Jainism and Buddhism

Short Answer Questions

1. What are Angas? What is the subject matter of these Angas?

The teachings of Lord Mahavira after gaining omniscience, was

compiled by his disciples in 12 parts called Angas.

The Angas discuss religious rites, stages of householder's life,

the vows of chastity, rules of conduct and other features of Jain
philosophy.

2. What are Tripitikas? Name the three Tripitikas.

Tripitikas are most important literary works of Buddhists which

were written on long and narrow leaves in Pali language and
were stored in baskets. The word Tripitikas means "The Three
Baskets".

The three Tripitikas are:

1. The Vinaya Pitaka

2. The Sutta Pitaka
3. The Abhidhamma Pitaka

3. State two important causes for the rise of Jainism and

Buddhism.

The two important causes for the rise of Jainism and Buddhism
are:

1. Corruption in religion — Priests were extracting money

from common people in the name of rituals. Brahmins had
 become stronger and their hold on society needed to be
weakened.
2. Rigid caste system — The rigid caste system had resulted in
so many restrictions and did not allow social mobility.
People were in need of a liberal religion.

4. Who was Vardhamana Mahavira? Give the significance of both

parts of his name.

Vardhamana Mahavira was the twenty-fourth and the last

tirthankara. He is considered as the founder of Jainism.

He was called Mahavira because he was very brave and had also
saved his colleagues. At the time of his birth, his father's
kingdom was very prosperous and so he was called Vardhamana
(meaning prosperity).

5.List any four vows prescribed for the Jains.

The four vows prescribed for the Jains are:

1. Ahimsa: Non-violence
2. Achaurya or Asteya: Not stealing
3. Satya: Not telling a lie
4. Aparigraha: Not possessing property

6.What are known as the Triratnas?

The Triratnas or the Three Jewels are the principles to be

followed to attain the ultimate goal of salvation. The Triratnas
are:

1. Right faith
2. Right knowledge
 3. Right conduct or action

7.Give two causes for the spread of Jainism.

The two causes for the spread of Jainism are:

1. Local Dialect — Mahavira adopted the language of common

people, i.e, Prakrit instead of Sanskrit to preach his
doctrines.
2. Royal Patronage — Jainism received royal patronage of
Chalukyas and Rashtrakutas. Chandragupta Maurya is also
said to have converted to Jainism. Kharvela helped in
spread of Jainism in eastern India.

9.Name the two sects into which Jainism got divided. Why were
they so called?

The two sects into which Jainism got divided were:

1. Shvetambaras or White clad.

2. Digambaras or sky-clad.

Digambara sect is called so as the sanskrit word Digambar

means sky-clad, referring to their traditional monastic practice
of neither possessing nor wearing any clothes. Shvetambara
means white clad as it refers to its ascetics' practice of wearing
white clothes.

9.List any two reasons for Jainism having few followers.

Two reasons for Jainism having few followers are:

1. Jainism preached rigid austerity. The theory of ahimsa was

extended even to wearing of clothes.
2. It did not get royal patronage from contemporary rulers.
10.Who was Gautam Buddha? Where was he born?

Gautam Buddha was the founder of Buddhism. He was born at

Lumbini near Kapilavastu, in Nepal.

11.What are known as the Four Great Sights?

The sights that led to Great Renunciation of Gautama Buddha are

called Four Great Sights. They are:

1. An Old Man
2. A Sick Man
3. A Dead Man
4. An Ascetic

12.How did Buddha attain enlightenment?

After leaving home, Gautam Buddha studied under renowned

teachers of Rajgriha and then went to Gaya. He practised severe
penance and led a life of extreme austerity and at the age of
thirty-five he attained enlightenment at Bodh Gaya in Bihar.

13.Give four Noble Truths of Buddhism.

The four Noble Truths of Buddhism are:

1. The world is full of suffering.

2. The suffering has a cause.
3. Desire is the cause of suffering.
4. If desire is stopped, suffering can also be stopped.
14.Give any four points of the Eightfold Path of Buddha.

