ποΈ Chapter 08 Β· Topic 02 Β· Religions of India
Buddhism
Gautama Buddha, Four Noble Truths, Eightfold Path, Three Jewels, Buddhist sects, councils, and spread β complete UPSC & PSC notes.
βΈοΈ Gautama Buddha β Life Events
| Event | Place | Significance |
|---|---|---|
| Birth | Lumbini (Nepal) | Born ~563 BCE; Siddhartha Gautama; Shakya clan; father Suddhodana |
| Four Sights | Kapilavastu | Old man, sick man, corpse, wandering ascetic β prompted renunciation |
| Great Renunciation (Mahabhinishkramana) | Kapilavastu | Left home at age 29 to seek truth |
| Enlightenment (Nirvana/Bodhi) | Bodh Gaya (Bihar) | Attained enlightenment under the Bodhi tree at age 35 |
| First Sermon (Dhammachakkapavattana) | Sarnath (UP) | “Turning of the Wheel of Dharma”; taught Five Monks; founded Sangha |
| Death (Mahaparinirvana) | Kushinagar (UP) | Died at age 80; ~483 BCE |
βΈοΈ Core Teachings
- Four Noble Truths (Arya Satya):
- Dukkha β life is suffering/unsatisfactory
- Samudaya β suffering has a cause (craving/desire β tanha)
- Nirodha β suffering can be ended (by eliminating craving)
- Magga β the path to end suffering (Eightfold Path)
- Eightfold Path (Ashtangika Marga): Right View, Right Intention, Right Speech, Right Action, Right Livelihood, Right Effort, Right Mindfulness, Right Concentration
- Three Jewels (Triratna): Buddha (the teacher), Dharma (the teaching), Sangha (the community)
- Middle Path β between extreme asceticism and extreme indulgence
- Anatta (no-self), Anicca (impermanence), Dukkha (suffering) β three marks of existence
ποΈ Buddhist Councils
| Council | Date | Place | Patron | Significance |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1st | ~483 BCE | Rajagriha (Bihar) | Ajatashatru | Compiled Vinaya Pitaka (Upali) and Sutta Pitaka (Ananda) |
| 2nd | ~383 BCE | Vaishali (Bihar) | Kalashoka | Dispute over monastic rules; first schism β Sthaviravada vs Mahasanghika |
| 3rd | ~250 BCE | Pataliputra (Bihar) | Ashoka | Compiled Abhidhamma Pitaka; Moggaliputta Tissa presided; sent missionaries abroad |
| 4th | ~1st century CE | Kundalvana, Kashmir | Kanishka | Divided into Hinayana and Mahayana; Vasumitra presided; Ashvaghosha attended |
β Buddhist Sects:
Hinayana (Theravada) β “Lesser Vehicle”; individual salvation; strict adherence to original teachings; no idol worship; prevalent in Sri Lanka, Myanmar, Thailand
Mahayana β “Greater Vehicle”; salvation for all; Bodhisattva ideal; idol worship; prevalent in China, Japan, Korea, Tibet
Vajrayana β “Diamond Vehicle”; tantric Buddhism; prevalent in Tibet, Bhutan, Mongolia; also called Tibetan Buddhism
Hinayana (Theravada) β “Lesser Vehicle”; individual salvation; strict adherence to original teachings; no idol worship; prevalent in Sri Lanka, Myanmar, Thailand
Mahayana β “Greater Vehicle”; salvation for all; Bodhisattva ideal; idol worship; prevalent in China, Japan, Korea, Tibet
Vajrayana β “Diamond Vehicle”; tantric Buddhism; prevalent in Tibet, Bhutan, Mongolia; also called Tibetan Buddhism
π Tripitaka (Three Baskets): The Pali Canon β the complete collection of Theravada Buddhist scriptures. Three sections: (1) Vinaya Pitaka β monastic rules and discipline; (2) Sutta Pitaka β discourses of the Buddha; (3) Abhidhamma Pitaka β philosophical analysis. Written in Pali language. Mahayana Buddhism has additional texts in Sanskrit β Prajnaparamita Sutras, Lotus Sutra, etc.
β Revision Checklist β Buddhism
β
Buddha born = Lumbini (Nepal) = ~563 BCE = Siddhartha Gautama
β Enlightenment = Bodh Gaya = under Bodhi tree = age 35
β First sermon = Sarnath = Dhammachakkapavattana = Five Monks
β Death = Kushinagar = Mahaparinirvana = age 80 = ~483 BCE
β Four Noble Truths = Dukkha + Samudaya + Nirodha + Magga
β Eightfold Path = Right View, Intention, Speech, Action, Livelihood, Effort, Mindfulness, Concentration
β Three Jewels = Buddha + Dharma + Sangha
β 1st Council = Rajagriha = Ajatashatru = Vinaya + Sutta Pitaka
β 3rd Council = Pataliputra = Ashoka = Abhidhamma Pitaka + missionaries
β 4th Council = Kashmir = Kanishka = Hinayana vs Mahayana split
β Hinayana = individual salvation = Theravada = Sri Lanka, Myanmar
β Mahayana = all beings = Bodhisattva = China, Japan, Korea
β Enlightenment = Bodh Gaya = under Bodhi tree = age 35
β First sermon = Sarnath = Dhammachakkapavattana = Five Monks
β Death = Kushinagar = Mahaparinirvana = age 80 = ~483 BCE
β Four Noble Truths = Dukkha + Samudaya + Nirodha + Magga
β Eightfold Path = Right View, Intention, Speech, Action, Livelihood, Effort, Mindfulness, Concentration
β Three Jewels = Buddha + Dharma + Sangha
β 1st Council = Rajagriha = Ajatashatru = Vinaya + Sutta Pitaka
β 3rd Council = Pataliputra = Ashoka = Abhidhamma Pitaka + missionaries
β 4th Council = Kashmir = Kanishka = Hinayana vs Mahayana split
β Hinayana = individual salvation = Theravada = Sri Lanka, Myanmar
β Mahayana = all beings = Bodhisattva = China, Japan, Korea