Indias Cultural Roots-Buddhism Social Science Class 6 In English-CBSE Notes

Chapter 7. India’s Cultural Roots – Notes 2

Buddhism

• Buddhism emerged as an important school of thought in ancient India.
• It became widespread during the 1st millennium BCE.
• Buddhism departed from the authority of the Vedas.
• Siddhārtha Gautama is regarded as the founder of Buddhism.
• He was born into a royal family.
• He grew up in a protected and comfortable life in the palace.
• At the age of 29, Siddhārtha saw an old man, a sick man, a dead body and an ascetic.
• These experiences made him think deeply about suffering in human life.
• He left his palace life in search of the root cause of suffering.
• He travelled as an ascetic and met other ascetics and scholars.
• He meditated under a pipal tree at Bodh Gaya.
• He attained enlightenment after deep meditation.
• After enlightenment, Siddhārtha became known as the Buddha.
• The word Buddha means the 'enlightened' or 'awakened' one.

Causes of Suffering According to Buddhism

• The Buddha realised that avidyā, or ignorance, is a source of human suffering.
• Attachment is another important source of suffering.
• Ignorance prevents a person from understanding reality correctly.
• Attachment creates bonds that lead to suffering.
• The Buddha taught a method to remove ignorance and attachment.
• Self-awareness and inner discipline are important for overcoming suffering.

Ahimsa in Buddhism

• The Buddha taught the principle of ahimsa.
• Ahimsa is generally translated as non-violence.
• The original meaning of ahimsa is non-hurting or non-injuring.
• Ahimsa is not limited to avoiding physical violence.
• It also includes avoiding harmful thoughts and ill feelings towards others.
• Buddhism emphasises sincere inner discipline.
• A person should try to recognise negative thoughts and transform them into positive thoughts.

The Buddha and External Rituals

• The Buddha gave importance to inner purity rather than merely performing external rituals.
• He questioned the idea that simply bathing in sacred rivers could make a person spiritually pure.
• True purity was connected with one's actions, thoughts and conduct.
• The Buddha's teachings emphasised ethical behaviour and inner discipline.

Sangha

• The Buddha's teachings were spread by a community of monks known as the Sangha.
• Monks travelled to different parts of the land to spread Buddhist teachings.
• Over time, nuns also became part of the Buddhist monastic tradition.
• Monks and nuns established monasteries in different regions.
• Some ascetics lived in caves cut into rocks.
• Archaeological remains provide evidence of these monasteries and rock-cut caves.

Jātaka Tales

• The Jātaka tales are stories associated with the Buddha's previous births.
• They became an important part of Buddhist tradition.
• These stories communicate moral and ethical values.
• They also helped in spreading Buddhist teachings among ordinary people.

Important Buddhist Terms

Jainism

• Jainism is another important ancient Indian school of thought.
• It became widespread around the same period as Buddhism.
• Its roots are considered to be much more ancient.
• Jainism also departed from the authority of the Vedas.
• Vardhamāna Mahāvīra was one of the most important teachers of Jainism.
• Mahāvīra was born into a royal family in the early 6th century BCE.
• He was born near Vaiśhālī in present-day Bihar.
• At the age of 30, he left his home in search of spiritual knowledge.
• He followed a rigorous ascetic discipline.
• After 12 years of ascetic practice, he achieved 'infinite knowledge' or supreme wisdom.
• He became known as Mahāvīra, meaning 'great hero'.
• He then began preaching his teachings.

Meaning of Jain and Jina

• The word Jain or Jaina comes from the Sanskrit word Jina.
• Jina means 'conqueror'.
• It does not mean the conquest of territory or enemies.
• It refers to conquering ignorance and attachments.
• The ultimate aim is to attain enlightenment.

Three Important Jain Principles

Ahimsa in Jainism

• Ahimsa is one of the central principles of Jainism.
• It means avoiding harm to all living beings.
• Ahimsa includes physical as well as mental non-violence.
• Having ill feelings towards another person is also considered a form of violence in thought.
• Jainism therefore gives great importance to careful and compassionate behaviour.
• The principle of ahimsa influenced many aspects of Jain life and practice.

Anekāntavāda

• Anekāntavāda is an important Jain philosophical principle.
• It teaches that reality has many aspects.
• No single viewpoint can completely describe the whole truth.
• It encourages people to recognise different perspectives.
• It promotes tolerance and thoughtful understanding of different viewpoints.

Aparigraha

• Aparigraha means non-possession.
• It teaches freedom from excessive attachment to material possessions.
• It encourages a simple and disciplined way of life.
• It helps a person reduce attachment to worldly objects.

