Indian History - Jainism & Buddhism

Gautam Buddha was born as Prince Siddhartha to King Śuddhodana and Queen Maha Maya. 

According to Buddhist scriptures, King Bimbisara met Buddha for the first time prior to Buddha's enlightenment and later became an important disciple that featured prominently in certain Buddhist suttas.
King Bimbisara is referred to as King Shrenika of Rajgir in Jain literature, who became a devotee of Jainism impressed by the calmness of Yamadhar (a Jain Muni). He frequently visited Samavasarana of Lord Mahavira seeking answers to his queries.

Correct answer is (4). 

The first sermon of Buddha was called the Dhammacakkappavattana Sutta.

The Three Jewels or Triratna of Buddhism are Buddha (the enlightened one), Dharma (the teachings), and Sangha (the community of practitioners). Taking refuge in these three jewels is the fundamental act of becoming a Buddhist and represents the core of Buddhist practice and faith.

In Jainism, Tirthankars are the 24 spiritual teachers and enlightened beings who show the path to liberation. Mahavira is believed to be the 24th and last Tirthankar, not the founder of a new religion.

The First Buddhist Council was held at Rajagriha (modern-day Rajgir) shortly after Buddha's death around 400 BCE. It was convened to preserve Buddha's teachings and settle disciplinary matters.

Jainism's emphasis on non-violence (ahimsa) particularly appealed to traders and merchants, whose professions often involved less violence than agricultural or warrior communities. This facilitated Jainism's rapid spread in trading communities.

Kushinagar (also called Kusinara) is the site where Buddha attained Mahaparinirvana (final passing away) at age 80. It is located in the present-day Gorakhpur district of Uttar Pradesh. Sarnath is where he gave his first sermon, Gaya is where he attained enlightenment, and Pataliputra (modern Patna) was the Mauryan capital.

Nigranthas (meaning 'the unfettered ones') was the original name for Mahavira's followers. This sect later came to be known as Jains. Svetambara and Terapanthi are later Jain sects, while Sanmatti is not related to Jainism.

Samsara refers to the endless cycle of birth, death, and rebirth that beings are trapped in due to ignorance and desire. It is characterized by suffering (dukkha) that Buddhism seeks to escape. The Three Jewels are Buddha, Dharma, and Sangha, while karmic effect refers to karma itself.

According to Svetambara tradition, the 14 Purvas were the original texts containing Mahavira's teachings. These are now lost. The Angas are the existing canonical texts that replaced them. Upanga Agamas and Mulasutras are different categories of Jain texts.

Mahayana Sutras claim to contain the original teachings of Gautama Buddha that were allegedly hidden or transmitted secretly. Mahayana Buddhists believe these represent Buddha's higher, more advanced teachings compared to earlier scriptures. Mahavir and Parsav (Parshvanatha) were Jain Tirthankaras, while Sevdatta is unrelated.

Buddhism is primarily divided into two major schools: Theravada (School of the Elders) and Mahayana (Great Vehicle). Theravada is dominant in Southeast Asia, while Mahayana spread to East Asia. Tibetan and Shingon are sub-traditions within Buddhism, and Hinayana is a term sometimes used for early schools but not commonly used for self-identification.

The 57-foot tall statue of Gomateshwara (Bahubali) is located at Shravanabelagola in Hassan district, Karnataka. It was commissioned by the Ganga dynasty minister Chavundaraya and is one of the largest free-standing statues in the world. Mount Abu has Dilwara temples, Gaya is Buddhist pilgrimage site, and Lumbini is Buddha's birthplace.

Correct Answer: karma

Rishabha (also known as Adinath) was the first Tirthankara in Jainism. Abhinandan Swami, Suparshvanath, and Ajitnath were all later Tirthankaras. Rishabha is believed to have lived millions of years ago and is considered the founder of Jainism in the present cosmic cycle.

The Third Buddhist Council was held in 250 BCE (approximately 17 years after Ashoka's accession in 267 BCE) at Pataliputra under the patronage of Emperor Ashoka. It was presided over by Moggaliputta Tissa and led to the expulsion of heretics and clarification of Buddhist doctrine.

The Middle Way (Majjhima Patipada) refers to Buddha's teaching of avoiding extremes - neither sensual indulgence nor severe self-mortification. It is the path of moderation that leads to enlightenment. It is not about dividing life into family and monastic phases, nor following only half of the Eightfold Path (the Middle Way encompasses the complete path).

Correct Answer: Rijupalika

The most revolutionary step was Buddha's acceptance of women into the monastic order as nuns (bhikkhunis), despite initial reluctance. This gave women a spiritual path and social status unprecedented in ancient India. Women could preach and teach, but acceptance into the order was the fundamental breakthrough.

The Rummindei pillar (also called the Lumbini pillar) at Lumbini marks Buddha's birthplace. Emperor Ashoka visited Lumbini in 249 BCE and erected this pillar to commemorate the site. The pillar inscription mentions that this was Buddha's birthplace. Vaishali has a different Ashoka pillar, and there is no famous 'Iron pillar' associated with Buddha's nativity.

The Purvas were the ancient lost scriptures of Jainism that Sthulabhadra helped preserve through a council in Mathura. When Bhadrabahu was in South India, Northern monks realized these sacred texts were being forgotten, so they convened to recompile them. This was a critical moment in Jain religious history to prevent the loss of foundational teachings.

Jainism's three-fold path is called the Ratnatraya or Three Jewels: Right Belief, Right Knowledge, and Right Conduct. These three pillars must be developed together for spiritual liberation. Right belief means accepting the reality of soul and karma, right knowledge is understanding the nature of reality, and right conduct is ethical living based on non-violence.