Note4Students
From UPSC perspective, the following things are important :
Prelims level: First Asian Buddhist Summit
Why in the News?
The Government of India, in collaboration with the International Buddhist Confederation (IBC), held the first Asian Buddhist Summit (ABS) in New Delhi.
About the Asian Buddhist Summit (ABS)
|
About Buddhism:
| Details | |
| Origin of Buddhism | • Originated in India over 2,600 years ago. • Founded by Siddhartha Gautama (the Buddha) around 563 BCE. • Born into the royal family of the Sakya clan in Lumbini, near the Indo-Nepal border. • At age 29, Gautama renounced a life of luxury and embraced asceticism. • Attained Bodhi (enlightenment) after 49 days of meditation under a pipal tree in Bodhgaya, Bihar. • Delivered his first sermon in Sarnath, known as Dharma-Chakra-Pravartana. • Died at 80 in Kushinagara (Mahaparinirvana) in 483 BCE. |
| Tenets of Buddhism | • Advocated the Madhyam Marg (Middle Path) between indulgence and asceticism. • Emphasized individual responsibility for happiness. • Four Noble Truths (ariya-sachchani): 1. Dukkha: Suffering is inherent. 2. Samudya: Every suffering has a cause. 3. Nirodha: Suffering could be extinguished. 4. Atthanga Magga: Achieved through the Eightfold Path. • Eightfold Path (astangika marg): Right view, intention, speech, action, livelihood, mindfulness, effort, concentration. • Ultimate goal: Attaining Nirvana (Nibbana). • Five Precepts (Panchasil): Prohibitions against violence, stealing, sexual misconduct, lying, and intoxicants. |
| Major Buddhist Texts | • Initially oral teachings, memorized by the Sangha. • Written down around 25 BCE in Pali. • Three Pitakas: 1. Vinaya Pitaka: Monastic rules. 2. Sutta Pitaka: Main teachings, divided into five Nikayas (Digha, Majjhima, Samyutta, Anguttara, Khuddaka). 3. Abhidamma Pitaka: Philosophical analysis of teachings. • Other important texts: Divyavadana, Dipavamsa, Mahavamsa, Milind Panha. |
| Role of the Buddhist Councils | • Important turning points in early Buddhism, leading to sectarian clashes and the Great Schism. • Four Major Councils: 1. First Council (483 BCE): Presided by Mahakasyapa, aimed to preserve teachings. 2. Second Council (383 BCE): Addressed monastic discipline. 3. Third Council (250 BCE): Under Ashoka, focusing on spreading Buddhism. 4. Fourth Council (72 CE): Led to division into Mahayana and Hinayana. |
| Different Schools of Buddhism | • Mahayana: “Great Vehicle,” emphasizes Bodhisattva ideal and idol worship; spread to Central and East Asia. • Hinayana: “Lesser Vehicle,” focuses on individual salvation and original teachings; Theravada is a major branch. • Theravada: Closest to original teachings; dominant in Cambodia, Laos, Myanmar, Sri Lanka, and Thailand. • Vajrayana: “Vehicle of the Thunderbolt,” complex rituals; developed around 900 CE. • Zen: Focuses on meditation, developed in China and Japan. |
| Spread of Buddhism in Ancient India | • Monastic organization through Sangha for spreading teachings. • Rapid growth during Buddha’s lifetime. • Ashoka’s influence post-Kalinga conquest; adopted Dhamma conquest, sending missions to various regions, including Gandhara, Kashmir, Greece, Sri Lanka, Burma (Myanmar), Egypt, and Thailand. |
PYQ:[2020] With reference to the religious history of India, consider the following statements: 1. Sthaviravadins belong to Mahayana Buddhism. 2. Lokottaravadin sect was an offshoot of Mahasanghika sect of Buddhism. 3. The deification of Buddha by Mahasanghikas fostered the Mahayana Buddhism. Which of the statements given above is/are correct? (a) 1 and 2 only (b) 2 and 3 only (c) 3 only (d) 1, 2 and 3 |
Get an IAS/IPS ranker as your 1: 1 personal mentor for UPSC 2024
