CHAPTER-4

Thinkers, Beliefs and Buildings Cultural Developments (c.600BCE-600CE)

Introduction
 The stupa at Sanchi piqued the curiosity of Europeans in the 19th century, and Shahjehan
Begum and Sultan
 Jehan Begum of Bhopal donated funds to keep the historic landmark intact.
Thinkers, Beliefs, and customs
Midway through the first millennium BCE, thinkers like Zarathustra in Iran, Kong Zi in China,
Socrates, Plato, and Aristotle in Greece, and Mahavira and Gautama Buddha, among many others,
emerged in India.
The Sacrificial Tradition
The Rigveda makes reference to a number of philosophical, theological, and ethical traditions,
including the early Vedic tradition. It was put up somewhere between 1500 and 1000 BCE.
People began to wonder about the relevance of the sacrifice tradition and were interested in the
purpose of life, the possibility of life after death, and reincarnation, as evidenced by a number of
ideas contained in the Upanishads.
Conversations and Debates
 Buddhist writings list 64 sects or schools of thought, and teachers travelled from place to
place attempting to persuade other practitioners of their philosophy or worldview as well as
lay people of the truth of their position.
 Discussions were conducted in the kutagarashala, a pointed-roofed hut, or in woods where
traveling mendicants rested.
The message of Mahavira: Beyond Worldly Pleasures
 Before Vardhamana, who later became known as Mahavira, was born, the fundamental
concept of the Jainas was already in place in North India. He was the last and 24th
tirthankara
 He practiced austerity for twelve years and then at the age of 42 attained supreme
knowledge.
 He belonged to the kshatriya class and attained enlightenment under a sala tree on the
banks of river Rijupalika
 Jainism's central tenet is that everything in the universe is alive, including rocks, stones, and
water.
 The Jaina philosophy emphasizes the importance of not harming any living thing,
particularly people, animals, plants, or insects.
The Propagation of Jainism
In various regions of India, Jainism has spread. Similar to the Buddhists, Jaina scholars created
literature in a number of other languages, including Prakrit, Sanskrit, and Tamil.
Devotees of the Jaina tirthankaras created some of the oldest stone sculptures linked to religious
traditions.
Five Principles of Jainism
 Ahimsa(Nonviolence)
 Satya(Truth)
 Asetya(Not stealing)
 Brahmacharya (Celibacy)
 Aparigraha (Non-possessiveness)
Buddha's Journey to Enlightenment
 Siddhartha, the son of a chief of the Sakya clan, explored a number of avenues in his quest
for knowledge, including bodily mortification, which brought him dangerously close to
death.
  He spent several days in meditation before achieving enlightenment in Bodh Gaya (Bihar),
where he became known as the Buddha or the enlightened one.
Buddha's Teachings
 The Sutta Pitaka is the primary source from which the Buddha's teachings have been
reconstructed.
 The world is temporary (anicca) and ever-changing, according to Buddhist philosophy.
Because there is nothing eternal or permanent about it, it is also soulless (anatta). Human
beings can transcend these material ills by choosing a middle route between strict penance
and self-indulgence.
 The Buddha placed a strong emphasis on each individual's agency and righteous behaviour
as a way
 to break free from the cycle of rebirth and achieve self-realization and nibbana.
Disciples of the Buddha
 Buddha established a sangha, a community of monks who also trained as dhamma teachers,
and these monks lived cheaply, having just the bare necessities for subsistence, such as a
bowl to collect food from the laity (common people) once a day.
 Mahapajapati Gotami, the Buddha's foster mother, was the first woman to be ordained as a
bhikkhuni;
 they were called as bhikkhus because they lived off of alms.
 Theirs, or revered women who had reached liberation, were many of the women who joined
the sangha and became teachers of the dhamma.
 Both during and after the Buddha's life, Buddhism expanded quickly. Many people found it
appealing because they were unhappy with traditional religious beliefs and perplexed by the
quick societal changes occurring all around them.
 Bimbisara, a pre Mauryan king was a contemporary of Buddha
Important Places Related To Buddha
 Place where he was born–Lumbini
 Where he attained enlightenment–Bodh Gaya
 Where he gave his first sermon–Sarnath
 Where he attained Nibbana–Kushinagar
Buildings And architecture
 Some of the Buddhist concepts and practices can be recognized in historical structures and
sculptures, such as the stupas in Sanchi and Amaravati.
 Buddhist literature makes reference to a number of chaityas, which are stupas erected to
house Buddha relics.
 It also lists locations connected to the Buddha's life, such as Lumbini, Bodh Gaya, Sarnath,
and
 Kusinagara, where he was born, acquired enlightenment, and attained nibbana.
Construction Of Stupas
Stupa construction was funded by gifts from rulers like the Satvahanas and by guilds like the ivory
artisans, who contributed to the construction of one of the Sanchi entrances.
The construction of these monuments was also supported by Bhikkhus and Bhikkhunis.
Stupa's Building Blocks
 A basic ,semicircular mound of earth later known as an anda gave rise to the stupa, which is
Sanskrit for "hundred."
 The harmika, which resembled a balcony and served as a representation of the gods'
dwelling place, was located above the anda.
Amravati Stupa
  Walter Elliot, the commissioner of Guntur (Andhra Pradesh), visited Amaravati in 1854 and
gathered many sculptural panels, bringing them to Madras (Chennai). Additionally, he found
the Western's ruins.
 They led to the conclusion that the Amaravati building was one of the biggest and the most
exquisite Buddhist stupa.
Location Of All Important Stupas
 Sanchi Stupa, Madhya Pradesh
 MahaStupa, Thotlakunda
 MahabodhiStupa, Bodh Gaya
 Shanti Stupa, Leh
 Kesaria Stupa, Bihar
 DhamekhStupa, Sarnath
Differences Between The Life Of Buddha And Mahavira
Buddha
 He was born at Lumbini
 He belonged to the sakya clan
 He married Yashodara and had a son named Rahul
 He attained Nirvana under the pipal tree in Bodh Gaya
Mahavira
 He was born at Kunagrama
 He belonged to Jnatrikas clan
 He married Yashoda and had a daughter named Anojja
 He attained Nirvana under a sal tree at Trimbhikagrama
Sculpture
As they were exquisite and priceless, sculptures were taken out of stupas and transported all the
way to Europe.
Art Historians examined the sculpture in Sanchi and determined that it depicted a scene from the
Vessantara Jataka, a tale about a kindhearted prince who abandoned everything for a Brahmana and
moved into the forest with his family.
Worship Symbols
 The Buddha was frequently depicted in early sculptures through symbols rather than in
human form.
 For example, an empty seat sculpture depicts the Buddha's meditation, and the stupa was
meant to represent Mahaparinirvana.
 Another frequently used symbol was the wheel, which represented the Buddha's first
sermon delivered at Sarnath.
New Religious Customs
The Growth Of Mahayana Buddhism
The Buddha was viewed as a human being who attained enlightenment and nibbana through his
own
efforts, and early Buddhist teachings placed great emphasis on self-effort in achieving nibbana.
As a result, worshiping images of the Buddha and Bodhisattas came to be a significant part of this
tradition. The term "great vehicle" (Mahayana) was used to describe this new method of thinking.
The previous tradition was referred to as Hinayana, or the "lesser vehicle," by those who followed
these views.