Table of Contents

• 3. Beyond Worldly Pleasures: The Message of Mahavira
• • Mahavira: Early Life & Birth
• • Renunciation & Enlightenment
• • Core Teachings & Five Great Vows
• • Ahimsa, Spread & Literature
• 4. The Buddha and the Path to Enlightenment
• • Early Life & Renunciation
• • Teachings & Four Noble Truths
• • The Sangha & Monastic Rules
• • Therigatha & Spread of Buddhism
• Key Points Summary & Next Part

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3. Beyond Worldly Pleasures: The Message of Mahavira (Pages 88–90)

Introduction

During the sixth century BCE, several thinkers questioned the authority of the Vedas, elaborate sacrifices and the social inequalities of their time. One of the most influential among them was Vardhamana Mahavira, the twenty-fourth Tirthankara of Jainism. He emphasized self-discipline, non-violence and renunciation as the path to liberation.

(Page 88)

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Mahavira: Early Life

Birth

Mahavira was born around:

599 BCE (traditional Jain belief)

at:

Kundagrama near Vaishali (present-day Bihar).

He belonged to the:

Jnatrika (Naya) clan.

His father was:

Siddhartha

His mother was:

Trishala

Mahavira was born into a Kshatriya family.

---

Renunciation

At about the age of:

30 years

Mahavira renounced worldly life.

He:

• Left his home.
• Gave up wealth.
• Adopted a life of asceticism.
• Wandered in search of truth.

For approximately:

Twelve years

he practised severe penance and meditation.

(Page 88)

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Attainment of Kevala Jnana

After years of austerity,

Mahavira attained:

Kevala Jnana (Perfect Knowledge)

Following enlightenment,

he travelled extensively preaching his teachings for nearly: 30 years.

---

Nirvana

Mahavira attained:

Nirvana

at:

Pava (Pawapuri)

around:

527 BCE (traditional Jain chronology).

---

Core Teachings of Mahavira

Mahavira taught that:

• Every living being possesses a soul (Jiva).
• All souls are equal.
• Karma binds the soul to the cycle of birth and death.
• Liberation (Moksha) is achieved by destroying karma through self-discipline and right conduct.

---

Five Great Vows (Mahavratas)

(Page 88)

Jain monks and nuns were expected to observe the following vows strictly:

These vows formed the foundation of Jain ethics.

---

Ahimsa

Meaning

Ahimsa means:

Non-violence in thought, word and action.

Mahavira regarded Ahimsa as the highest moral principle.

Followers were instructed to avoid harming:

• Humans
• Animals
• Birds
• Insects
• Even tiny living organisms

Many Jain monks:

• Swept the ground before walking.
• Covered their mouths with cloth.
• Filtered drinking water.

These practices aimed to avoid unintentionally harming living beings.

(Page 89)

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Spread of Jainism

(Page 89)

Mahavira’s followers travelled across northern and western India.

Jainism spread through:

• Monastic preaching.
• Merchant communities.
• Royal patronage.
• Trade networks.

Important centres later developed in:

• Gujarat
• Rajasthan
• Karnataka
• Tamil Nadu

---

Jain Literature

The teachings of Mahavira were:

Initially transmitted orally.

Later compiled into:

Agamas

These texts contain:

• Teachings
• Monastic rules
• Philosophy
• Narratives

Most surviving texts are written in:

• Ardhamagadhi Prakrit
• Prakrit

---

Monks and Lay Followers

Jain society consisted of:

Ascetics

• Monks
• Nuns

Lay Followers

• Merchants
• Farmers
• Householders

Lay followers observed the same principles but in a less rigorous form.

4. The Buddha and the Path to Enlightenment (Pages 90–93)

Introduction

The founder of Buddhism,

Siddhartha Gautama,

is regarded as one of the greatest spiritual teachers in world history. His teachings transformed religious thought in India and later spread throughout Asia.

(Page 90)

---

Early Life of Gautama Buddha

Birth

Siddhartha was born at:

Lumbini

in present-day Nepal.

His father was:

Suddhodana

chief of the Shakya clan.

His mother was:

Mahamaya.

---

Four Great Sights

According to Buddhist tradition,

Siddhartha encountered:

• An old man.
• A sick man.
• A dead man.
• A wandering ascetic.

These experiences made him realise:

The inevitability of suffering.

---

Renunciation

At the age of about:

29 years

he renounced royal life.

He searched for:

• Truth.
• Liberation.
• The cause of suffering.

---

Enlightenment

After years of meditation,

Siddhartha attained enlightenment beneath the:

Bodhi Tree

at:

Bodh Gaya

He thereafter became known as:

Buddha

meaning:

“The Enlightened One.”