The way to Nirvana or the path that leads to removal of suffering

is known as the eightfold path. The four points of the Eightfold
Path of Buddha are:

1. Right action — To remain away from theft, luxuries and

violence
2. Right thought — To remain away from empty rituals and
worldly evils.
3. Right belief — To give up desire.
4. Right speech — Speak the truth and do not think ill of
others.

15.Buddha delivered his first sermon at Sarnath. What is this

event called? What is the literal meaning of the name of the
event.

Buddha delivered his first sermon at the Deer park in Sarnath

near Varanasi in the presence of five ascetics.This event was
known as Dharmachakraparivartan. The literal meaning of the
name of the event is 'the turning of the wheel of sacred law'.

16.Name any two principles that governed the Sangha.

The two principles that governed the Sangha are:

1. Membership — The members were required to renounce the

world and take oath before joining sangha.
2. Ten Commandments — They had to lead a disciplined life
and follow the Ten Commandments.

17.State any two features of Buddhism that attracted people

towards it.
The two features of Buddhism that attracted people towards it
are:

1. The importance given to conduct and values rather than

claims of superiority based on birth.
2. Compassion for the young and the weak .

18.Give two causes for decline of Buddhism.

The two causes for decline of Buddhism are:

1. Split in Buddhism — The popularity and prestige of

Buddhism suffered due to its division into Hinayana,
Mahayana and sixteen other sects. Each sect had its own
followers.
2. Corruption in Sangha —Buddhist sangha received patronage
of royalty and had become very rich. The monks and nuns
started leading a luxurious life instead of simple spiritual
life.

Structured Questions

1. With reference to the sources of information about Jainism and

Buddhism, state the significance of the following:

(a) Angas

(b) Tripitikas

(c) Jatakas

(a) The Angas are regarded as the most important part of Jain
doctrines. They are the compilation of whatever Lord Mahavira
taught after gaining omniscience. The Angas were compiled in
Twelve parts and are collectively known as Dwadashangi. The
two well known and most important Angas are the Aacharang
Sutra that deals with the code of conduct for Jain monks and the
Vyakhya Pragnapti or Bhagavati Sutra that gives comprehensive
description of Jain doctrines. The Angas discuss religious rites,
stages of a householder's life, the vows of chastity, rules of
conduct and all the philosophies of Jainism. Based on these
angas, the seers also compiled 12 auxiliary works that came to
be known as Upangas. The Angas and Upangas provide detailed
knowledge about Jainism.

(b) The Tripitikas are considered as the most important literary

works of Buddhists. The three tripitikas are following:

1. The Vinaya Pitaka — It deals with rules and regulations for

monks and nuns. It gives an account of life and teachings of
Buddha as well as aspects of ancient history, customs and
arts of the period.
2. The Sutta Pitaka — It comprises the discourses of Buddha
and some of his disciples such as Sariputta, Ananda and
others. The Dhammapada (way of truth) is an important
component of this Pitaka.
3. The Abhidhamma Pitaka — It describes Buddhist philosophy,
working of human mind and state of matter.

Besides being the most reliable source of information about

Buddhism, the Tripitakas also provide a glimpse of the social,
economic and political life of people of that period.

(c) Jatakas refer to tales which describe the previous births of

Buddha in animal and human forms. According to Jatakas the
future Buddha may appear as a king, an outcast, a God, an
elephant; but in whatever form, he exhibits some virtue that the
tale thereby highlights. The Jatakas provide very little
biographical material about Gautama Buddha's own life but
throw a significant light on the political, economical and social
conditions of people from the fifth to the second century BC. They
also reflect Buddhist morals, ethics and principles.

2.With reference to Jainism and Buddhism, answer the following

questions:

(a) Give briefly the background of socio-economic conditions in

6th century BCE.

(b) State any three causes for the rise of Jainism and Buddhism.

(c) What caused the division of Jainism into two sects?

(a) In 6th century BCE, with expansion of Aryan settlements to

the east, there were rapid changes in the socio-economic
conditions. Society at some places had traits of Tribal political
organisation while at other places kingdoms were on the rise.
Materialism and spiritualism both existed side by side. People
started to lead a settled life due to surplus production, expanding
trade and market. There were wars among tribes for territory
expansion. The expansion of territory created large kingdoms
called Janapadas. A number of Janapadas joined together to
form bigger and powerful independent kingdoms called
Mahajanapadas. During this period orthodox religious beliefs and
practices were challenged and even rejected by the new sects
like Jainism and Buddhism.

