Anagha’s school trip
This was the first time Anagha was going on a school trip. They boarded the train from Pune (in Maharashtra) late at night, to go all the way to Varanasi (in Uttar Pradesh). Her mother, who came to see her off at the station, told the teacher: “Do tell the children about the Buddha, and take them to see Sarnath as well.”
The story of the Buddha
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. As you saw in Chapter 5, some kings in the mahajanapadas were growing more powerful. New cities were developing, and life was changing in the villages as well. Many thinkers were trying to understand these changes in society. They also wanted to try and find out the true meaning of life.
The Buddha belonged to a small gana known as the Sakya gana, and was a kshatriya. When he was a young man, he left the comforts of his home in search of knowledge. 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 Kusinara.
The Buddha taught that life is full of suffering and unhappiness. This is caused because we have cravings and desires (which often cannot be fulfilled). Sometimes, even if we get what we want, we are not satisfied, and want even more (or want other things). The Buddha described this as thirst or tanha. He taught that this constant craving could be removed by following moderation in everything.
He also taught people to be kind, and to respect
the lives of others, including animals. He believed
that the results of our actions (called karma),
whether good or bad, affect us
both in this life and the
next. The Buddha taught
in the language of the
ordinary people, Prakrit,
so that everybody could
understand his message.
What was the language
used to compose the
Vedas?
He also encouraged
people to think for
themselves rather
than to simply
accept what he
said. Let us see
how he did this.
The stupa at Sarnath.
This building, known
as a stupa, was built to
mark the place where the
Buddha first taught his
message. You will learn
more about stupas in
Chapter 10.
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The story of Kisagotami
Here is a famous story about the Buddha.
Once there was a woman named Kisagotami, whose son had died. She
was so sad that she roamed through the streets of the city carrying the
child with her, asking for help to bring him back to life. A kind man took
her to the Buddha.
The Buddha said: “Bring me a handful of mustard seeds, and I will bring
your child back to life.”
Kisagotami was overjoyed and started off at once, but the Buddha gently
stopped her and added: “The seeds must come from the house of a family
where nobody has died.”
Kisagotami went from door to door, but wherever she went, she found
out that someone or the other — father, mother, sister, brother, husband,
wife, child, uncle, aunt, grandfather, grandmother — had died.
What was the Buddha trying to teach the sorrowing mother?
Upanishads
Around the time, various other
thinkers also tried to find answers
to philosophical questions. Some
of them wanted to know about
life after death, others wanted
to know why sacrifices should
be performed. Many of these
thinkers felt that there was
something permanent in the
universe that would last even
after death. They described this
as the atman or the individual
soul and the brahman or the
universal soul. They believed that
ultimately, both the atman and
the brahman were one.
Many of their ideas were
recorded in the Upanishads.
These were part of the later
Vedic texts. Upanishad literally
means ‘approaching and sitting
Six Schools of Indian Philosophy
Over centuries, India’s intellectual
exploration of truth has come to
be represented by six systems of
philosophy. These are known as
Vaishesika, Nyaya, Samkhya, Yoga,
Purva Mimansa and Vedanta or
Uttara Mimansa. These six systems
of philosophy are said to have been
founded by sages Konada, Gotama,
Kapila, Patanjali, Jaimini and Vyasa,
respectively. These philosophies
still guide scholarly discourse in
the country. German-born British
indologist, Friedrich Max Muller,
has observed that the six systems of
philosophy were developed over many
generations with contributions made
by individual thinkers. However,
today, we find an underlying harmony
in their understanding of truth,
although they seem distinct from
each other.
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near’ and the texts contain conversations between
teachers and students. Often, ideas were presented
through simple dialogues.
Most Upanishadic thinkers were men, especially
brahmins and rajas. Occasionally, there is mention
of women thinkers, such as Gargi, Apala, Ghosha,
and Maitreyi, who were famous for their learning,
and participated in debates. Poor people rarely took
part in these discussions. One famous exception
was Satyakama Jabala, who was named after his
mother, the slave woman Jabali. He had a deep
desire to learn about reality, was accepted as a
student by a brahmin teacher named Gautama,
and became one of the best-known thinkers of the
time. Many of the ideas of the Upanishads were later
developed by the famous thinker Shankaracharya,
about whom you will read in Class VII.
The wise beggar
Here is a dialogue based on a story from one of the most famous
Upanishads, the Chhandogya Upanishad.
Shaunaka and Abhipratarin were two sages who worshipped the
universal soul.
Once, as they sat down to eat, a beggar came and asked for some food.
“We cannot spare anything for you,” Shaunaka said.
“Learned sirs, whom do you worship?” the beggar asked.
“The universal soul,” Abhipratarin replied.
“Ah! It means that you know that the universal soul fills the entire world.”
