha = thirst / craving
● Dhammacakkapavattana Sutta
○ “Sermon of the Turning of the Wheel of the Law”
● Middle way of the Tathagata
● Noble 8 fold Path
○ Right Views
○ Right Resolve
○ Right Speech
○ Right Conduct
○ Right Livelihood
○ Right Effort
○ Right Recollection
○ Right Meditation

● Paticca-Samuppada
○ “Chain of Dependent Origination”
● Fundamental nature of the universe
○ Dukkha (Sorrow)
○ Anicca (Transient)
○ Anatta (Soulless)
● There is no immortal soul
● Universe is Soulless
● In transmigration nothing passes over from one life to another
○ Only a new life arises as part of the chain of events which includes the old
● So Lesser Vehicle Buddhism
○ Religion without souls
○ Without Gods
● Nirvana - State of Bliss
○ Ultimate state in Sthaviravada Buddhism
● Arhants = perfect beings
● Sthaviravadin Buddhism, dominant in
○ Sri Lanka
○ Burma
○ Thailand
○ Cambodia
○ Laos
● Sarvastivadins
○ Sect of lesser vehicle
○ They who say “All is”
 ○ View that the constituents of phenomena (dharma) are not wholly momentary, but exist forever in a
latent form
● Sautrantikas
○ Our knowledge of the outside world is only a feasible inference
● Sammitiyas
○ Reject the doctrine of soullessness
● Pudgula = person
● We live in a Buddha Cycle, in which 4 Buddhas
○ Krakucchanda
○ Kanakamuni
○ Kasyapa
○ Sakyamuni
○ Maitreya (yet to come)
● 3 Jewels of Buddhism (Buddham saranam gachhami)
○ I go for refuge to the Buddha
○ I go for refuge to the Doctrine (Dharma)
○ I go for refuge to the Order (Sangha)
● Pratyeka-bddhas
○ Who had found the truth for themselves without guidance, but had not taught it to the world
● Concept of Maitreya (future buddha) was there by the time of Milinda Panho
● Bodhisattva formed the hallmark of the Mahayana, the Great Vehicle
● Bodhisattva was thought of not as a being who was soon to become a Buddha, but as one who would bide his
time until even the smallest insect had reached the highest goal
● The old ideal of the Arhant, the “Worthy” who achieved Nirvana and would be reborn no more, began to be
looked on as rather selfish
● Lesser Vehicle - each being has to work for his salvation
● Great Vehicle - Bodhisattva will help you
● Some Bodhisattvas of the Great Vehicle
○ Avalokitesvara (also known as Padmapani)
■ The Lord who Looks Down
○ Padmapani
■ The Lotus-Bearer
○ Manjusri
○ Vajrapani
○ Maitreya
○ Ksiti-garbha
● Mahasanghika School
○ the idea arose that Gautama Buddha had not been a mere man, but the earthly ex¬ pression of a
mighty spiritual being
● Mahayana heaven, Sukhavatl, the “Happy Land”
● Amitabha = immeasurable glory
● Tathagatagarbha = the Womb of those who Attain the Goal
● Vaipulya Sutras = Expanded Sermons
● 2 Chief Philosophical Schools under The Great Vehicle
○ Madhyamika
○ Yogachara
● Madhyamika (“Intermediate”) School
○ because it took a line midway between the uncompromising realism of the Sarvasti- vadins and the
idealism of the Yogacara
○ Indian Philosopher “Nagarjuna” (contemporary to Kanishka)
■ Wrote “Madhyamika Karika”
■ Established Madhyamika School
 ■ Belonged to Madhyamika school
■ No difference between Samsara & Nirvana
■ Only ‘Sunyata’ (the void) is real
■ The life of the world is same as Nirvana
● Yogacara (“Way of Union”) or Vijnanavadin School
○ completely rejected the realism of the Lesser Vehicle, and maintained a thorough-going idealism, not
even allowing the qualified realism of the Madhyamikas
○ “Lankavatara Sutra”
■ Asanga (Yogacara Philosopher)
● Monk of Peshawar in 4th / 5th Cen
● Wrote “Sutrlankara”
■ Vasbandh (younger brother of asanga)
■ Dignaga
■ Dharmakirti
● Vajrayana, “the Vehicle of the Thunderbolt"
● Upavasatha = act of general confession
● The universe functions through the interaction of living souls (Jivas, literally “lives”), and five categories of
non-living entities (ajiva): 5 Non Living entities
○ Akasa - Ether
○ Dharma - means or condition of movement
○ Adharma - means or condition of rest
○ Kala - time
○ Pudgala - matter
● Souls are not only the property of animal and plant life, but also of entities such as stones, rocks, running
water, and many other natural objects not looked on as living by other sects
● The annihilation (nirjara) of karma comes about through penance, and the prevention (samvara) of the influx
(asrava) and fixation (bandha)-f of karma in the soul is ensured by carefully disciplined conduct, as a result of
which it does not enter in dangerous quantities and is dispersed immediately.
● Full salvation is not possible to the layman
● Mahavira starved himself to death
● Acaranga Sutra
 Jainism

