History (Ancient India History :- Buddhism)

Ancient India History :- Buddhism

 *Founded by Gautam Buddha (Original Name → Siddhartha)

 *Born in 563 BC at Lumbini in Nepal near Kapilavastu (As a kshatriya in Shakya clan)

 *Parents → Suddhodhana & Mahamaya

 *Left Home at the age of 29 in search of truth & did intense penance & meditation

 *Attained Nirvana under a Pipal tree at Bodh Gaya & henceforth known as Buddha (The enlightened one)

 *Delivered his 1st sermon at Sarnath (Banaras) & died at the age of 80 at Kushinagar (U.P)

Noble truth by Buddha

 *World is full of sorrow

 *People suffer on account of desires

 *If desires are conquered, Nirvana can be achieved i.e. free from cycle of birth & death & which can be done by following 8 fold path (ashtangika marga):

Right Understanding :- Right Determination :- Right Speech :- Right Action

Right livelihood :- Right Exercise :- Right Mindfulness :- Right Medication

Tri Ratnas of Buddhism

 *Budhha (The enlightened)

 *Dhamma ( Doctrine of Buddhism)

 *Sangha (Order of Buddhism)

Teachings by Buddha

 *Budhha was a practical reformer & did not believe in soul or god or metaphysical world & concerned himself with the worldly problems

 *Suggested that a person should avoid excess of both, Luxury & Austerity & prescribed a middle path

 *Laid great emphasis on Karma (Varna based on action not on birth) & Ahimsa

 *Opposed varna system & laid down the principle of social equality

Spread of Buddhism

 *Buddhism had 2 kinds of disciples – Monks (Bhikshus) & Lay worshippers (Upasikas)

 *Monks were organised into sangha for the purpose of spread of Buddhist teachings

 *Membership was open to all, Male or female without any cast distinction, but every member had to take vow of continence, poverty & faith (Penance to achieve liberation )

 *Use of Pali language also contributed to the spread of Buddhism

Buddhist Text

Tripitakas → All written in Pali Language

 *Sutta-pitaka

 *Vinaya-pitaka

 *Abhidhamma-pitaka

Contribution of Buddhism

 *Slaves & debtors couldn’t join sangha rule helped moneylenders & richer sections of society

 *Earliest Budhhist text “ Suttanipata” pleads for protection of cattles & helped to prevent their decimation

 *Taught people to put reason in everything & pleaded for logic instead of superstitions hence promoted rationalism in people

 *Promoted education through residential universities like Valabhi, Nalanda & Vikramshila

 *Formed Hybrid Sanskrit by mixture of Pali & Sanskrit

Cause of Decline

 *Revival of Brahmanism & rise of Bhagavatism

 *Use of Sanskrit instead of Pali from 4th Buddhist council (Around 100 AD)

 *After birth of Mahayana, Practice of Idol worship, Huge offerings & donations became common & led to the deterioration of moral standards

 *Attack of Hunas (Around 500 – 600 AD) & Attack of Turkish invaders (1200 AD) destroyed major Buddhist Monasteries

 *Brahamana ruler Pushyamitra have said to persecuted Buddhists

 *Shaivite Shashanka have said to cut the original Bodhi tree at Bodhgaya

Buddhist Councils

1st Council @ Rajgir

 *Was held immediately after the death of Buddha at Saptaparni cave in which the unwritten teachings of Buddha were penned down after his death.

 *Held at Rajgir under the patronage of Ajatashatru under the chairmanship of Mahakashyap

 *Ananda composed Suttapitaka (Buddha’s Teachings) & Upali composed Vinaypitaka ( Monastic code for Buddhism)

2nd Council @ Vaishali

 *Was held approx. 100 years after the death of Buddha under the patronage of King Kalasoka under the chairmanship of Sabakami

 *Mainly due to 10 disputed points under Vinaypitaka (Monastic codes of Buddhism)

3rd Council @ Patliputra

 *Held under the patronage of Ashoka under the chairmanship of Mogliputra tissa

 *Compilation of Abhidhamma pitaka took place (Philosophical exposition of Budhhism)

 *Budhhism preached & Propagated by Ashoka is known as Hinyana

4th Council @ Kashmir

 *Held under the patronage of Kanishka under the chairmanship of Vasumitra

 *Resulted in division of Buddhism into Hinyana & Mahayana

 *Asvaghosa participated in this council & all the deliberations were made in Sanskrit

Origin of Mahayana Buddhism

 *Monks around beginning of Christian era started to accept huge cash & donations & even started accepting non-vegetarian foreigners in Sangha

 *Monks became more lax in day to day life, started accepting gold & silver, started eating non-veg food & started wearing elaborated robes

 *Disciples even deserted religious order of Sangha & resumed their householder’s life; Started using Sanskrit instead of Pali & started worshipping statues of Buddha & started practicing rituals instead of his symbols.

 *This new kind of Buddhism was known as Mahayana (Greater vehicle) & Hinyana (Lesser vehicle); the former believed in image worship, rituals and Bodhisattvas, (incarnations of Buddha) while the latter continued the practices of the earlier Buddhism.

Mahayana

 *Individual as center & firm to letter of Buddhist teachings

 *Scriptures written in sanskrit are sutra, in Angas

 *Salvation by work & Believed in Karmas

 *Strives after his own salvation

Hinyana

 *Sangha as center & firm to essence of Buddhist teaching

 *Scriptures written in Pali as Pitakas

 *Salvation by faith & Believed in karma

 *Concerned with the salvation of others