Spread of Jainism

• Jain monks and nuns travelled across different parts of India.
• They spread Jain teachings among different communities.
• Some established monasteries in distant regions.
• Others lived ascetic lives in rock-cut caves.
• Archaeological remains provide evidence of Jain monasteries and caves.

Buddhism and Jainism – Similarities

• Both emerged as important schools of thought in ancient India.
• Both departed from the authority of the Vedas.
• Both emphasised ethical conduct and self-discipline.
• Both advocated peaceful coexistence.
• Both gave importance to ahimsa.
• Both recognised ignorance and attachment as important problems.
• Both developed monastic traditions.
• Monks and nuns of both traditions travelled to spread their teachings.

Buddhism and Jainism – Differences

Other Schools of Thought – Charvaka

• Ancient India had many different schools of thought.
• One such school was known as Chārvāka.
• It was also called Lokāyata.
• Charvaka believed that the material world is the only reality.
• According to Charvaka, there is no life after death.
• The school did not gain much popularity and disappeared with time.
• Its existence shows the wide diversity of intellectual and philosophical thought in ancient India.
• Different people could explore and choose different schools of thought.

Schools of Thought – Important Point

Indian traditions are often described only as religions in English, but the chapter uses the terms schools of thought and belief systems because these traditions have philosophical, spiritual, religious, ethical and social dimensions.

Common Ideas of Vedic, Buddhist and Jain Traditions

• Although these traditions had important differences, they also shared several concepts.
• Dharma is an important common concept.
• Karma is another common concept.
• Rebirth is shared by these traditions.
• All were concerned with the problem of suffering.
• They searched for ways to overcome suffering and ignorance.
• Self-discipline and ethical values were important in all these traditions.
• These shared ideas can be understood as the common 'trunk' of the cultural tree of India.

Folk and Tribal Roots

• Indian culture has rich folk and tribal roots.
• Many folk and tribal traditions are preserved through oral traditions.
• Oral traditions are teachings or practices transmitted through everyday practice without written texts.
• Folk traditions are mainly transmitted by common people.
• Tribal traditions are transmitted through tribal communities.
• These traditions form an important part of India's cultural heritage.

Oral Tradition

Oral tradition means the transmission of knowledge, teachings, stories, beliefs or practices from one generation to another mainly through speech, memory and everyday practice rather than written texts.

• The Vedic tradition is an important example of oral transmission.
• Many folk and tribal traditions have also been preserved orally.
• Oral traditions can preserve cultural knowledge over many generations.

What is a Tribe?

• A tribe is generally a group of families or clans sharing a tradition of common descent.
• Members of a tribe generally share a culture and language.
• They traditionally live as a close-knit community.
• Traditional tribal communities may live under the leadership of a chief.
• Traditional descriptions also associate them with collective rather than private ownership.
• Ancient India did not have a single word exactly corresponding to the modern English word tribe.
• Different janas living in forests, mountains and other environments were part of India's ancient social landscape.
• The Constitution of India uses the terms tribes and tribal communities.
• The Hindi term janjāti is also used.

Tribal Communities in India

• According to official figures mentioned in the chapter, India had 705 tribes in 2011.
• These tribes were spread across most States of India.
• Their population was about 104 million.
• Tribal communities have rich and complex cultures.
• Earlier anthropologists sometimes described tribal communities as 'primitive' or 'inferior'.
• Such biased judgments have largely been abandoned after deeper studies of tribal cultures.

Folk Traditions

• Folk traditions are traditions transmitted mainly by common people.
• They include stories, beliefs, customs, songs, rituals, festivals and practices.
• Many folk traditions are transmitted orally.
• They often develop through everyday community life.
• Folk traditions are an important part of India's cultural diversity.

Tribal Traditions

• Tribal traditions are traditions transmitted through tribal communities.
• They include distinctive beliefs, customs, stories, art and rituals.
• Many tribal belief systems are closely connected with nature.
• Land and natural features often have sacred significance.
• Many tribal communities also believe in a higher or supreme divinity.

Interaction between Folk, Tribal and Hindu Traditions

• There has been continuous interaction between folk and tribal traditions and major schools of thought.
• Deities, concepts, legends and rituals have been exchanged in both directions.
• Tribal traditions influenced Hindu traditions.
• Hindu traditions also influenced many tribal communities.
• Some tribal communities adopted Hindu deities.
• At the same time, they developed their own versions of important stories.
• Some tribal groups have their own versions of the Mahābhārata and Rāmāyaṇa.
• This interaction has taken place across different regions of India.
• The result has been mutual cultural enrichment.

