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Ancient History of India : OLD NCERT Short Notes or Revision : CHAPTER-14 : Jainism and Buddhism (Arora IAS) OLD NCERT Notes
CHAPTER-14 : Jainism and Buddhism
Ancient History of India
OLD NCERT
Short Notes or Revision Notes
Rise of Jainism
- Causes:
- Kshatriya reaction against Brahmanical dominance.
- Spread of new agricultural economy in northeast India.
Vardhamana Mahavira (c. 599 – c. 527 BCE)
- Predecessors:
- 24 tirthankaras (teachers): Rishabhadeva (first), Parshvanatha (23rd).
- Life:
- Abandoned royal life at 30, attained enlightenment (kaivalya) at 42.
- Propagated Jainism for 30 years.
Jain Doctrines
- Five Doctrines:
- Non-violence (ahimsa).
- Non-stealing.
- Non-possession (aparigraha).
- Celibacy (brahmacharya).
- Split: Shvetāmbaras (white-clad) and Digambaras (naked).
- Goal: Liberation from worldly bonds.
- Three Jewels (Triratna):
- Right knowledge.
- Right faith.
- Right action.
Jain Sects: Digambar vs. Shwetambar
- Digambar Jains (Naked):
- Believe monks should relinquish all possessions, including clothes.
- Worship unclothed idols.
- Monks eat only once daily at one house.
- Deny women’s liberation in current birth.
- Believe enlightened beings don’t need food.
- Mahavira (founder) never married (according to them).
- Consider Mallinath (Tirthankar) male.
- Monks keep only 3 possessions.
- Shwetambar Jains (White-Clad):
- Monks wear white clothes.
- Worship clothed idols with decorations.
- Monks eat multiple times daily, collecting food from multiple houses.
- Believe women can achieve liberation in this life.
- Enlightened beings still need food (according to them).
- Mahavira married (according to them).
- Consider Mallinath (Tirthankar) female.
- Monks keep 14 possessions.
- Core Similarities:
- Both follow Jain principles like ahimsa (non-violence).
Spread of Jainism
- Mahavira’s Efforts:
- Established an order of Jain followers (men and women).
- Preached in Prakrit (commoner’s language).
- Southward Expansion:
- Attributed to Chandragupta Maurya (Emperor, 322-298 BC) – embraced Jainism.
- Jain migration due to famine (200 years after Mahavira):
- Led by Bhadrabahu – southern migrants became Digambaras.
- Led by Sthalabahu – Magadha residents became Shwetambaras.
- Other Regions:
- Kalinga (Odisha): 4th century BC.
- Tamil Nadu: 2nd-1st centuries BC.
- Malwa, Gujarat, Rajasthan: Later centuries.
Jain Contribution
- Language Promotion:
- Used Prakrit for religious texts (helped its growth).
- Composed early Apabhramsha works and its first grammar.
- Other:
- Vardhamana Mahavira (founder) spread message around 2500 years ago.
- Jain philosophy emphasizes karma, asceticism, and monastic life for liberation.
Gautama Buddha (c. 567 – c. 487 BCE)
- Life:
- Contemporary of Mahavira.
- Born into a royal Shakya family in Lumbini, Nepal.
- Left home at 29, attained enlightenment at 35 in Bodh Gaya.
- Delivered first sermon in Sarnath, passed away at 80 in Kusinagara.
Buddhist Doctrines
- Goal:Nirvana (freedom from suffering and rebirth).
- Cause of Suffering:
- Eightfold Path:Path to eliminate suffering:
- Right view, intention, speech, action, livelihood, effort, mindfulness, concentration.
- Five Precepts:Ethical code:
- No violence.
- No stealing.
- No intoxicants.
- No lying.
- No sexual misconduct.
Features of Buddhism and its Spread
- Openness:
- Accepted people regardless of caste or gender (unlike Brahmanism).
- Preaching Style:
- Buddha’s calm demeanor and focus on good vs. evil attracted followers.
- Language:
- Used Pali (Prakrit) to make teachings accessible to common people.
- Three Pillars:
- Buddha (enlightened one).
- Dharma (teachings).
- Sangha (monastic community).
- Spread under Ashoka (3rd century BCE):
- Introduced Buddhism to Central Asia, West Asia, and Sri Lanka.
Decline of Buddhism in India
- Gradual Shift:
- Over time, Buddhist monasteries became less focused on strict practice.
- Vajrayana Buddhism:
- A new form of Buddhism emerged with some controversial practices.
- Persecution:
- Buddhism faced persecution in the 6th-7th centuries.
Significance and Influence of Buddhism
- Social Impact:
- Openness to women and Shudras challenged caste hierarchy.
- Promoted non-violence and respect for animal life.
- Intellectual Impact:
- Encouraged critical thinking and questioning.
- Led to the development of Hybrid Sanskrit, a new language.
- Educational Impact:
- Buddhist monasteries became centers of learning (Nalanda, Vikramshila).
- Artistic Impact:
- First human statues in India depicted the Buddha.
- Entstehung (German for emergence) of Gandhara art (Greek-Indian collaboration).
- Development of cave architecture (Barabar hills, Nasik).
- Elaborate stupa construction (Sanchi, Amaravati).
- Religious Impact:
- Mahayana Buddhism emerged as a new school of thought.
- Early temples with garbhagriha and shikhara were influenced by Buddhist structures.
Similarities between Jainism and Buddhism
- Philosophical Roots:
- Both influenced by Upanishads, Sankhya-Yoga concepts.
- Shared ideas of:
- Karma and transmigration.
- Neglect of God (atheistic).
- Duality of spirit and matter.
- Social and Historical Context:
- Both arose as reactions against Brahmanism in eastern India.
- Appealed to Kshatriyas, Vaishyas, and Shudras.
- Founded by Kshatriya princes (Mahavira, Buddha).
- Religious Beliefs and Practices:
- Opposed caste system, rituals, and Brahmin supremacy.
- Sought liberation (nirvana) from rebirth.
- Rejected Vedas as sole authority.
- Emphasized morality and non-violence.
- Used common languages (Pali, Prakrit) for scriptures.
- Encouraged monastic life.
- Established orders for monks and nuns.
Distinctions Between Jainism and Buddhism
- Age:
- Jainism is considered older (24 Tirthankaras, Mahavira last).
- Buddhism originated with the Buddha.
- Soul:
- Jainism: all things have souls (even stones and water).
- Buddhism: no belief in soul.
- Non-Violence (Ahimsa):
- Jainism: stricter interpretation, avoids harming all living things.
- Buddhism: more flexible, allows meat in some situations.
- Buddhism emphasizes love for all beings, a more positive concept.
- Caste System:
- Buddhism more actively challenged caste distinctions.
- Path to Salvation:
- Jainism: strict asceticism.
- Buddhism: Middle Path (avoiding extremes).
- Attaining Salvation:
- Jainism: only after death for householders (men and women).
- Buddhism: possible in this life with detachment from worldly existence.
- Jainism: Nirvana – freedom from body.
- Buddhism: Nirvana – destruction of self or detachment from worldly existence.
- Adaptability:
- Buddhism: more adaptable, spread across Asia and incorporated local traditions.
- Jainism: less adaptable, remained mostly in India.
- Relation to Hinduism:
- Jainism: closer to Hinduism in practice, minimal conflict.
- Buddhism: challenged Hinduism, seen as rivals.
- Spread and Decline:
- Jainism: never spread beyond India, but still practiced there.
- Buddhism: spread across Asia, but declined in India.