GREAT THINKERS AND NEW BELIEFS

STUDY MATERIAL

Society in the 7th Century BCE

People were unhappy with the Vedic religion as
 The Vedic religion was no longer simple and focused mostly on many expensive rituals.
 Numerous animals mostly cows were killed in the elaborate sacrifices like Rajsuya performed by the
priests on behalf of the kings. This affected the common people who depended on the animals for their
livelihood.
 The Varna system had become hereditary.
 The original inhabitants of the land were declared- outcastes; and treated badly.
 The Brahmins became very powerful and declared that the only way to reach god was through them.
 Prosperous people stated questioning the power of the Brahmins, the relevance of rituals and sacrifices
and the importance given to Sanskrit by the ‘Upper castes.”
 People stared resenting the rigid caste system. Some people also wanted to understand the purpose of
life and the meaning of Death.
In response to this widespread feeling of discontent several new ideals and beliefs were born around the 6th
Century BCE. Of these Jainism, Buddhism and the teachings of the Upanishads became most popular.
The Upanishads.
 Upanishad means ‘to sit down near one’. It refers to the wisdom learnt at the guru’s feet.
 Written between 4th and 7th centuries BCE.
 Teachings- i) the human body has a atman (soul) that survives after death.
ii) God can be reached through Bhakti (personal devotion to god) without any priests or
rituals or sacrifices.
iii) What we experience in our present life is a result of our past actions or the law of karma.
Jainism
 Jainism gained widespread popularity under Vardhamana Mahavira, who was the last of the 24
jinas or tirthankaras.
 The followers of the jina are called Jains.
 Vardhamana was married and had a child. When he was 30 he renounced his family ties to
search for truth.
 He spent 12 long years in prayer, after which he attained enlightenment.
 He came to known as Mahavira.
 He spent the next 30 years of his life spreading his teaching to a large number of followers.
 He preached in Prakrit, the language of the common people.
 He died in Pava, in present-day south Bihar, around 527 BC.

Teachings of Mahavira-

 Nonviolence (Ahimsa) - not to cause harm to any living beings

 Truthfulness (Satya) - to speak the harmless truth only
 Non-stealing (Asetya) - not to take anything not properly given
 Chastity (Brahmacharya) -not to indulge in sensual pleasure
  Non-possession/Non-attachment (Aparigraha)- complete detachment from people, places, and material
things

Buddhism
Siddhartha, also known as Gautama, the founder of Buddhism, was born about 2500 years ago. This was a time
of rapid change in the lives of people.

 Many miracles and legends are connected with the birth of Siddhartha.
 Siddhartha was born in Lumbini, in present-day Nepal, around 563 BC.
 His father was Suddhodana and mother was Maya Devi.
 The Buddha belonged to a small gana known as the Sakyagana, and was a Kshatriya.
 When he was a young man, he left the comforts of his home in search of knowledge after witnessing the
four sights that changed his life forever.
 He wandered for several years, meeting and holding discussions with other thinkers.
 He finally decided to find his own path to realisation, and meditated for days on end under a peepal tree
at Bodh Gaya in Bihar, where he attained enlightenment.
 After that, he was known as the Buddha or the Wise One. He then went to Sarnath, near Varanasi, where
he taught for the first time.
 He spent the rest of his life travelling on foot, going from place to place, teaching people, till he passed
away at Kushinagar in Bihar.

The Buddha’s doctrine

Buddha gave his first sermon in a deer park at Sarnath, near Varanasi. He expounded the doctrine of the four
noble truths, which constitute the essence of his teachings.
They are:
 Life is full of suffering.
 This suffering has a cause.
 The cause of this sorrow is desire.
 Getting rid of desires and wants will lead to peace.
For 40 years after his enlightenment, Buddha wandered around the country, preaching to people about how to
rid their lives of suffering and pain, and about desires and freedom.

Life of moderation

 Buddha declared that a life of moderation is the way to attain peace and happiness. That is the noble
eight -fold path or the Middle path.

The noble eight-fold path:

1. Right understanding
2. Right thought
3. Right speech
4. Right action
5. Right livelihood
6. Right mindfulness
7. Right effort
8. Right concentration
  People who followed this middle path would find peace and enlightenment.
 Buddha preached ahimsa or non-violence, and spoke against the caste system.

The spread of Buddhism

The followers of the Buddhism divided into two groups - Hinayana and Mahayana.
 The Mahayana Buddhists made images of Buddha and worshipped them.
 The Hinayana Buddhist believed this to be against the teachings of Buddha.

Important terms-
 Sangha- The sangha was an order of monks who travelled around the country spreading the
teachings of Mahavira and Buddha.
 Monasteries- Places where monks of the Sangha lived and prayed. Eg- Nalanda, Taxila etc also
became great centers of learning.
 Stupas- Dome shaped structures where the relics of Buddha are preserved. Eg- Sanchi stupa in
Madhya Pradesh.
 Chaitya- Buddhist shrine or a hall of worship.

Model Questions with answers:

1. Name the language in which Buddha preached? (1)
Ans- The Buddha preached in Prakrit language, which was spoken by common people.

2. These four sights that changed Siddhrthas life forever- discuss. (3)
Ans- First Sight – An Old Man. The first thing that Siddhartha saw was an Old man who was weak and frail.
Second Sight – A Sick Man. The second sight was a sick man.
Third Sight – A Corpse. The third thing that Siddhartha saw was a corpse. He was deeply troubled by the
suffering he saw around him.
Fourth Sight – An ascetic and was struck by the peace on the man’s face.

3. Discuss the teachings of Mahavira. (5 marks)

Ans- Mahavira taught his followers the following things-
a) A person should always follow-
i. Ahimsa or absolute no violence towards everyone plant and animal alike.
ii. Honesty
iii. Kindness
iv. Truthfulness
v. Not desiring things belonging to others.
b) One should aim to achieve nirvana or freedom from the cycle of life and death. This was only possible by
getting rid of karma or destiny for which one has to live a good and disciplined life.
c) Nirvana can be achieved by following the triratnas or the three jewels- right faith, right knowledge and
right action.
d) He had no belief in the caste system and taught that all human beings are equal.
e) He taught that it is not necessary to have a god or follow rituals or sacrifices in order to live a moral life.
Question Bank:

1. ‘There was a widespread feeling of discontent among people regarding the Vedic religion by the
7th century BCE.”- Why?
2. Who are Jains?
3. What was Vardhamna Mahavira also known as?
4. Compare the two divisions of Jainism.
5. What is the meaning of the term ‘Buddha’?
6. Where did Buddha give his first sermon? What is the doctrine of the ‘Four Noble Truths’?
7. ‘According to Buddha people who followed the middle path would find peace and
enlightenment.’-Discuss.
8. Compare the two divisions of Buddhism.