(b) The three causes for the rise of Jainism and Buddhism were:

1. Reaction against Ritualism — Religious ceremonies had

become very expensive and were beyond the means of
ordinary people. This gave rise to faiths that were simple
and inexpensive.
 2. Corruption in Religion — The Priests used to extract money
from people on the name of yajnas, rites and rituals.
Kshatriya rulers protested against such practices. Both
Jainism and Buddhism were founded by Kshatriya princes.
3. Rigid Caste System — The caste system had become so
rigid that it was not allowing any social mobility.
Interchange of caste was impossible. Jainism and Buddhism
gave a simple and liberal society to the people of that
period.

(c) The division of Jainism into two sects was the result of
differences between Bhadrabahu and Sthulabhadra. Bhadrabahu
took Jainism to Karnataka and Sthulbhadra was based in
Magadha. Their was clash of ideas between the two and
subsequently the Jainism divided into Shvetambharas and
Digambaras led by Sthulabhadra and Bhadrabahu respectively.
Shvetambharas wore white clothes and covered their faces with
small white cloth to avoid killing the tiniest of insects or germs
that might enter the nose while breathing while Digambaras did
not believe in covering their bodies. According to them, living
without clothes signified detachment from worldly pleasures and
it avoided killing of life forms.

3.With reference to Jainism answer the following questions:

(a) Who was Mahavira? Why was he called Jina?

(b) State the five vows which a Jain householder has to take.

(c) State the Jains' view on Karma and Salvation.

(a) Mahavira was the twenty-fourth and last of the tirthankaras.

He is considered as the founder of Jainism because he made
Jainism popular and systematic.
Mahavira was called Jina because after obtaining the supreme
knowledge, he subdued his desires and became the conqueror.
The term jina was used for those who have conquered their
desires.

(b) The five vows which a Jain householder has to take are:

1. Ahimsa: non violence.

2. Achaurya or Asteya: not stealing.
3. Satya: not telling a lie.
4. Aparigraha: not possessing property.
5. Brahmacharya: practising chastity.

(c) Jains view on Karma and salvation are:

1. Karma — The Jains believed that one should be responsible

for one's own Karma or actions and good deeds alone
liberate a man from the cycle of life and death.
2. Salvation — Jains believed in salvation or Moksha.
According to them it was necessary to practice the tri-
ratnas of right faith, right knowledge and right action to
attain salvation.

4.With reference to Buddhism, answer the following questions:

(a) Who was Gautama Buddha? How did he achieve

enlightenment?

(b) What is known as 'Dharmachakrapravartana'?

(c) Why did Buddha have a large following?

(a) Gautama Buddha was the founder of Buddhism. He was a

Kshatriya prince who left his home to find solution for pain and
sufferings of men.
After leaving home, Gautama studied under renowned teachers
of Rajgriha and then went to Gaya. He practised severe penance
and led a life of extreme austerity and at the age of thirty-five he
attained enlightenment.

(b) After enlightenment, Gautama Buddha delivered his first

sermon at Deer Park in Sarnath near Varanasi in presence of
five ascetics. This event in the history of Buddhism is known as
'Dharamachakrapravartana' meaning the turning of the wheel of
sacred law.

(c) Buddha gave importance to conduct and values rather than

claims of superiority based on births. Buddha insisted on feeling
of compassion for the young and weak. He preached universal
brotherhood of mankind. He wanted people to live in peace,
setting aside all their difference. He gave people a simple and
inexpensive way to salvation. These are a few ways by which
Lord Buddha got a large following.

5.Buddhism spread far and wide without the assistance of sword.

With reference to Buddhism answer the following questions:

(a) Explain briefly the main tenet of Buddha's philosophy that

afflicts all human beings. Describe the mechanism described by
Buddha to attain salvation.

(b) What was impact of Buddhism on the socio-religious life of

the people?

(c) What role did Sangha play in the spread of Buddhism?