● Jainism = Religion of the Conquerors (Jinas)

● Mahavira - “The Great Hero”
● son of Siddhartha
○ Chief of Clan of Jnatrikas
○ Associates of Licchavis of Vaisali
○ Mother = Trisala
■ Sister of Licchavi chief Chetaka
● At first he followed “Nirgrantha” (Free from Bonds)
○ Term later used for members of the order Mahavira founded
● Spent time with “Gosala Maskariputra”
○ Gosala later found the Ajivikas
● Died in Pava
● Chandra Gupta Maurya joined the Jainas
● Bhadrabahu - Digambaras
● Sthulabhadra - Svetambaras
● 12 Angas
● Jaina Poets in sanskrit
○ Nayacandra, of the 14th century (p. 433f), was a Jaina monk
○ Mallinatha, the author of the standard commentary on the poems of Kalidasa
● Caulukya King Kumarapala
○ Ruled Gujarat in 12th Century
○ Patronized Svetambaras
○ Under the guidance of great Jaina scholar , “Hema-Chandra”
● while not denying the existence of the gods, it refuses them any important part in the universal scheme
● The world, for the Jaina, is not created, maintained or destroyed by a personal deity, but functions only
according to universal law
● Universe is Eternal
○ Its existence is divided into an infinite number of cycles, each consisting of a period of improvement
(“utsar- pini”), and one of decline (“avasarpini”)
● At present the world is rapidly declining
●
 Ajivikas

● Founded by “Gosala Maskariputra”

● a body of ascetics who were under a rigorous discipline similar to that of the Jainas, and who also practiced
complete nudity
● His followers seem to have combined with those of other teachers, such as “Purana Kasyapa” the antinomian
and “Pakudha Katyayana” the atomist, to form the Ajlvika sect
● Asoka and his successor Dasa- ratha presented caves to the Ajivikas
● main feature was strict determinism
● Ajivikas denied the Karma doctrine
● They believed in “Niyati” or destiny
● Carvakas or Lokayatas : materialistic schools
●
● Tattvopaplavasimha
○ “The Lion Destroying all Religious Truth”
○ written by a certain Jayarasi in the 8th century a.d
○ Anti-Religious philosophical texts
● Ashoka built “Lomas Rishi Caves” for Ajivikas
●
 Pratik Nayak
Buddhism
● Punch Marked Coins during Mahajanapada period
● Gahapati = Zamindars
● Jetthaka - Guild Head
● Setthi - Banker of Guild
● Buddha met Bimbisara
● Buddha Tathagata = Buddha’s enlightenment
● Trishna = extinction of Desire
● Pavarana / Uposatha = confessing offence
● Dhammamahamattas - buddhist missionaries by Ashoka
● Mogali Putta Tissa (Upagupta) converted Ashoka into buddhism
● Nigali Sagar Edict of Ashoka
Jainism
● Nirgranthas = Jainas
● Sutra-Kritanga = Book of Jainas
● Jaina word used after Mahavira, before that “Nirgrantha” word used
○ Jinas = conquered happiness and misery
● Ratna-Traya
○ Right Knowledge
○ Right Conduct
○ Right Faith
● Mahavira believed in Dualist Philosophy (“Syadvada)
○ Matter (Prakriti) and Soul (Purush), are the only 2 existing Elements
● Believed in Karma
● Both Animate and In-Animate have Souls
● Extreme penance is needed for attainment of Moksha
○ Buddhism preached Madhyamarga
● Syadvada - theory of maybe
● Nayavada - doctrine of viewpoints
● Syadvada + Nayavada = Anekantavada (Doctrine of many-Sidedness)
○ Truth is not absolute
○ Nothing is absolute true / false
● Jainism : Tirthankara is the Ultimate reality, below them is god
● 14 Purvas - textbooks of jainism
● Bhadrabahu ( teacher of CGM )
○ Wrote - Jaina Kalpasutra
○ Migrated to south india - Sravana Belagola
● Sthulbahu - stayed in Magadha
● Bhadrabahu - Digambaras (Samaiyas)
○ Being Naked
○ Women cannot attain liberation
○ Believes Mahavira never married
● Sthulbahu - Svetambaras (Terapantis)
○ White clad
○ Women can attain Liberation
○ Mahavira had married
●
● King Amoghavarsha - wrote Jaina work “Ratnamalika”
○ Called “Ashoka of the South”
● Sallekhana - fast until death
● Chhedasutra & Mulasutras - Jaina literature
● Niryuktis - Jiana commentaries
●