(Page 90)

---

First Sermon

The Buddha delivered his first sermon at:

Sarnath

near Varanasi.

This event is known as:

Dhammachakkappavattana
(“Turning the Wheel of Dharma”).

---

Mahaparinibbana

The Buddha attained:

Mahaparinibbana

at:

Kushinagara

around:

483 BCE (traditional chronology).

---

Teachings of the Buddha (Pages 90–92)

Human Suffering

The Buddha taught that:

Life is characterised by:

• Suffering
• Impermanence
• Change

The root cause of suffering is:

Desire (Tanha)

---

Four Noble Truths

Although the NCERT emphasizes the Buddha’s teachings broadly, they include the essential ideas traditionally known as the Four Noble Truths:

1. Life involves suffering.
2. Desire is the cause of suffering.
3. Suffering can end.
4. The path to liberation leads to the end of suffering.

---

The Middle Path

The Buddha rejected:

• Extreme luxury.
• Extreme asceticism.

Instead,

he advocated:

The Middle Path

A balanced life of moderation.

(Page 91)

---

Karma and Rebirth

The Buddha accepted:

• Karma.
• Rebirth.

However,

he taught that liberation depended upon:

• Right conduct.
• Wisdom.
• Meditation.

rather than sacrifices.

---

Importance of Ethical Conduct

The Buddha encouraged:

• Compassion.
• Truthfulness.
• Non-violence.
• Self-control.
• Generosity.

Ethical behaviour formed the basis of spiritual progress.

---

The Sangha (Pages 92–93)

Meaning

The community established by the Buddha became known as:

Sangha

It consisted of:

• Bhikkhus (Monks)
• Bhikkhunis (Nuns)

---

Admission

Individuals from different backgrounds could join the Sangha.

This included people from:

• Different varnas.
• Different occupations.
• Different regions.

This reflected Buddhism’s relatively inclusive character.

(Page 92)

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Monastic Life

Members of the Sangha:

• Owned few possessions.
• Travelled during much of the year.
• Stayed in monasteries during the rainy season.
• Studied scriptures.
• Meditated.
• Taught the Dharma.

---

Bhikkhus and Bhikkhunis

The Buddha eventually permitted women to enter the Sangha.

Although monks and nuns followed similar ideals,

additional rules were prescribed for nuns.

---

Therigatha

(Page 93)

The chapter introduces:

Therigatha

Meaning:

“Songs of Elder Nuns.”

It is one of the earliest surviving collections of poetry written by Buddhist nuns.

Importance

The poems describe:

• Women’s spiritual journeys.
• Renunciation.
• Meditation.
• Personal experiences.
• Attainment of liberation.

They provide valuable evidence regarding women’s religious lives.

---

Rules for Monks and Nuns

The Vinaya Pitaka prescribed detailed regulations regarding:

• Food.
• Clothing.
• Conduct.
• Discipline.
• Residence.
• Relations with society.

Violation of these rules could result in disciplinary action.

(Page 93)

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Buddhist Councils

Following the Buddha’s death,

his disciples organised councils to:

• Preserve teachings.
• Standardise monastic rules.
• Resolve disagreements.
• Compile scriptures.

These councils contributed to the preservation of Buddhism.

---

Spread of Buddhism

During and after the Mauryan period,

Buddhism spread through:

• Royal patronage.
• Monasteries.
• Traders.
• Pilgrims.
• Missionaries.

It expanded into:

• Sri Lanka
• Central Asia
• China
• Southeast Asia

where it developed into several regional traditions.

---

NCERT Activity

Compare Jainism and Buddhism

The chapter encourages students to compare:

• Ahimsa
• Ascetic practices
• Views on sacrifice
• Monastic organisation

Purpose:

To understand both the similarities and differences between these traditions.

---

Key Points from Part 2

• Mahavira was the 24th Tirthankara of Jainism.
• He attained Kevala Jnana after twelve years of penance.
• Jainism emphasises Ahimsa, Satya, Asteya, Aparigraha and Brahmacharya.
• Jain literature was compiled as the Agamas.
• Siddhartha Gautama was born at Lumbini.
• The Four Great Sights inspired his renunciation.
• He attained enlightenment under the Bodhi Tree at Bodh Gaya.
• His first sermon was delivered at Sarnath.
• The Buddha taught that desire is the root cause of suffering.
• The Middle Path rejected both luxury and extreme austerity.
• Ethical conduct, meditation and wisdom lead to liberation.
• The Sangha included both monks and nuns.
• The Therigatha preserves poems composed by Buddhist nuns.
• The Vinaya Pitaka laid down rules for monastic discipline.
• Buddhism spread across much of Asia through missionaries, merchants and royal patronage.

End of Part 2