Buddhism: The Buddha and His Teachings
NCERT Class 12 - Themes in Indian History Part I, Chapter 4
Buddhism: The Buddha and His Teachings
Gautama Buddha taught that suffering is universal, that it has a cause, and that it can end through a practical Middle Path between indulgence and severe austerity. He accepted karma and rebirth but denied both a creator god and a permanent soul.
Life in five events
- Born about 563 BCE at Lumbini in Nepal into the Shakya clan; father Suddhodana, mother Mayadevi, who died soon after. He was raised by Prajapati Gautami.
- Wife Yashodhara, son Rahula. The sight of an old man, a sick man, a dead body and an ascetic turned him away from palace life.
- Mahabhinishkramana - the great renunciation, at the age of 29.
- Enlightenment at the age of 35 at Bodh Gaya in Bihar, under a pipal tree on the bank of the Niranjana river; from then he was the Buddha, the awakened one.
- Dharmachakra Pravartana - the first sermon at the deer park in Sarnath near Varanasi.
- Mahaparinirvana - his death at Kushinagar in Uttar Pradesh at the age of 80.
Symbols in Buddhist art
- Early Buddhist art does not show the Buddha in human form; it uses symbols instead.
- Lotus and bull stand for his birth, the horse for the renunciation, the bodhi tree for enlightenment.
- The wheel (dharmachakra) stands for the first sermon and the stupa for the mahaparinirvana.
- The footprint (buddhapada) and the empty throne also represent his presence.
The Four Noble Truths
| Truth | Meaning |
|---|---|
| Dukkha | The world is full of suffering |
| Dukkha Samudaya | Suffering has a cause, which is desire |
| Dukkha Nirodha | Suffering can be ended |
| Dukkha Nirodha Gamini Pratipada | There is a path to end it, the Eightfold Path |
The Eightfold Path
- Right view and right intention - understanding the truths and forming the will to act on them.
- Right speech, right action and right livelihood - the ethical group, covering truthfulness, non-violence and an honest occupation.
- Right effort, right mindfulness and right concentration - the mental group, leading to meditation.
- The path avoids both luxury and extreme self-torture; this is the Madhyam Marga or Middle Path.
Key doctrines
- Anicca - everything is impermanent and constantly changing.
- Anatta - there is no permanent, unchanging soul. This is the sharpest difference from Jainism and from the Upanishads.
- Pratityasamutpada - dependent origination, the chain in which every effect arises from a cause.
- Nirvana is the blowing out of desire, and the end of the cycle of rebirth.
- The Triratna of Buddhism is Buddha, Dhamma and Sangha.
- The Buddha was silent on the existence of god and on the origin of the universe, treating such questions as unhelpful.
हिंदी संकेत: जैन धर्म आत्मा को मानता है, बौद्ध धर्म अनात्मवाद (anatta) मानता है यानी स्थायी आत्मा नहीं। यही दोनों का सबसे बड़ा दार्शनिक अंतर है।
Exam me kaise aata hai
Factual questions ask the place of birth, enlightenment, first sermon and death - these four places are asked repeatedly. Match-the-following links event with place or symbol. Statement-based questions test anatta versus the Jain soul, and whether the Buddha accepted a creator god.
UPSC / State PSC ke liye
Note the pratityasamutpada chain as the logical base of the whole system - if everything arises from causes, nothing is permanent, and therefore there is no unchanging soul. Also note the social point: the sangha admitted all varnas and, after Ananda's request, women as bhikkhunis, which made Buddhism attractive in the new towns.
Yahan confuse hote hain
✗ The Buddha was born at Bodh Gaya | ✓ He was born at Lumbini; he attained enlightenment at Bodh Gaya
✗ The first sermon was given at Kushinagar | ✓ The first sermon was at Sarnath; he died at Kushinagar
✗ Buddhism accepts a permanent soul | ✓ Buddhism teaches anatta, the absence of a permanent soul
Ek nazar me
- Born about 563 BCE at Lumbini, Shakya clan; renounced at 29, enlightened at 35.
- Four key places - Lumbini, Bodh Gaya, Sarnath, Kushinagar.
- Four Noble Truths - suffering, its cause, its end, and the path to its end.
- Eightfold Path in three groups - understanding, ethical conduct, mental discipline.
- Anicca, anatta and pratityasamutpada are the core doctrines; nirvana is the goal.
- Triratna - Buddha, Dhamma, Sangha; the Middle Path avoids both extremes.