FOUR NOBLE TRUTHS (ARYA SATYA) (01:11 PM)

• 1. The world is full of misery: Dukkha
• 2. There is a cause of misery i.e. Desire: Samudaay
• 3. Misery can be overcome Dukkha Nirodh
• 4. There is a path: Magga
• The path is Ashtangika Marg.
• 1. Samyak Drishti- Right Vision
• 2. Samyak Vacha - Right Speech
• 3. Samyak Kammanta- RIght Conduct
• 4. Samyak Ajivana- Right Means of livelihood
• 5. Samyak Vyayama- Right Exercises
• 6. Samyak Smriti- Right Awareness about oneself
• 7. Samyak Dhyan- Right Concentration
• 8. Samyak Samadhi- Right Deep Meditation
• After his first preaching, Buddha started the Sangha to propagate his teaching.
• One rule was laid down that Buddhist monks will not travel during Monsoon season and monsoonal stays or Vasa will be spent in Buddhist Viharas.
• During his lifetime Buddha spent a maximum number of monsoonal stays in Shravasti Mahavihara.
• After Preaching for many years, Buddha finally decided to give up his body and he chose a place called Kushinagara in Eastern UP.
• In 483 B.C., buddha achieved Mahaparinirvana or final blowout.

BUDDHIST COUNCILS (01:39 PM)

• After the death of Buddha four Buddhist councils were convened. 
• First Buddhist Council:
• The first Buddhist council was presided over by the Buddhist Monk Mahakassapa and was Patronized by contemporary king Ajatashatru.
• The significant development of this council was the compilation of Buddha's teachings and rules for the monks.  
• Buddha's cousin Ananda and one of his favorite disciples Upali elaborated on the following two texts of Buddhism: 
• Sutta Pitaka: Contains original teachings of Buddha.
• Vinayapitaka: Rules to be followed by Buddhist Monks inside Sangha.
• Second Buddhist Council (383 B.C.):
• It took place in Vaishali.
• It was presided over by Sabakami and patronized by Kalashoka. 
• The significant development of this council is the division of Buddhism into two sets i.e. Mahasanghika and Sthavirvada.
• Mahasanghika was the liberal branch of Buddhism and Sthavirvada was the orthodox branch.
• They followed the original teachings of Buddha. Later, stahvirvada came to be known as Theravada.
• Third Buddhist Council (250 B.C.)
• Took place in Patliputra.
• It was presided over by the Buddhist monk Moggaliputta-Tissa and patronized by Ashoka.
• The very first development of this council is that Ashoka removed the deviations from Buddhism.
• In 133 years, Theravada was further subdivided into 11 branches and Mahasanghika in 7 branches. 
• Ashoka recognized Theravada as the original branch of Buddhism.
• Abhidhamma Pitaka: It contains the philosophical interpretation of Buddha's teaching.
• After the end of the council, Ashoka started to send Buddhist Missions to Southeast Asia, Central Asia, etc. 
• He sent his son Mahendra and daughter Sanghamitra to Sri Lanka for the propagation of Buddhism.
• They went to these places with the sapling of the Original Bodhi Tree.
• Note: The original Bodhi Tree at Bodhgaya, later in the 7th century CE was cut by the ruler of Bengal Shashank Gowda, the adversary of Harshavardhana. 
• The tree survived outside India due to the initiative of Ashoka. 
• Fourth Buddhist Council (From 78 CE):
• Took place in Kundalvana, Kashmir.
• It was patronized by contemporary king Kanishka. 
• It was initially presided over by Buddhist Monk Vasumitra and after by Ashvaghosha.
• The initial development of this council was the compilation of an encyclopedia of Buddhism i.e. Mahāvibhāṣa.
• Later by the end of this council Mahayana version of Buddhism became popular and another version of Buddhism in existence came to be known as Hinayana.

BODHISATTVA (02:10 PM)

• Bodhisattva was considered to be the previous birth of Buddhas who are capable of achieving Nirvana but they postpone their own Nirvana so that they can help a large number of sentient beings on earth to achieve Nirvana.
• After, helping a large number of people they progress to the path of Buddhahood.

METAPHYSICAL VIEWS OF BUDDHISM (02:24 PM)

• Universe: Buddhists believe the universe was created on the laws of nature. 
• Veda: They refuted the divine authority of the Vedas.
• God: Buddhists did not answer any question about god.
• In fact, Buddha was agnostic in the question of god. 
• Rebirth: Buddhists believe in the concept of rebirth. 
• Attainment of Nirvana ends the rebirth. 
• Soul: Buddhists rejected the concept of the permanent or eternal soul.
• Then the question arises if they did not believe in the soul then what takes rebirth? 
• To this, they replied that it is Pancha-Skandha or five KArmic Consciousness which takes rebirth. 