“Yes, yes. We know that.” The sages nodded.
“If the universal soul fills the whole world, it fills me too. Who am I, but
a part of the world?” the beggar asked.
“You speak the truth, O young brahmin.”
“Then, O sages, by not giving me food, you are actually denying food
to the universal soul.”
The sages realised the truth of what the beggar said, and shared their
food with him.
How did the beggar convince the sages to share their food with him?
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Panini, the grammarian
This was also the time when other scholars were
at work. One of the most famous was Panini, who
prepared a grammar for Sanskrit. He arranged the
vowels and the consonants in a special order, and
then used these to create formulae like those found in
Algebra. He used these to write down the rules of the
language in short formulae (around 3000 of them!).
Jainism
The last and 24th tirthankara of the Jainas,
Vardhamana Mahavira, also spread his message
around this time, i.e. 2500 years ago. He was a
kshatriya prince of the Lichchhavis, a group that
was a part of the Vajji sangha, about which you
read in Chapter 5. At the age of thirty, he left home
and went to live in a forest. For twelve years, he
led a hard and lonely life, at the end of which he
attained enlightenment.
He taught a simple doctrine: men and women
who wished to know the truth must leave their
homes. They must follow very strictly the rules of
ahimsa, which means not hurting or killing living
beings. “All beings,” said Mahavira “long to live.
To all things life is dear.” Ordinary people could
understand the teachings of Mahavira and his
followers, because they used Prakrit. There were
several forms of Prakrit, used in different parts of
the country, and named after the regions in which
they were used. For example, the Prakrit spoken
in Magadha was known as Magadhi.
Followers of Mahavira, who were known as
Jainas, had to lead very simple lives, begging
for food. They had to be absolutely honest, and
were especially asked not to steal. Also, they
had to observe celibacy. And men had to give up
everything, including their clothes.
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new questions
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It was very difficult for most men and women to
follow these strict rules. Nevertheless, thousands
left their homes to learn and teach this new way
of life. Many more remained behind and supported
those who became monks and nuns, providing
them with food.
Jainism was supported mainly by traders.
Farmers, who had to kill insects to protect their
crops, found it more difficult to follow the rules.
Over hundreds of years, Jainism spread to different
parts of north India, and to Gujarat, Tamil Nadu
and Karnataka. The teachings of Mahavira and
his followers were transmitted orally for several
centuries. They were written down in the form in
which they are presently available at a place called
Valabhi, in Gujarat, about 1500 years ago (see
Map 7, page 87).
The sangha
Both the Mahavira and the Buddha felt that
only those who left their homes could gain true
knowledge. They arranged for them to stay together
in the sangha, an association of those who left
their homes.
The rules made for the Buddhist sangha were
written down in a book called the Vinaya Pitaka.
From this, we know that there were separate
branches for men and women. All men could join
the sangha. However, children had to take the
permission of their parents and slaves that of their
masters. Those who worked for the king had to
take his permission and debtors that of creditors.
Women had to take their husbands’ permission.
Men and women who joined the sangha led
simple lives. They meditated for most of the time,
and went to cities and villages to beg for food
during fixed hours. That is why they were known
as bhikkhus (the Prakrit word for renouncer) and
Jaina
The word
Jaina comes
from the term
Jina, meaning
conqueror.
Why do you
think the term
Jina was used
for Mahavira?
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bhikkhunis. They taught others, and helped one
another. They also held meetings to settle any
quarrels that took place within the sangha.
Those who joined the sangha included brahmins,
kshatriyas, merchants, labourers, barbers,
courtesans and slaves. Many of them wrote down
the teachings of the Buddha. Some of them also
composed beautiful poems, describing their life in
the sangha.
List at least two ways in which the sangha
described in this lesson was different from the
one mentioned in Chapter 5. Were there any
similarities?
Viharas
To begin with, both Jaina and Buddhist monks
went from place to place throughout the year,
teaching people. The only time they stayed in one
place was during the rainy season, when it was
very difficult to travel. Then, their supporters built
temporary shelters for them in gardens, or they
lived in natural caves in hilly areas.
As time went on, many
supporters of the bhikkhus
and bhikkhunis, and they
themselves, felt the need for
more permanent shelters
and so monasteries were
built. These were known
as viharas. The earliest
viharas were made of
wood, and then of brick.
Some were even in caves
that were dug out in hills,
especially in western India.
A cave hollowed out in
the hills.
This is a cave in Karle,
present-day Maharashtra.
Bhikkhus and bhikkhunis
lived and meditated in
these shelters.
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Stages of life: Ashramas
Ashram means a stage of life.
Four ashramas were recognised: brahmacharya, grihastha, vanaprastha
and samnyasa.
