Dissimilarities
Buddhism
It was completely a new religion in
6th century BC.
It followed a middle path.
It spread far and wide and led to cultural
evolution in India.
Jainism
It had been founded long before Mahavira
He was the last of its Tirthankaras
It believed in hard penance.
It did not spread beyond the Indian shores
5030 The vineya oj
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EXERCISES
I. Short Answer Questions
1. What are Angas? What is the subject matter of these Angas?
2. What are the Tripitikas? Name the three Tripitikas.
Pg
Angas;
3. State two important causes for the rise of Jainism and Buddhismega 35
4. Who was Vardhamana Mahavira? Give the significance of both parts of his named 32
5. List any four vows prescribed for the Jains. 33
6. What are known as the Triratnas? 33
7. Give two causes for the spread of Jainism. 34
8. Name the two sects into which Jainism got divided.
9. Who was Gautam Buddha? Where was he born? 3
10. What are known as Four Great Sights?
11. How did Buddha attain enlightenment? 36
12. Give Four Noble Truths of Buddhism. 37
13. Give four points of the Eightfold Path of Buddha. 37
14. Give the meaning of Buddha and Tathagat.
15. Name any two principles that governed the Sangha- 98
16. State any two features of Buddhism that attracted people towards it.
17. Give two differences between Hinayana and Mahayana Buddhism. 38
18. Give two causes for the decline of Buddhism.
II. Structured Questions
1. With reference to the sources of information about Jainism and Buddhism, state
significance of the following:
(a) Angas
(b) Tripitikas
(c) Jatakas
2. With reference to Jainism and Buddhism, answer the following questions:
(a) Give briefly the background of the socio-economic conditions in 6th century BC.
(b) State any three causes for the rise of Jainism and Buddhism.
(c) What caused the division of Jainism into two sects?
Jainism and Buddhism
Answers
Explanation:
Jainism is a religion founded in ancient India. Jains trace their history through twenty-four tirthankara and revere Rishabhanatha as the first tirthankara (in the present time-cycle). Some artifacts found in the Indus Valley civilization have been suggested as a link to ancient Jain culture, but this is highly speculative and a subjective interpretation. This theory has not been accepted by most scholars because very little is known about the Indus Valley iconography and script. The last two tirthankara, the 23rd tirthankara Parshvanatha (c. 8th–7th century BCE) and the 24th tirthankara Mahavira (c. 599 – c. 527 BCE) are considered historical figures. Mahavira was a contemporary of the Buddha. According to Jain texts, the 22nd Tirthankara Neminatha lived about 85,000 years ago and was the cousin of Hindu god Krishna. Jains consider their religion eternal.
The two main sects of Jainism, the Digambara and the Śvētāmbara sect, likely started forming about the 3rd century BCE and the schism was complete by about 5th century CE. These sects later subdivided into several sub-sects such as Sthānakavāsī and Terapanthis. Jainism co-existed with Buddhism and Hinduism in ancient and medieval India. Many of its historic temples were built near the Buddhist and Hindu temples in 1st millennium CE. After the 12th-century, the temples, pilgrimage and naked ascetic tradition of Jainism suffered persecution during the Muslim rule, with the exception of Akbar whose religious tolerance and support for Jainism led to a temporary ban on animal killing during the Jain religious festival of Paryusan.