Jainism and Buddhism
I. Fill in the blanks.
1. Buddha attained enlightenment at Bodhgaya in Bihar.
2. The common people became followers of Jainism in large numbers.
3. Digambaras and Svetambaras are the two sects of Jainism.
4. Mahavira preached in Prakrit language.
5. Buddha is worshipped as god by the followers of Mahayana Buddhism sect.
6. Buddhism split into Hinayana and Mahayana.
7. Mahavira was the twenty-four and the last tirthankar.
8. The Buddhist order of monks and nuns was called Sangha.
9. Gautam Buddha delivered his first sermon at Sarnath.
10. The early Jains taught their doctrine in Prakrit language.
11. Mahavira belonged to the Licchavi clan.
12. The monasteries where the Buddhist monks lived were called Sangha.
II. Answer these questions.
1. Why were the new religions so popular among the masses?
= Jainism and Buddhism strongly opposed the hereditary domination of the upper class. They were against the importance attached to birth in the varna system.
The new religions preached their doctrines in the language of the common people. This increased their popularity.
During this period, the importance of trade grew. Since the Vaishyas were involved in trading activities, their importance also increased simultaneously. However, the Vaishyas still remained at the same position in the varna system.
The new religious sects did not attach much importance to the caste system. This suited the needs and interests of the Vaishyas and they supported Buddhism and Jainism.
2. Explain why common people were dissatisfied with the Brahmanical religion.
= There was discontent against Brahmans and Brahmanical religion. As the varna system became both hereditary and rigid, the lower classes of the Vaishyas and Shudras were bound by rigid customs and traditions. The Shudras particularly faced oppression and discriminatory treatment.
The Vedic religion involved meaningless rituals and sacrifices. As a result, they became elaborate, costly and meaningless. It forced common people to look for a simple religion without rituals.
3. What were the main teachings of Mahavira?
= Mahavira laid great stress on non-violence or ahimsa. According to him, all creations, animals and plants possess life. Hence, no harm should be caused to them.
He was against all forms of religious sacrifices and rituals. Jainism laid emphasis on devotion. Mahavira opposed the varna system. He believed in equality among men, and did not believed in dividing the people into different varnas.
He did not believe in the existence of god. He believed in the theories of karma and rebirth.
According to him, a man's soul was reborn repeatedly due to his karma or action. The highest goal in a man's life was to attain salvation that is moksha or freedom from the cycle of birth and rebirth. One can attain moksha by following the triratna (the three jewels).
These were :
i. right knowledge;
ii. right belief; and
iii. right conduct (which also includes practice of ahimsa and hard penance).
4. Name the different sects of Buddhism. How did they differ from each other?
= The different sects of Buddhism are -
i. The Hinayana Buddhists;
ii. The Mahayana Buddhists;
The Hinayana Buddhists considered Buddha as a preacher and followed his teachings rigidly. On the other hand, the Mahayana Buddhists worshipped Buddha as god. Idol worship became a part of Mahayana Buddhism.
5. Mention the areas beyond India where Buddhism became popular.
= The areas beyond India where Buddhism became popular are - Central Asia, West Asia and Sri Lanka. Even today, Sri Lanka, Burma, parts of China and Japan follow Buddhism.
6. How did Buddhism and Jainism differ from Brahmanism?
= In Brahmanism, the cast system was very rigid. They emphasised on meaningless rituals and sacrifices.
On the other hand, Buddhism and Jainism strongly opposed the caste system. They were also against all the religious sacrifices and rituals.
7. Write a short note on the teachings of Gautam Buddha.
= Buddha's teachings were simple and practical. They were based on the realities of the day. His philosophy was also called the Middle Path (madhya path), because it advised individuals to avoid the extremes of life - luxury and asceticism.
The fundamentals of Buddha's teachings were presented by the Four Noble Truths.
1. The world is full of sorrow or suffering.
2. The cause of sorrow is desire.
3. Sorrows or sufferings can be ended by overcoming desire.
4. Desires can be overcome by following the Eightfold Path or Ashtangika Marga.
The Eightfold Path consist of the following guidelines.
1. Right faith; 2. Right thought; 3. Right speech;
4. Right action; 5. Right living; 6. Right efforts;
7. Right remembrance; 8. Right meditation.
8. What code of conduct did Gautam Buddha lay for his followers?
= Buddha laid down the following code of conduct for his followers :
i. Do not covet the property of others.
ii. Do not commit violence.
iii. Do not use intoxicants.
iv. Do not speak a lie.
v. Do not indulge in corrupt practices.
9. Do you think Buddhism and Jainism are similar in many ways? Give reasons for your answer.
= Buddhism and Jainism are similar in the following ways :
i. Both were started by the members of the Kshatriya varna.
ii. Both opposed Brahmanical supremacy.
iii. Both were simple religions without any elaborate or expensive rituals and practices.
iv. They condemned rituals and sacrifices.
v. They taught in the language of the masses.
10. What were viharas? How did they help in spread of Buddhism.
= Viharas were the places where the Buddhist monks and nuns lived.
Buddhist monks were required to faithfully observed the rules and regulations of the viharas. As a result of an organised preaching under the auspices of the viharas, Buddhism made rapid strides even in the lifetime of Buddha. The viharas helped in the spread of Buddhism to Magadh, Kosala, Kausambi and several republic states.