EARLY BRANCHES OF BUDDHISM (02:36 PM)

• 1. Sammittiya 
• 2. Sautantrika
• 3. Shravastida
• 4. Vaibhasika
• 5. Madhyamika
• 6. Chaityaka
• 7. Saila
• Popular Buddhist Sect:
• Mahayana: Largest Sect
• Theravada: Sri Lanka, Myanmar and Thailand
• Vajrayana: Tibet

VAJRAYANA (02:40 PM)

• It is one of the very popular sects of Buddhism in contemporary times. 
• It is regarded as a thunderbolt vehicle.
• It is concerned with Tantric practices in Buddhism.
• Its development happened under the patronage of Pala rulers of the East in the early ninth century. 
• The developmental center of this Buddhism was Vikramshila, Nalanda, and the universities of Somarupa and Uddantpuri
• It is said that Guru Padma Sambhava of Vikram Shila popularized Buddhism by incorporating the local cultural elements of Tibet.
• From Vajrayana Buddhism, Kala Chakra Yana's version emerged in Tibet.
• It further went into branching and in present times the most important branch is Gelugpa the sect of Dalai Lama.
• Vajrayana Buddhism is considered to be closest to Hinduism in terms of rituals and practices. 
• A large number of female deities started to be worshipped in Vajrayana.  E.g. Tara, Mahamayuri, Akshobhya and Dharini.
• Moreover, they also practiced fumigatory practices like the use of incense sticks, camphor, etc. 

JAINISM (03:08 PM) 

• Jainism is an ancient creed older than Buddhism.
• Its development is ascribed to 24 personalities known as Teerthankers.
• It is divided from the word Teerth which means 'Oar'.
• Teerthankers are these personalities who help sentient beings to reach the destination of enlightenment.
• The first 22 Teerthankers are considered to be Mythological and the last two are historical.
• First Teerthanker: Adinath Rishabh Dev
• 23rd  Teerthanker Parshavnath
• He was the son of Benaras King.
• He attained Kaivalya at Parshavanath Hill. 
• He started to preach the teachings of Teerthankers. 
• He founded four pledges of Jainism.

VARDHAMAN MAHAVIRA (03:17 PM)

• Birth: 540 BCE
• Place: Kundagram (Vaishali)
• Father: Siddarth
• Mother: Trishala (Sister of Lichhavi)
• Varna: Kshatriya
• Clan: Jnantri
• Principality: Jnantrika
• Wife: Yashoda
• Daughter: Arnojya/Priyadarshika
• Mahavira left his home at the age of 30.
• He became Parivrajak (homeless wanderer).
• He started to follow the Shramana Tradition.
• He also practiced extreme austerities like completely discarding the clothes and painfully removing all the hairs from the body. 
• At the age of 40, he reached Jhimbakgram where on the banks of river Rijupalika under a Sal Tree he meditated and attained Kaivalya. 
• After the attainment of Kaivalya, his followers started to call him Jina the one who conquered desires and cravings and his followers came to be known as Jaina.
• Mahavira further added the fifth pledge to the already existing four pledges of Jainism.

5 PLEDGES OF JAINISM (PANCHANUVRATA) (03:28 PM)

• 1. Ahimsa: Do not commit violence 
• 2. Amrusha: Do not speak a lie
• 3. Asteya: Do not steal
• 4. Aparigraha: Do not acquire property
• 5. Brahmacharya: Observe Celibacy
• The last one was given by Mahavira.
• Mahavira also emphasized three tenets or three jewels of Jainism:
• a. Right Faith
• b. Right Conduct
• c. Right Knowledge

JAIN COUNCILS (03:35 PM)

• Chandragupta Maurya was the first big monarch of India who accepted the Jain faith. 
• It happened under the guidance of Jain Monk Bhadrabahu. 
• After the great famine in Awadh Chandragupta Maurya decided to shift Shravanabelagola to Karnataka.
• At this place, he performed extreme penance of Jainism called Sallekhana or Santhara and ended his life by fasting.
• Meanwhile, his son Bindusara convened the First Jain Council at Patliputra in 299 BC.
• This council was presided over by Jain Monk Sthulbhadra.
• In this council, the teachings of all the Teerthankers were compiled in 14 books known as Purva's.
• In the meantime, Bhadrabahu returned from Karnataka which led to the emergence of ideological differences between Bhadrabahu and Sthulbhadra. 
• Which led to the division of Jainism into two sects: Shewtambara and Digambara.
• Second Jain Council: 
• It was convened in 512 AD in a place called Valabhi in Gujarat
• Patronized by Chalukya rulers of Gujarat. 
• Presided by Devardhi Jain Shramana. 
• The majority of Jain literature was compiled in Prakrit Language which is as follows:
• Anga
• Upanga
• Prakirna
• Chedabsura
• Mulsutra
• Bhagawati Sutra

The topic for Next Class: Philosophical Aspects of Jainism, Indian Classical Forms