Class 6 History Chapter 6 Notes, New Questions and Ideas

Chapter 6 Notes
New Questions and Ideas
Class 6 – Social Science

Class	Class 6
Subject	Social Science
Chapter Name	New Questions and Ideas
Chapter No.	Chapter 6
Category	Class 6 History Notes

Question 1 Who was Siddhartha or Gautama ?Write a short note on it.

Question 2 What were the teaching of Buddha?

Question 3 What is thirst or tanha?

Question 4 What were the thinking of other people at this time?

Question 5 What does Upanishads means?

Question 6 Who were Upanishadic thinkers?

Question 7 Who was Jabali?

Question 8 Who was Vardhamana Mahavira?

Question 9 What were the teaching of Vardhamana Mahavira?

Question 10 Which language was used by Vardhamana Mahavira for his teaching?

Question 11 Define the term Sangha.

Question 12 What is Vinaya Pitaka?

Question 13 Who all can join Sangha and what kind of life they live?

Question 14 How viharas were build?

Question 15 What were the two distinct features of Mahayana Buddhism?

Question 16 What was the older form of Buddhism known as?

Question 17 Who were Jainas and how did they lead their life?

Question 18 Why did the Buddha leave his home? Explain briefly.

The Story of Buddha

Siddhartha, also known as Gautama, the founder of Buddhism, was born about 2500 years ago. This was a time of rapid change in the lives of people. Some kings in the mahajanapadas were growing more powerful. New cities were developing, and life was changing in the villages as well. Many thinkers were trying to understand these changes in society. They also wanted to try and find out the true meaning of life.

The Buddha belonged to a small gana known as the Sakya gana, and was a kshatriya. When he was a young man, he left the comforts of his home in search of knowledge. He wandered for several years, meeting and holding discussions with other thinkers. He finally decided to find his own path to realisation, and meditated for days on end under a peepal tree at Bodh Gaya in Bihar, where he attained enlightenment. After that, he was known as the Buddha or the Wise One. He then went to Sarnath, near Varanasi, where he taught for the first time. He spent the rest of his life travelling on foot, going from place to place, teaching people, till he passed away at Kusinara.

Teaching of Buddha

(1) The Buddha taught that life is full of suffering and unhappiness. This is caused because we have cravings and desires (which often cannot be fulfilled). Sometimes, even if we get what we want, we are not satisfied and want even more (or want other things). The Buddha described this as thirst or tanha. He taught that this constant craving could be removed by following moderation in everything.

(2) He also taught people to be kind and to respect the lives of others, including animals. He believed that the results of our actions (called karma), whether good or bad, affect us both in this life and the next.

(3) The Buddha taught in the language of the ordinary people, Prakrit, so that everybody could understand his message. He also encouraged people to think for themselves rather than simply accept what he said. 

Upanishads

Thinking of others 

(1) Various other thinkers also tried to find answers to philosophical questions.

(2) Some of them wanted to know about life after death, others wanted to know why sacrifices should be performed.

(3) Many of these thinkers felt that there was something permanent in the universe that would last even after death. They described this as the atman or the individual soul and the brahman or the universal soul.

(4) They believed that ultimately, both the atman and the brahman were one.

Many of their ideas were recorded in the Upanishads. These were part of the later Vedic texts. Upanishad literally means ‘approaching and sitting near’ and the texts contain conversations between teachers and students. Ideas were presented through simple dialogues.

Most Upanishadic thinkers were men, especially brahmins and rajas. Occasionally, there is mention of women thinkers, such as Gargi, Apala, Ghosha, and Maitreyi, who were famous for their learning, and participated in debates.

Poor people rarely took part in these discussions. One famous exception was Satyakama Jabala, who was named after his mother, the slave woman Jabali. He had a deep desire to learn about reality, was accepted as a student by a brahmin teacher named Gautama, and became one of the best-known thinkers of the time. Many of the ideas of the Upanishads were later developed by the famous thinker Shankaracharya. 

Jainism

The last and 24th tirthankara of the Jainas, Vardhamana Mahavira, also spread his message around this time, i.e. 2500 years ago. He was a kshatriya prince of the Lichchhavis, a group that was a part of the Vajji sangha.

