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The first three castes were of Aryan blood. Only the Brahmans were pure Aryan blood, and the other castes
were mixed. Sudras were not allowed to have Vedic religion.
A simplistic overview of the contrast between the Indus Valley and Aryan culture is given in below
table.
SEVEN - CHARACTERSTICS
INDUS VALLEY
A ARYANS
R RELIGIOUS PRACTICE
MEDITATION
M MAIN PRACTITIONER
ASCETIC
PRIEST
P PURPOSE OF LIFE
LIBERATION
RENUSCIATION
REBIRTH AS HOUSEHOLDER
M MORAL BASED ON
KARMA
SOCIAL VALUE
S SOCIAL POSITION
EQUALILTY
CASTE (BRAHMANIC
FOCUS IN LIFE
ORIGIN OF WISDOM
OWN(MEDITATION EXPERIENCE
SCRIPTURES LIKE VEDAS
There was a large number of religious teachers who were men of considerable learning and
piety and who attracted bands of genuine and serious followers. We are told that altogether there were 62
different religious views. In particular, there were six teachers who were well known as Sramanas.They
were non-brahmanism who were turning to non-vedic literature and opposed to Brahmana.
1. Purana Kassapa. He was the Naturalist. Purana Kashyapa who denied both virtue and vice, and thus
all moral efficacy of human deeds(Karma). According to him, acts of will do not bear any fruit. Good
actions do not give rise to good results; neither do bad actions give rise to bad results.
2.Makkhali Gosala. Determinist Ajivika (in the strict sense followers of Makkhali Gosala contemporary and early friend of Mahavira) who denied sin and freedom of will, and rebirths are
destined without influence of human behaviour. His doctrine turned out to be one of predestination; there
is no cause or condition leading to the purification or defilement of beings, they are purified or defiled
without cause or condition.
3. Ajita Kesakambala. He was the Materialist like Lokayata or Carvaka (after one of the great teachers
of this school).Ajita Keshakambalin,who besides denying virtue, vice, and afterlife, resolved man's being
into material elements. They posed that this world extends only to the limits of possible sense experience
and denied the authority of the scriptures. Brhaspati was probably the founder of this school, which could
be called hedonistic. His teaching was one of materialism, which maintained that the person is identical
with his body. The breaking up of the body after death means the utter annihilation of the person, without
any principle of conscious continuity or moral effects of one's deeds.
4. Pakudha Kaccayana. He preached what we call an atomic theory. He recognised the existence of an
individual, permanent soul, but since that soul cannot be injured or destroyed, there is no basis for
morality and we need not be responsible for our actions.
5. Nigantha Nataputta, the founder of Jainism. He was the only teacher to accept the principle of
kamma, but his methods involved extremes of self-mortification as a means of attaining happiness.
6. Sajaya Belatthaputta. He was the Sceptics. Sanjaya Belathiputta turned out to be a sceptic, who
refused to give a direct answer to any question or make a definite statement about anything. He was said
to be as slippery as an eel, an "eel-wriggler". He refused to give a commitment to any particular point of
view in order to preserve peace of mind; knowledge was impossible. There was a king called Ajatasattu
who questioned all these men about their teachings, but did not find their views were satisfactory. He
observed that none of these six teachers had given him a satisfactory answer to the question he had put to
them. In all cases they had spoken about their views, but had failed to give him a direct reply to the
question he had raised. It was, he said, "just as if one asked about a mango would speak about a
breadfruit, or as if one asked about a breadfruit would speak about a mango."
The life of the Buddha
As a child, Siddhartha the Buddha, was troubled by some of the same thoughts that children
today have. They wonder about birth and death. They wonder why they get sick and why grandfather
died. They wonder why their wishes do not come true. Children also wonder about happiness and the
beauty in nature.
Because the Buddha knew what was in the hearts of children and human kind, he taught everyone how to
live a happy and peaceful life. Buddhism is not learning about strange beliefs from faraway lands. It is
about looking at and thinking about our own lives. It shows us how to understand ourselves and how to
cope with our daily problems.
Life in the Palace
Buddhism is one of the major religions in the world. It began around 2,500 years ago in India when
Siddhartha Gautama discovered how to bring happiness into the world. He was born around 563 BC, in
the small kingdom of Kapilavastu. His father was King Suddhodana and his mother was Queen Maya.
Soon after Prince Siddhartha was born, the wise men predicted that he would become a Buddha. When
the king heard this, he was deeply disturbed, for he wanted his son to become a mighty ruler. He told
Queen Maya, "I will make life in the palace so pleasant that our son will never want to leave."
