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.