More Axial Age

1
More Axial Age

• back to India
• ca. 500 B.C.
• caste system in place
• development of Hinduism
• Brahmin priests

2
Literature

• the Brahmanas metaphysical speculation
• the Upanishads central concepts of Hinduism
• ascetics
• the Jungle Schools

3
Central Concepts

• Brahman the universal spiritual reality behind
  all perceptions
• Atman the human soul
• Karma actions have consequences
• not sin

4
Goal of the Ascetics

• mystic ecstasy
• enlightenment
• unification of Brahman and the Atman
• karma affects the rate of enlightenment

5
Road to Enlightenment

• getting rid of negative karma
• absence of bodily desires
• then the Atman could merge with Brahman eternally

6
Other Responses to Brahmans

• Charvakas atheists
• Jainists, Buddhists

7
Janism

• Nigantha Nataputta
• the Vardhamana Mahavira
• Left a wealthy, aristocratic family to lead an
  ascetic life
• 7th century movement based upon the Upanishads

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Nigantha Nataputta the Vardhamana Mahavira
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Modern Jain temple and worshipper
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Rock shrines
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The Mahavira
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Janism, cont

• salvation from the cycle of souls
• all souls are trapped in matter
• all things possess souls
• both animate and inanimate
• penance frees the soul from matter (karma)

13
Buddhism

• Siddhartha Gautama the Buddha
• The Four Sights
• search for enlightenment
• the bo tree illusion and enlightenment
• salvation by moderation
• the Middle Path

14
Fasting Siddhartha Gautama before his
enlightenment under the bodhi tree
15
Central Ideas all life is suffering

• the Four Noble Truths
• all life is suffering
• desire causes suffering
• suffering can be avoided by non-desiring
• desire can be stopped by meditation and the Noble
  Eightfold Path
• Correct knowledge and good habits can annihilate
  suffering

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Central Ideas, cont

• The Noble Eightfold Path
• right views, right aspirations
• right speech, right conduct
• right livelihood, right effort
• right mindedness, right rapture

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Buddha of the Great Wonders Gandhara, 3rd-4th
century A.D.
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Teaching Buddha Sarnath, 5th century A.D.
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The Buddha of Gandhara 2nd century A.D.
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Various busts of the Buddha
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Wheel of Dharma
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Buddhist Society

• no fixed hierarchies
• no priest, but individual responsibility
• decisions free and democratic
• equality among Buddhists

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Problems

• the Buddha did not write things down
• several version of what he said
• the Pali Canon of Ceylon

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Common ideas

• transmigration of souls
• effects of Karma
• the Noble Eight Fold Path of Thoughts and Deeds
• nirvana blowing out
• annihilation of the ego

25
Buddhist Schools

• Hinayana
• (the Lesser Vehicle / The Little Raft)
• no works after 480 B.C. accepted
• Ceylon, Indo-China
• Mahayana
• (the Greater Vehicle /The Big Raft)
• Tibetan Buddhism, Chan, Zen, etc.

26
Buddhism

• students spread his message
• compiled correct teachings
• disagreements

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Challenge to Brahmans

• egalitarian
• gender-less
• appealed to those not of the aristocracy
• education to any who wished it
• ridiculed the Brahmans

28
Buddhism doctrine

• favored individual self-examination
• no empty ritual
• no caste system
• hostile Brahman reaction

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Rise of the Mauryan Empire

• Alexander the Great
• Chandragupta Maurya (322-298 B.C.)
• Ashoka

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Kingdom of Magadha

• Most significant remaining kingdom after
  Alexanders departure
• Central Ganges plain
• Economic strength
• Agriculture
• Trade in Ganges valley, Bay of Bengal
• Dominated surrounding regions in north-eastern
  India

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The Mauryan and Gupta empires321 B.C.E.-550 C.E.

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Ashoka

• most powerful ruler
• converted to Buddhism
• spread the Dharma throughout the land

33
Ashoka Maurya

• Grandson of Chandragupta
• Represents high point of Mauryan Empire, r.
  268-232 BCE
• Expanded empire to include all of Indian
  subcontinent except for south
• Positive rulership integrated Indian society

34
Pillar of Ashoka, proclaiming the dharma
throughout India
35
The Dharma

• peace, pacifism, moderation
• roads, hospitals, rest houses
• promoted vegetarianism
• condemned bloody sacrifices
• threatened the Brahmans with loss of power
• largely unsuccessful

36
Brahmans adopt Buddhist thought

• necessary to be competitive
• Buddha was Vishnu
• more interaction with the people
• aided by Buddhist theological arguments

37
Brahmans

• the soul was real
• ultimate purpose fuse with the divine
• spread to all levels of society
• oldest and most successful of the major, world
  religions

38
Buddhism?

• declined in India
• successful in China, Nepal, Indo-China, Japan
• and now, America

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The Eight Auspicious Symbols Tibetan Buddhism
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Lord Shakyamuni Buddha
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The Green Tara the Bodhisattva of Active
Compassion
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Four-Armed Chenreisg (Sanskrit Avalokiteshvara)
The Bodhisattva of
Compassion
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Maitreya - The Future Buddha
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Sakyamuni, Burma
45
Standing Buddha
Mongolia
46
Kamakura Buddha, Japan
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Amida Buddha Shin (Pure Land) Buddhism Japan
48
Cyber Buddha
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Books you can read

• Edward Conze. Buddhism Its Essense and
  Development
• Juan Mascaro, trans. The Bhagavada Gita
• Kenneth K.S. Chen. Buddhism The Light of Asia
• Noble Ross Reat. Buddhism. A History
• Andrew Skilton. A Concise History of Buddhism
• John Snelling. The Buddhist Handbook A Complete
  Guide to Buddhist, Schools, Teaching Practice,
  and History
• Peter Harvey. An Introduction to Buddhism
  Teachings, History, and Practices
• www.etsu.edu/cas/history/religionsbib.htm