(a) The main tenet of Buddha's philosophy is the First Noble

Truth — "The world is full of suffering." Buddha explained that
suffering is univeral, i.e. it affects all human beings through birth,
old age, disease, and death.
Buddha explained that a man could attain salvation by following
his teachings contained in the Eightfold Path and Four Noble
Truths.

Four Noble Truths — The essence of Buddhism lies in Four Noble

Truths. They are:

1. The world is full of suffering.

2. The suffering has a cause.
3. Desire is the cause of suffering.
4. If desire is stopped, suffering can also be stopped.

Eightfold Path — The way to Nirvana, in Buddhism, or the path

that leads to removal of suffering, is known as the Eightfold path.
It is also known as Ashtangika Marg or the Middle Path. The
Eightfold Path includes:

1. Right action — To remain away from theft, luxuries and

violence.
2. Right thought — To remain away from empty rituals and
worldly evils.
3. Right belief — To give up desire.
4. Right living — Not to have dishonest dealing with others.
5. Right speech — Speak the truth and do not think ill of
others.
6. Right effort — Work for deliverance from sins and for the
welfare of others.
7. Right recollection — Think about pious things.
8. Right meditation — Concentrate on only what is right.

(b) Buddhism led to improvement in social and religious life of

people. The hindus started a reform movement within hinduism.
The costly yajnas and sacrifice and rigidity of caste system were
done with. Buddhism fostered intellectual tradition and exposed
the weakness in our society. The weaker section of the society
who had been subjected to many atrocities got an opportunity to
have their say in matters of political and social life.

(c) Sangha played an important role in the spread of Buddhism

as it was established to spread Buddhism and it's teachings.
Members of Sangha had to take an oath before joining it. Sangha
became very powerful and helped to spread Buddhism far and
wide. The members had to follow the ten commandments or
Paramita to lead a disciplined life. The Bhikshus and Bhikshunis
had to roam around for eight months in a year spreading
Buddhism. Many Viharas were made for them to sleep and take
rest. In the Viharas, the members led a life of chastity, austerity,
devotion and purity.

6.With reference to the given pictures, answer the questions that

follow:

(a) Identify the two preachers, whose images are given. Name
the religions founded by them.

(b) Mention three main teachings of each of the two religions

founded by these preachers.
(c) Mention any two similarities and two dissimilarities between
the two religions founded by them.

(a) The given images and religion founded by them are:

 A → Mahavira. He founded Jainism.

 B → Gautama Buddha. He founded Buddhism.

(b) Three main teachings of Buddhism are:

1. Karma — Buddhism believed in the theory of Karma. It said

that man is the maker of his own destiny and it believed in
rebirth.
2. Nirvana — The ultimate goal of life is to attain Nirvana or
Salvation which is freedom from the cycle of birth and
death.
3. Ahimsa — Buddhism insisted on the path of non-violence.

Three main teachings of Jainism are:

1. The Five Vows — A Jain householder has to take the

following five vows:
i. Ahimsa: Non-violence
ii. Achaurya or Asteya: Not stealing
iii. Satya: Not telling a lie
iv. Aparigraha: Not possessing property
v. Brahmacharya: practising chastity
2. Nine truths — According to Jainism ,the knowledge of Nine
Truths is essential and only renunciation is the shortest way
to salvation. These nine truths are:
i. Jiva (Living Things)
ii. Ajiva (non-living things)
iii. Punya (results of good deeds)
 iv. Pap (sin)
v. Ashrav (good deeds)
vi. Sanvar (hindrances in the way of karma)
vii. Bandha (bondage)
viii. Nirjara (destruction of karmas)
ix. Moksha (salvation)
3. Karma — Jainism believed in the theory of Karma. It
preached that one should be responsible for one's own
Karma or actions. Good deeds alone liberate a man from the
cycle of life and death.

(c) Similarities:

1. The founders of both the religions belonged to Kshatriya

clan and followed the similar path of renunciation.
2. Both of them did not accept the Vedas.

Dissimilarities:

1. Buddhism was completely new religion in 6th century BC

while Jainism was founded long before Mahavira.
2. Buddhism followed a middle path but Jainism believed in
hard penance.

-------------------------------------------------------------