Maurya and Gupta Religion
The main religions of the Maurya and Gupta empires were Hinduism, Buddihsm, and Jainism. The Mauryans had been Buddhists and the Gupta monarchs were Hindus. Ashoka, Chandragupta's grandson was Buddhist but did not force Buddhism on the people. During this time, religious toleration was in order.
Buddhism Buddhism was founded by Siddartha Guatama(563-483 B.C.E.) or otherwise called the Buddha. He came from a Kshatriya family of Sakayas, a people in the foothills of the Himalayas. Siddartha was a prince and was sheltered from the poverty and ugliness around him. When he was 29, he began his search for the truth about human suffering. He first searched for the truth by studying with teachers of hinduism but did not find any answers. He then went to live in a forest. He ate only weeds and berries for six years. He did not have clean clothes or any other comforts. He believed that self denial would bring wisdom. Finally he began to meditate until he found answers. He meditated under a tree for hours until he saw answers clearly. After that he was known as the Buddha. Buddhism is the belief that suffering is caused by desires and this suffering could be ended by searching for enlightenment through meditation, self discipline, and moderate living. The reward was nirvana, the release from reincarnation and perpetual tranquility. The four noble truths are the truths discovered by Buddha as he meditated. They are, life is filled with suffering, suffering is caused by desire of things that do not last, suffering can end by ending desire, and desire can be ended by following the eightfold path. The eightfold path is a guide to a good life and followers of it are freed from suffering to reach happiness. The steps are right understanding, thought, speech, action, work, effort, mindfulness, and meditation. Hinduism Hinduism is a general term for a wide variety of beliefs and ritual practices that have developed in the Indian subcontinent since antiquity. It has roots in ancient Vedic, Buddhist and south Indian religious practices. Hinduism teaches that each person is born into a caste. The caste system divided people into four main groups, the highest being priests and teachers, next the rulers and warriors, merchants and artisans, and at the bottom unskilled workers. The untouchables were also a part of the caste but were so low that they weren't even considered part of society. They had dirty jobs, were thought to be impure, and were not allowed to touch other caste members. The caste system included strict rules about everyday life and jobs were determined by position. Members of one caste could not marry, eat, or work with others. The Hindus followed the caste because of their belief of reincarnation(rebirth of the soul into another living thing). They believed that each person would be reborn over and over until they reached spiritual perfection. This perfection is called moksha, the person achieves perfect understanding and release from life in this world. Their atman(godlike soul) becomes part of the world soul. They believed that a person's cast was a reward or punishment for actions in a previous life. They believed in karma that the actions you take will come back to you. If a person led a good life, they put forth good karma and were reborn into a higher caste, those who didn't would be reborn into a lower caste or born into the body of an animal. A person insures they have good karma by following their dharma which is their purpose in life. The Hindus worshiped many gods. The three main gods were Brahma the creator, Visnu the preserver, and Shiva the destroyer, together they were one god called Brahman. Their spiritual writings were the Upanishads, the Vedas, and the Bhagavad-Gita. Jainism Mahavira (540-468 B.C.E) was known by his followers as Jina, "the conqueror". That word is derived from Jainism the belief system he established. Mahavira and his followers practiced strict non-violence. They took extreme measures to make sure they did not kill any living thing. They wore masks so they would not swallow insects and brushed seats before sitting down. The most extreme of the Jainist's went nude and would only eat what others gave them till they starved to death. Others refrained from agricultural work and engaged in banking and commerce. |
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