At the age of sixteen, Prince Siddhartha married a beautiful princess, Yasodhara. The king built them
three palaces, one for each season, and lavished them with luxuries. They passed their days in enjoyment
and never thought about life outside the palace.
After his enlightenment, he went to the Deer Park near the holy city of Benares and shared his new
understanding with five holy men. They understood immediately and became his disciples. This marked
the beginning of the Buddhist community.
For the next forty-five years, the Buddha and his disciples went from place to place in India spreading the
Dharma, his teachings. Their compassion knew no bounds, they helped everyone along the way, beggars,
kings and slave girls. At night, they would sleep where they were; when hungry they would ask for a little
food.
Whenever the Buddha went, he won the hearts of the people because he dealt with their true feelings. He
advised them not to accept his words on blind faith, but to decide for themselves whether his teachings
are right or wrong, then follow them. He encouraged everyone to have compassion for each other and
develop their own virtue, "You should do your own work, for I can teach only the way."
He never became angry or impatient or spoke harshly to anyone, not even to those who opposed him. He
always taught in such a way that everyone could understand. Each person thought the Buddha was
speaking especially for him. The Buddha told his followers to help each other on the Way. Following is a
story of the Buddha living as an example to his disciples.
Once the Buddha and Ananda visited a monastery where a monk was suffering from a contagious
disease. The poor man lay in a mess with no one looking after him. The Buddha himself washed the sick
monk and placed him on a new bed. Afterwards, he admonished the other monks. "Monks, you have
neither mother nor father to look after you. If you do not look after each other, who will look after you?
Whoever serves the sick and suffering, serves me."
The Last Years
Shakyamuni Buddha passed away around 486 BC at the age of eighty. Although he has left the world, the
spirit of his kindness and compassion remains.
The Buddha realized that that he was not the first to become a Buddha. "There have been many Buddhas
before me and will be many Buddhas in the future," The Buddha recalled to his disciples. "All living
beings have the Buddha nature and can become Buddhas." For this reason, he taught the way to
Buddhahood.
The two main goals of Buddhism are getting to know ourselves and learning the Buddha's teachings. To
know who we are, we need to understand that we have two natures. One is called our ordinary nature,
which is made up of unpleasant feelings such as fear, anger, and jealousy. The other is our true nature, the
part of us that is pure, wise, and perfect. In Buddhism, it is called the Buddha nature. The only difference
between us and the Buddha is that we have not awakened to our true nature.
The Nine Special Qualities of the Buddha
Itipi so Bhagava Araham, Samma-Sambuddho, Vijja-Carana
Sampano, Sugato, Lokavidu, Anuttaro Purisa Dhamma
The Buddha is the Knower of Worlds because He has known the world in all ways.
There are Three Kinds of World: 1.The world of formations (Sankaraloka), 2. The world of beings
(Sattaloka), 3. The world of location (Okasaloka).
(6) The Incomparable Leader of men to be Tamed (Anuttaro purisadammasarathi)
The Buddha surpasses the whole world in the special qualities of virtue, concentration, understanding,
deliverance, and knowledge and vision of deliverance, so He is the Incomparable Leader (Master) of men
to be tamed.
(7) The Teacher of Celestial and Human Beings (Sattha devamanussanan)
It is usual for religious masters to seek advice or teaching from the deities or gods, but this would never
happen in the case of the Buddha. The deities are also beings caught in the round of rebirths because they
could not find the way out of it. The Buddha did not seek counsel from human beings either, and relied
solely on His knowledge of the Dhamma. On the other hand, deities and human beings merely come to
Him for counsel or advice and teaching, thus He is the teacher of them.
(8) The Enlightened One (Buddho)
The Lord has discovered the Four Noble Truths by Himself and awakened others to them, thus He is
enlightened. The Four Noble Truths that He has discovered are: (1) the truth of suffering,
(2) the truth of the cause of suffering,(3) the truth of the cessation of suffering, and
(4) the truth of the way leading to the cessation of suffering.
(9) The Blessed One (Bhagava)
The Buddha is endowed with the six things: (1) Lordship [Issariya], (2) Doctrine [Dhamma],
(3) Fame [Yasa], (4) Glory [Siri], (5) Wish [Kama], and (6) Endeavor [Payatta], Thus He is called the
Blessed One.
The Buddha's Daily Routine
The Buddha scheduled and performed His duties systematically. He was fully occupied with His religious
work the whole day, except when He was attending to His essential physical needs. His main concern
was to uplift the moral of the people. He was the Enlightened One, and He endeavored His best to
enlighten others. On several occasions, however, He delivered discourses that tend to worldly happiness.