Brahmanas, kshatriyas and vaishyas were expected to lead simple lives
and study the Vedas during the early years of their life (brahmacharya).
Then they had to marry and live as householders (grihastha).
Then they had to live in the forest and meditate (vanaprastha).
Finally, they had to give up everything and become samnyasins.
The system of ashramas allowed a person to spend some parts of their
lives in meditation.
In what way was the system of ashramas different from life in the
Sangha?
A Buddhist text tells us:
Just as the waters of rivers lose their names and separateness when they
flow into the mighty ocean, so are varna and ranks and family forgotten
when the followers of the Buddha join the order of monks.
Very often, the land on which the vihara was built
was donated by a rich merchant or a landowner,
or the king. The local people came with gifts of
food, clothing and medicines for the bhikkhus and
bhikkhunis. In return, they taught the people. Over
the centuries, Buddhism spread to many parts of
the subcontinent and beyond.
A new form of Buddhism, known as Mahayana
Buddhism, now developed. This had two distinct
features. Earlier, the Buddha’s presence was
shown in sculpture by using certain signs. For
instance, his attainment of enlightenment was
shown by sculptures of the peepal tree.
Now, statues of the Buddha were made. Many
of these were made in Mathura, while others were
made in Taxila.
The second change was a belief in Bodhisattvas.
These were supposed to be persons who had
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attained enlightenment. Once they attained
enlightenment, they could live in complete isolation
and meditate in peace. However, instead of doing
that, they remained in the world to teach and help
other people. The worship of Bodhisattvas became
very popular, and spread throughout Central Asia,
China, and later to Korea and Japan.
Buddhism spread to western and southern
India, where dozens of caves were hollowed out of
hills for bhikkhus to live in.
Buddhism also spread south eastwards, to
Sri Lanka, Myanmar, Thailand, and other parts of
Southeast Asia including Indonesia. The older form
of Buddhism, known as Theravada Buddhism was
more popular in these areas.
Pilgrims
are men and women who undertake journeys to holy places in order to
offer worship. The best-known of these are the Chinese Buddhist pilgrims,
Fa Xian, who came to the subcontinent about 1600 years ago, Xuan Zang
(who came around 1400 years ago) and I-Qing, who came about 50 years
after Xuan Zang. They came to visit places associated with the life of the
Buddha as well as famous monasteries.
Each of these pilgrims left an account of his journey. They wrote of
the dangers they encountered on their travels, which often took years, of
the countries and the monasteries that they visited, and the books they
carried back with them.
Nalanda – A unique centre of learning
Xuan Zang, and other pilgrims spent time studying in Nalanda (Bihar), the
most famous Buddhist monastery of the period. This is how he describes it:
“The teachers are men of the highest ability and talent. They follow the
teachings of the Buddha in all sincerity. The rules of the monastery are
strict, and everyone has to follow them. Discussions are held throughout
the day, and the old and the young mutually help one another. Learned
men from different cities come here to settle their doubts. The gatekeeper
asks new entrants difficult questions. They are allowed to enter only after
they have been able to answer these. Seven or eight out of every ten are
not able to answer.”
List the reasons why Xuan Zang wanted to study in Nalanda.
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Let’s recall
1. Describe the ways in which the Buddha tried
to spread his message to the people.
2. Write whether true or false:
(a) The Buddha encouraged animal sacrifices.
(b) Sarnath is important because it was the place
where the Buddha taught for the first time.
(c) The Buddha taught that karma has no effect on
our lives.
(d) The Buddha attained enlightenment at Bodh
Gaya.
(e) Upanishadic thinkers believed that the atman
and brahman were ultimately one.
3. What were the questions that Upanishadic thinkers
wanted to answer?
4. What were the main teachings of the Mahavira?
Let’s discuss
5. Why do you think Anagha’s mother wanted her
to know the story of the Buddha?
6. Do you think it would have been easy for slaves to join
the sangha? Give reasons for your answer.
7. Discuss the reasons why the Chinese pilgrims came to
India.
Let’s do
8. Make a list of at least five ideas and questions mentioned
in this lesson. Choose three from the list and discuss
why you think they are important even today.
9. Find out more about men and women who renounce the
world today. Where do they live, what kinds of clothes
do they wear, what do they eat? Why do they renounce
the world?
KEYWORDS
tanha
Prakrit
Upanishad
atman
brahman
ahimsa
Jaina
sangha
bhikkhu
vihara
ashrama
Imagine
You want to go to listen to one of the preachers who lived
about 2500 years ago. Describe your conversation with
your parents as you try to persuade them to let you go.
SOME IMPORTANT
DATES
Upanishadic thinkers,
the Jaina teacher
Mahavira and the
Buddha (about 2500
years ago)
Writing down of the
Jaina texts (about 1500
years ago)
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