9. Shramana Movement: Jainism and Buddhism

• Numerous religious sects arose in the middle Gangetic basin in the 6th century B.C., of these only Jainism and Buddhism emerged as the most potent religious reform movements.

 

Causes of Origin

• In post-Vedic times, society was clearly divided into 4 varnas- brahamanas, kshatriyas, vaisyas and sudras based on birth and the two higher varnas were given some privileges.
• The kshatriyas fought and governed and lived on taxes collected from the peasants. The vaisyas engaged in agriculture, cattle-rearing and trade and were principal taxpayers.
• The vaisyas along with the other 2 higher varnas were placed in the category of dvijya or the twice-born entitled to wearing sacred thread and studying the Vedas from which sudras and women were kept out.
• The sudras served the three higher varnas as domestic slaves, agricultural slaves, craftsmen and hired labourers etc. The higher the varna the more privileged and purer a person was.
• This varna-divided society generated tensions, the kshatriyas reacted against the domination of the brahamanas and seem to have led a protest movement against the importance attached to the birth in the varna system. This was one of the causes of the origin of the new religions.
• Vardhamana Mahavira and Gautama Buddha belonged to the kshatriyas clan, and both disputed the authority of the brahamanas.
• In Northeast India including Eastern UP and northern and southern Bihar which receives around 100 cm of rainfall before 600 B.C. Was thickly forested.
• But after 600 B.C. Use of iron tools made it possible to clear forests for agriculture and large settlements.
• And since agricultural economy based on iron ploughs required the use of bullocks and animal husbandry but the Vedic practice of killing cattle indiscriminately in sacrifices stood in the way.
• So if the new agrarian economy had to be stable this killing had to be stopped.
• A lot of new cities came up in this period, which had many artisans and traders who began to use coins for the first time. The use of coins facilitated trade and commerce which added to the importance of vaisyas.
• And since they ranked third, naturally they looked for some religion which would improve their position.
• The merchants called the setthis, made generous gifts to Mahavira and Buddha's disciples because:
•  Jainism and buddhism in their earlier stage did not attach any importance to the existing varna system,
• They preached the gospel of non-violence, which would put an end to wars between different kingdoms and promote trade and commerce.
• The brahamanical law-books called the Dharmasutras, decreed lending money on interest. Thus the vaisyas, who lent money on account of growing trade and commerce were not held in esteem and were eager to improve their social status.
• The new forms of property created social inequalities, and caused misery and suffering to the masses of people. So the common people yearned to return to primitive life.
• Both Jainism and Buddhism preferred simple, puritan and ascetic living and therefore rebelled against the material advantages stemming from the new life in the Gangetic basin.

 

Vardhaman Mahavira and Jainism

• Born in 540 B.C. In a village near Vaisali in north Bihar in a famous kshatriya clan. He led a life of a householder in the beginning but at 30 he abandoned the world and became an ascetic.
• He kept on wandering for 12 years, and abandoned his clothes altogether when he attained perfect knowledge or kaivalya at the age of 42.
• Because of the conquest he is known as Mahavira or a great hero or jina and his followers as Jainas.
• He propagated his religion for 30 years until he passed away at the age of 72 in 468 B.C. At a place called Pavapuri near modern Rajgir.

Doctrines of Jainism

• Jainism taught 5 doctrines: 1) do not commit violence, 2) do not speak a lie, 3) do not steal, 4) do not acquire property and 5) observe continence (brahmacharya).
• Although Parsva predecessor of Mahavira asked his followers to cover their upper and lower portions of body while Mahavira asked them to discard it completely.
• So Jainism was divided into 2 sects: svetambras, those who put on white dress and digambaras who keep themselves naked. 
• Jainism didn't condemn the varna system as according to Mahavira a person is born in a high or in a lower varna in consequence of the sins and virtues acquired by him in previous births.
• Full knowledge, action and liberation are considered the 3 gems and ratnas of Jainism.

 

Spread Of Jainism

• Since Jainism didn't mark itself very clearly out from the brahmanical religion it failed to attract the masses. Despite this Jainism spread to west and south India.
• In Karnataka it is thought to have spread by Chandragupta Maurya (322-298 B.C.), but there is no evidence.
• In subsequent centuries especially 6th century, numerous Jaina monastic establishments called basadis sprang up in Karnataka and were granted land by the kings for their support.
• Jainism spread to Orissa in 4th century B.C., southern districts of Tamil Nadu in 2nd century B.C. And in later centuries penetrated Malwa, Gujarat and Rajasthan.