His day was divided into five parts, namely,
1. The Forenoon-Session,
2. The Afternoon Session,
3. The First Watch of the night,
4. The Middle Watch of the night and
5. The Last Watch of the night.
The Forenoon Session
The Buddha uses His Divine Eye usually early in the morning to survey the world and see whom
He could help. If any person needs his assistance, He goes uninvited usually on foot. According to
circumstances, he might exercise His Psychic powers. The goal is to lead the person on the right path. He
went in search of the vicious and the impure. The virtuous and the pure came in search of Him. He
renders spiritual service to whomsoever needs it before going on his alms-round. He makes the almsround if He is not invited to any particular place, either alone or with the Bhikkhus. Before midday He
finishes His meal. Immediately after the meal, He delivers a short discourse to the people. He establishes
them in the Three Refuges and the Five Precepts. If the persons are spiritually matured, they are shown
the Path to enlightenment. At times He grants ordination if there are candidates for the Order. He then
retires to the monastery.
The Afternoon Session
After the noon meal, He takes a seat in the monastery when Bhikkhus assemble to listen to His
exposition of the Dhamma. Some get objects of meditation according to their temperaments and retire to
congenial places. Others pay their due respects to Him and retire to their chambers to spend the
afternoon. After exhorting His disciples, He himself retires to His private Perfumed Chamber to rest. If
He so desires, He lies on His right side and rests for a while with mindfulness. On rising He attains to the
Ecstasy of Great Compassion (Maha Karuna Samapatti) and surveys with His Divine Eye the world. The
survey is often for the Bhikkhus who retired to solitude for meditation, and others in order to give them
any spiritual advice that is needed. If the erring ones that need advice happen to be at a distance, He uses
His psychic powers to get there, advises them and then retires to His chamber.
Towards evening,
The lay followers flock to Him to hear the Dhamma. Perceiving their innate tendencies and their
temperaments with the Buddha-Eye, He preaches to them for about one hour. Each member of the
audience, though differently constituted, thinks that the Buddha's sermon is directed particularly to him.
Such was the Buddha's method of exposition of the Dhamma. As a rule the Buddha converts others
chiefly by expounding the Dhamma, for He appeals more to the intellect than to emotion.
The First Watch at Night
This period of the night extends from 6pm to 10pm. It is exclusively reserved for Bhikkhus.
During this period Bhikkhus get their doubts cleared, question the Buddha on the intricacies of the
Dhamma, obtain suitable objects of meditation, and hear the Dhamma from the Buddha.
The Middle Watch at Night
Late in the evening if He wishes, He takes a bath. This period extends from 10 p.m. to 2 a.m.
During this period Celestial Beings such as Devas and Brahmas, who are invisible to ordinary human
beings, approach the Buddha to question Him on the Dhamma. Such discourses and answers given to
their queries appear mostly in the Sanyutta Nikaya.
The Last Watch at Night
This period extends from 2am to 6am. The last watch is divided into three parts. The first part
(2:00 am to 3:15 am) is devoted to pacing up and down (Cankamana). This serves as a mild physical
exercise to Him.
During the second part (3:15 am to 4:30 am), mindfully He lies down on His right side. He spends the
last part (4:30 am to 6:00 am) in attaining to the Ecstasy of Great Compassion (Maha Karuna
Samapatti). At this early hour He radiates thoughts of Loving-Kindness towards all beings and surveys
the world with His Buddha-Eye to see whether He could be of service to any. If there be any worthy case,
He goes of His own accord and gives the necessary spiritual assistance.
His daily routine is occupied with religious activities. He rests only for a few hours a day in the afternoon
and at night. For one and a half hours in the noon and at dawn He pervades the whole world with
thoughts of Karuru (Compassion). He seeks His own food without inconveniencing any. He led a life of
voluntary poverty, begging His food from door to door, wandering from place to place for eight months
throughout the year. He tirelessly worked in the foregoing manner till His death in the eightieth year.
REFERENCE BOOKS:
Heritage of Buddhism by D.C.Ahir
Encyclopedia of Buddhism by R.K. Pruthi
Buddhism in India by D.C.Ahir
Buddha and his Dhamma(Hindi/English) by B.R.Ambedkar
Buddhcaharya(Hindi) by Rahul Sankruttayan
Bhagwat, N. K. The Dhammapada And The Buddha's Last Bequest. Taiwan: The Corporate Body of
the Buddha Educational Foundation.
7.
Buddhism: A Brief Introduction. Developing Virtue Secondary School.Burlingame, California:
Buddhist Translation Society, 1996.
8.
Buddhist Studies. Curriculum Development Institute of Singapore. Singapore: Pan Pacific
Publications Pte Ltd, 1984.
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