BUDDHISM AND JAINISM

Background

• Break up of tribes, formation of republics, growth of cities and population
• Over importance of Brahmins and the caste hierarchy
• Psychological unease leading to perssimism
• Development of several heterodox ascetic groups

Buddhism

• Founder - Siddharth Gautama, of the Shakya tribe (about 566 B.C.). Sees suffering, disease, old age, death; unsettles him. Leaves in search of the answer.
• Teachings
  • Four noble truths
    • Life is sorrow
    • Origin of sorrow is craving
    • Sorrow can be removed by stopping craving
    • Following the Eightfold Path
• Philosophy
  • Impermanence of existence. Everything is in flux.
  • There is no soul or permanent atman/self. Only a chain of existence where one leads to another - Karma (rebirth but no transmigration).
  • The reason for this chain of causation is ignorance, the perpetual cause of misery.
  • Nirvana (extinguish; end craving/desire) is the ultimate goal.

Jainism

• Historical founder - Mahavira the 24th. Tirthankara (Ford crosser) or Jina (conqueror). 540-468 B.C.
• Concept of time, like all ancient Indian thought - cyclical
• Refined classificatory system - materialistic/atomic. Everything classified on the basis of. . .
  • Jiva (life/soul) in pure form is light. Ajiva is no-life matter that weighs down the jiva
  • Akasha (space - everything is suspended in space)
  • Dharma (is the medium for movement)
  • Adharma (is the medium for inertia)
  • Kala (time within which all this is structured)
  • Pudgala (atoms, material that weighs down the jiva, the cause for ajiva)
• Aim: getting away from ajiva and clearing the jiva from all the weight that it has collected
• How do you do this? Ahimsa - non-violence

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