Jagannath and Tribal Tradition

• According to tradition, Jagannath, worshipped at Puri in Odisha, was originally a tribal deity.
• Various forms of mother-goddess worship in India are also traditionally linked with tribal origins.
• These examples show the influence of tribal traditions on wider Indian cultural traditions.

Nature in Tribal and Folk Belief Systems

• Folk, tribal and Hindu traditions share many ideas related to nature.
• Mountains are often regarded as sacred.
• Rivers are often regarded as sacred.
• Trees and plants may have sacred significance.
• Animals may also be considered sacred.
• Some stones and natural objects may also be regarded as sacred.
• Many traditions associate consciousness with natural elements.
• Tribal communities often worship deities associated with natural elements.

Examples of Tribal Belief Systems

Toda Community

• The Todas live in the Nilgiri region of Tamil Nadu.
• More than thirty peaks of the Nilgiri mountain range are regarded as residences of gods or goddesses.
• These peaks are considered highly sacred.
• The Todas avoid pointing towards these sacred peaks with a finger.

Donyipolo

• Several tribes of Arunachal Pradesh worship Donyipolo.
• Donyipolo is a combined form of the Sun and Moon.
• It represents an important form of higher divinity in these traditions.

Singbonga

• Munda and Santhal communities worship Singbonga.
• Singbonga is regarded as a supreme deity.
• He is believed to have created the whole world.

Khandoba

• Khandoba is worshipped in parts of central India.
• His tradition is another example of interaction between different cultural and religious traditions.

Common Features of Tribal Belief Systems

• Tribal traditions may recognise many deities associated with nature.
• Mountains, rivers, trees, plants, animals and stones may be sacred.
• Many tribal groups also recognise a higher divinity or supreme being.
• Tribal belief systems are therefore not limited only to spirits or minor deities.
• They contain complex ideas about nature, divinity and human life.

Mutual Cultural Enrichment

• Indian cultural traditions have influenced one another for thousands of years.
• Influence has not moved in only one direction.
• Tribal traditions have influenced mainstream traditions.
• Mainstream traditions have also influenced tribal communities.
• Stories, rituals, deities and ideas have been exchanged freely.
• This long interaction has enriched Indian culture.
• Folk and tribal beliefs and practices therefore form important roots of Indian culture.

Important Terms – Notes 2

Important Comparisons

Folk Tradition and Tribal Tradition

Vedic, Buddhist and Jain Traditions

Chapter at a Glance

• ✔ Indian culture has ancient roots and many branches.
• ✔ The Vedas are among the most ancient texts of India.
• ✔ Vedanta and Yoga developed from the Vedic tradition.
• ✔ Buddhism and Jainism departed from the authority of the Vedas.
• ✔ Buddhism focuses on overcoming ignorance, attachment and suffering.
• ✔ Jainism emphasises ahimsa, anekāntavāda and aparigraha.
• ✔ Charvaka represents an ancient materialist school of thought.
• ✔ Vedic, Buddhist and Jain traditions share concepts such as dharma, karma and rebirth.
• ✔ Folk and tribal traditions are important cultural roots of India.
• ✔ Tribal communities have rich and complex cultures.
• ✔ Nature is sacred in many tribal belief systems.
• ✔ Folk, tribal and Hindu traditions have continuously interacted.
• ✔ Cultural exchange has taken place in both directions.
• ✔ This interaction has resulted in mutual cultural enrichment.

Exam Booster

• ⭐ Learn the life and teachings of Siddhārtha Gautama.
• ⭐ Remember the meaning of Buddha, avidyā and ahimsa.
• ⭐ Learn the importance of Bodh Gaya and the Sangha.
• ⭐ Remember Mahāvīra's life, enlightenment and teachings.
• ⭐ Learn the three major Jain principles — ahimsa, anekāntavāda and aparigraha.
• ⭐ Understand the main difference between Buddhism/Jainism and the Vedic tradition.
• ⭐ Remember Charvaka and its materialist worldview.
• ⭐ Learn the common ideas of Vedic, Buddhist and Jain traditions.
• ⭐ Understand the meaning of folk, tribal and oral traditions.
• ⭐ Learn the definition and characteristics of a tribe.
• ⭐ Remember that tribal traditions are rich and complex, not primitive or inferior.
• ⭐ Learn how tribal, folk and Hindu traditions influenced one another.
• ⭐ Remember examples such as Jagannath, Toda, Donyipolo, Khandoba and Singbonga.
• ⭐ Understand the importance of nature in many tribal belief systems.

All Topics Chapter Indias Cultural Roots

• 1. Chapter Review and Key Points
• 2. India Cultural Roots
• 3. Buddhism
• 4. Assignments - What Have You Learned?