 

Contribution of Jainism

• Jainism made the first serious attempt to mitigate the evils of the varna order and the ritualistic Vedic religion. They discarded Sanskrit and adopted Prakrit to preach their doctrines.
• Their religious texts were written in Ardhamagadhi, and were compiled in 6th century A.D., in Gujarat in a place called Valabhi.
• Many regional languages developed out of Prakrit languages, particularly Sauraseni, out of which grew Marathi Language.
• Jainas composed the earliest important works in Apabhramsa and its first grammar. They also contributed in the growth of Kannada in which they wrote extensively.

 

Gautama Buddha and Buddhism

• Buddha or Siddhartha was born in 563 B.C. In a sakya kshatriya family in Kapilavastu, near Nepal.
• He was married at an early age but married life didn't interest him, so at the age of 29, he left home and wandered for about 7 years until he attained knowledge under pipal tree at Bodhgaya at the age of 35.
• Gautama Buddha delivered his sermons at Sarnath in Banaras and kept on preaching until he passed away at the age of 80 in 483 B.C. At a place called Kusinagar in eastern UP.

 

Doctrines of Buddhism

• The Buddha proved to be a practical reformer who addressed himself to the worldly problems.
• He said that the world is full of sorrows and people suffer on account of desires and if desires are conquered nirvana will be attained, that is man will be free from the cycle of birth and death.
• He recommended an eight fold path (astangika marga) of right observation, right determination, right speech, right action, right livelihood, right exercise, right memory and right meditation.
• He taught that a person should avoid excess of both luxury and austerity and prescribed the middle path.
• The Buddha laid down a code of conduct for his followers on the same lines as done by the Jaina teachers and are common to the social conduct ordained by almost all religions.

Special features of Buddhism and the causes of its spread

• Buddhism doesn't recognise the existence of soul and god and attacked the varna system as people were taken into it without any discrimination of caste, sex etc.
• In comparison with the Brahmanism, Buddhism was liberal and democratic.
• The people of Magadha readily accepted Buddhism as they were looked down upon and were placed outside the holy Aryavarata.
• The use of Pali, the language of the people also contributed to its spread among the common people.
• Buddha also organised the sangha or the religious order open to everybody without any discrimination and the only condition to be a monk was to faithfully observe the rules and regulations of sangha and had to take a vow of continence, poverty and faith.
• There are 3 main elements of Buddhism i.e. Buddha, sangha and dhamma and it spread fast with monarchies of Magadha, Kosala and Kausambi adopting this religion.
• 200 years after the death of Buddha, the famous Maurya king Asoka embraced Buddhism which was a epoch moment as his agents spread Buddhism into Central Asia, West Asia and Sri Lanka and thus transformed it into a world religion.

 

Causes of Decline of Buddhism

• By the 12th century A.D. Buddhism became practically extinct in India and the reasons were:
• Buddhism eventually succumbed to rituals and ceremonies it originally denounced.
• The Brahmanas to meet the Buddhist challenge reformed their religion by stressing the need for preserving the cattle wealth and assured women and sudras of admission to heaven.
• Buddhism took a turn for the worse as they started idol worship and gave up Pali for Sanskrit, the language of the intellectuals.
• The rich offerings supplemented by generous royal grants made the life of monks easy and became centres of corrupt practices. The new form of Buddhism was known as Vajrayama.
• For their riches the monasteries came to be coveted by the Turkish invaders who killed a large number of monks, though some managed to escape to Nepal and Tibet.
• So in the end Buddhism practically disappeared from the land of its birth.

 

Importance and Influence of Buddhism

• Despite their ultimate disappearance, the Buddhists showed keen awareness of the problems that faced the Northeast India in 6th century B.C. As it asked people not to accumulate wealth.
• The code of conduct prescribed for the monks represents a reaction against material conditions in 6th century B.C. And thus imposed restrictions of food, dress and sexual behaviour on them.
• Although Buddhism tried to mitigate the evils resulting from the new material life in 6th century B.C., it also tried to consolidate the changes in the social and economic life of the people.
• The Buddhist monks became what Brahamanas were for Vedic people as both supported social order based on classes with former on the basis of action and attributes and latter based on birth.
• It lead in uplift of the social status of sudras and women.
• With its emphasis on non-violence and the sanctity of animal life, Buddhism boosted the cattle wealth of the country even the Brahmanical insistence of the sacredness of cow and non-violence was derived from Buddhism.
• Buddhism created and developed a new awareness in the field of intellect and culture. It promoted rationalism among the people.
• The first human statues worshipped in India were probably those of the Buddha with panels found at Gaya in Bihar and at Sanchi and Bharhut in MP.
• The Greek and the Indian sculptors worked together to create a new kind of art on the north-west frontier of India, known as the Gandhara art.
• For the residence of the monks rooms were hewn out of the rocks, and thus began the cave architecture in the Barabar hills in Gaya and in western India around Nashik.