At the age of thirty, he left home and went to live in a forest. For twelve years, he led a hard and lonely life, at the end of which he attained enlightenment.

Teaching of Vardhamana Mahavira

(1) He taught a simple doctrine: men and women who wished to know the truth must leave their homes.

(2) They must follow very strictly the rules of ahimsa, which means not hurting or killing living beings. “All beings,” said Mahavira “long to live. To all things life is dear.”

Ordinary people could understand the teachings of Mahavira and his followers, because they used Prakrit. There were several forms of Prakrit, used in different parts of the country, and named after the regions in which they were used.For example, the Prakrit spoken in Magadha was known as Magadhi.

(3) Followers of Mahavira, who were known as Jainas, had to lead very simple lives, begging for food. They had to be absolutely honest, and were especially asked not to steal. Also, they had to observe celibacy. And men had to give up everything, including their clothes.

It was very difficult for most men and women to follow these strict rules. Nevertheless, thousands left their homes to learn and teach this new way of life. Many more remained behind and supported those who became monks and nuns, providing them with food.

Jainism was supported mainly by traders. Farmers, who had to kill insects to protect their crops, found it more difficult to follow the rules. Over hundreds of years, Jainism spread to different parts of north India, and to Gujarat, Tamil Nadu and Karnataka.

The teachings of Mahavira and his followers were transmitted orally for several centuries. They were written down in the form in which they are presently available at a place called Valabhi, in Gujarat, about 1500 years ago.

The sangha

Both the Mahavira and the Buddha felt that only those who left their homes could gain true knowledge. They arranged for them to stay together in the sangha, an association of those who left their homes. The rules made for the Buddhist sangha were written down in a book called the Vinaya Pitaka.

(1) There were separate branches for men and women. All men could join the sangha.

(2) Children had to take the permission of their parents and slaves that of their masters.

(3) Those who worked for the king had to take his permission and debtors that of creditors.

(4) Women had to take their husbands’ permission.

Men and women who joined the sangha led simple lives. They meditated for most of the time, and went to cities and villages to beg for food during fixed hours. That is why they were known as bhikkhus (the Prakrit word for renouncer) anbhikkhunis.

They taught others, and helped one another. They also held meetings to settle any quarrels that took place within the sangha.

Those who joined the sangha included brahmins, kshatriyas, merchants, labourers, barbers, courtesans and slaves. Many of them wrote down the teachings of the Buddha. Some of them also composed beautiful poems, describing their life in the sangha. 

Viharas

To begin with, both Jaina and Buddhist monks went from place to place throughout the year, teaching people.The only time they stayed in one place was during the rainy season, when it was very difficult to travel. Then, their supporters built temporary shelters for them in gardens, or they lived in natural caves in hilly areas.As time went on, many supporters of the bhikkhus and bhikkhunis, and they themselves, felt the need for more permanent shelters and so monasteries were built. These were known as viharas.

(1) The earliest viharas were made of wood, and then of brick.

(2) Some were even in caves that were dug out in hills, especially in western India. The land on which the vihara was built was donated by a rich merchant or a landowner, or the king.

(3) The local people came with gifts of food, clothing and medicines for the bhikkhus and bhikkhunis. In return, they taught the people.

A new form of Buddhism, known as Mahayana Buddhism, now developed.

Mahayana Buddhism had two distinct features.

(1) Earlier, the Buddha’s presence was shown in sculpture by using certain signs. His attainment of enlightenment was shown by sculptures of the peepal tree. Now, statues of the Buddha were made. Many of these were made in Mathura, while others were made in Taxila.

(2) The second change was a belief in Bodhisattvas. These were supposed to be persons who had attained enlightenment. Once they attained enlightenment, they could live in complete isolation and meditate in peace. However, instead of doing that, they remained in the world to teach and help other people. The worship of Bodhisattvas became very popular, and spread throughout Central Asia, China, and later to Korea and Japan.

Buddhism spread to western and southern India, where dozens of caves were hollowed out of hills for bhikkhus to live in. Buddhism also spread south eastwards, to Sri Lanka, Myanmar, Thailand, and other parts of Southeast Asia including Indonesia. The older form of Buddhism, known as Theravada Buddhism was more popular in these areas.