11. What were the different sects of Jainism? How did they differ from each other?
= The different sects of Jainism are - Digambaras and Svetambaras.
Digambaras were sky-clad and chose not to wear clothes. They were strict followers of Mahavira and lived an austere life. On the other hand, Svetambaras were white-clad. They covered their mouth with a piece of white cloth.
12. Why did Buddhism decline later?
= Buddhism declined in India due to the following reasons:
i. Vedic Hinduism was reformed and brought back into prominence.
ii. Buddhism was split into Hinayana and Mahayana and the latter was very similar to Hinduism.
iii. Buddhist monks and nuns began to lead luxurious lives. Corrupt practices crept into the monasteries.
13. What was the impact of Buddhism on socio-cultural life of people?
= Buddhism contributed to the development of literature in the language of the people. The Tripitaka, or the Three Baskets, containing the teachings of Buddha, and the Jatakas, containing the tales of Buddha's previous lives, became popular as a part of the Buddhist literature.
The Buddhist monasteries became the centres of learning. Some of them such as Nalanda, Taxila and Vikramshila developed into famous universities.
Buddhism contributed greatly to art and architecture. Buddhist viharas, temples and monuments depict the Buddhist influences in art and architecture.
Buddhist monks were required to faithfully observe the rules and regulations of the viharas. As a result of an organised preaching under the auspices of the viharas, Buddhism made rapid strides even in the lifetime of Buddha. The viharas helped in the spread of Buddhism to Magadh, Kosala, Kausambi and several republic states.
14. Do you think that all the principles of Buddhism and Jainism can be followed in contemporary times? Give reasons to support your answer.
= I think that all the principles of Buddhism and Jainism can be followed in contemporary times as the present world is gradually getting filled with war, discrimination, jealousy and terrorism.
All are becoming self-centred. We are chasing pleasure all the time. But there is no peace in our life. The teachings of Lord Buddha and Mahavira can show us light to get out of greed and selfishness. And the world can be a better place to live in.
15. What was the Great Renunciation of Buddha's life?
= Goutam Buddha or Siddhartha was married to a beautiful princess, Yasodhara and was blessed with a son, Rahul. However, the luxuries of palace life did not satisfy him and he began to grow very restless. He finally renounced the life of luxury to become a wandering mendicant.
III. Choose the correct option.
1. Right knowledge, right belief and right conduct are the ________ of Jainism.
a. sutta. [ ]
b. triratna. [✓]
c. ashtangika marga. [ ]
d. vihara. [ ]
2. _______ contains Buddha's previous lives.
a. Jatakas. [✓]
b. Tripitaka. [ ]
c. Vedas. [ ]
d. Sangha. [ ]
3. The early Jains taught their doctrines in ______ language.
a. Sanskrit. [ ]
b. Hindi. [ ]
c. Pali. [ ]
d. Prakrit. [✓]
4. The tree under which Gautam Buddha attained enlightenment is known as the ______ .
a. Banyan tree. [ ]
b. Madhya tree. [ ]
c. Bodhi tree. [✓]
d. Kharavela tree. [ ]
5. ______ was an association of disciples who had left their home to follow Buddhism.
a. Moksha. [ ]
b. Vihara. [ ]
c. Sangha. [✓]
d. Kaivalya. [ ]
IV. Write short notes.
1. Early life of Gautam Buddha and Mahavira.
= Siddhartha, later known as Gautam Buddha, was the founder of Buddhism. Siddharth was a Kshatriya prince from the tribe of the Sakyas. He was also known as the Sakya Muni. He was born in 567 BCE at Lumbini near Kapilavastu (now in Nepal).
Mahavira was born in 599 BCE, at Kundagrama near Vaishali (present day Bihar). He was a Kshatriya prince belonging to the Licchavi clan. He gave up luxury and comfort at the age of thirty in search of truth.
2. Ashtangika marga.
= The fundamentals of Buddha's teachings were presented by the Four Noble Truths.
1. The world is full of sorrow or suffering.
2. The cause of sorrow is desire.
3. Sorrows or sufferings can be ended by overcoming desire.
4. Desires can be overcome by following the Eightfold Path or Ashtangika Marga.
The Eightfold Path consist of the following guidelines.
1. Right faith; 2. Right thought; 3. Right speech;
4. Right action; 5. Right living; 6. Right efforts;
7. Right remembrance; 8. Right meditation.
3. Nirvana.
= Nirvana is the state of attaining freedom from the endless cycle of birth and rebirth. Both the Buddhism and Jainism emphasised on attaining nirvana. They suggested various paths to achieve this.
V. State whether true of false.
1. Sanskrit was the language of the masses. [F]
2. Vardhaman Mahavira was also known as Sakya Muni. [F]
3. Buddha gave his first sermon at Sarnath. [T]
4. Buddha's philosophy is also known as the Middle Path. [T]
5. Buddhism was divided into Digambaras and Svetambaras. [F]
VI. Match the columns.
=
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1. Jainism and Buddhism |
a. Buddhist text. [5] |
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2. Kaivalya |
b. freedom from the cycle of birth and rebirth. [3] |
|
3. nirvana |
c. perfect knowledge. [2] |
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4. Tirthankara |
d. teacher. [4] |
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5. Tripitaka |
e. taught in the language of the masses. [1] |