PRELIMS REVISION QUIZ (DAY-12)

Places visited by Buddha for giving sermons :

1⃣ Sarnath - first sermon
2⃣ Sravasti - maximum sermons
3⃣ Vaishali - last sermon

Note : Buddha never visited Sanchi in his lifetime.

After attaining enlightenment at Bodh Gaya the Buddha went to Sarnath and delivered his first sermon to 5 disciples in the Deer Park to set in motion the 'Wheel of the Dharma (dharmachakrapravartana)'.

As the maximum number of disciples of Gautam buddha were from the kingdom of Kosala Buddha delivered his maximum number of sermons at Sravasti, the capital of the kingdom of Kosala.

The Buddha delivered his last sermon at Vaishali and announced his nirvana here.

Anekantavada and Syadvada are the core philosophies of Jainism

Anekantavada : "Manyness of reality". It emphasises that the ultimate reality is pluralistic, which has multiple-aspects.

Hence, Anekantavada is simultaneous acceptance of multiple, diverse and even contradictory viewpoints.

Syadvada : All judgments are conditional, holding good only in certain conditions/circumstances.

The ways of looking at a thing are infinite in number.

Sapta-bhangi Naya : Seven Forms of Judgement

This doctrine of Jainism is illustrated by the parable of "The Blind Men and an Elephant".

The Six blind men cannot see the elephant, but put their hands on the different parts of the elephant in order to describe the whole animal.

For e.g., one who holds the elephant by its tail thinks that "the elephant is like a rope" and one who touches its ear feels that "the elephant is like a fan".

Each one is able to grasp only the partial/relative truth about the elephant.

The concept of Bodhisattva is central to the Mahayana Sect of Buddhism.

Bodhisattvas are enlightened beings who have put off entering paradise in order to help others attain enlightenment.

Paramitas are 6 perfections, including generosity, compassion etc., cultivation of which takes one nearer to the path of becoming a Bodhisattva.

Note : The following question on 'Paramitas' was asked by UPSC in Civil Services Prelims-2020 :

[UPSC CSE-2020] With reference to the cultural history of India, which one of the following is the correct description of the term ‘paramitas’?

[A] The earliest dharmashastra texts written in aphoristic (Sutra) style

[B] Philosophical schools that did not accept the authority of Vedas.

[C] Perfections whose attainment led to the Bodhisattva path

[D] Powerful merchant guilds of early medieval south India.

The Eight Bodhisattvas – The term bodhisattva literally means "essence of Bodhi".

🔔 Note : The following question on 'Maitreya Bodhisattva' was asked by UPSC in Civil Services Prelims-2018 :

[UPSC CSE-2018] With reference to Indian history, who among the following is a future Buddha, yet to come to save the world?

[A] Avalokiteshvara
[B] Lokesvara
[C] Maitreya
[D] Padmapani

Rulers who were followers and patrons of Jainism :

➤ King Kharvela – He was the founder of the royal house of Chedi. Kharvela was a Jain and despite his fervor for Jainism, he was addicted to military conquests.

Kalinga rose to power under his rule. Hathigumpha Inscription provides Information regarding his life, rule, religion and conquests.

➤ Chandragupta Maurya was a follower of Jainism. He renounced his wealth and power and accompanied Jaina monk Bhadrabahu to the Deccan region (now Karnataka), where he performed Sallekhana – the Jain ritual of peacefully welcoming death by fasting.

➤ Amoghavarsha was a rashtrakuta ruler. Although Amoghvarsha patronised Jainism, Buddhism and Hinduism, he himself was a follower of the Digambara tradition of Jainism. He was a disciple of Jain Acharya Jinasena.

Ministry of Tourism, under the Swadesh Darshan scheme is developing 15 thematic tourist circuits in the country in planned and prioritized manner.

15 thematic circuits under Swadesh Darshan scheme :

1. North-East Circuit
2. Buddhist Circuit
3. Himalayan Circuit
4. Coastal Circuit
5. Krishna Circuit
6. Desert Circuit
7. Tribal Circuit
8. Eco Circuit
9. Wildlife Circuit
10. Rural Circuit
11. Spiritual Circuit
12. Ramayana Circuit
13. Heritage Circuit
14. Sufi Circuit
15. Tirthankara Circuit

Note : Char Dham Pariyojana is a civil works and connectivity improvement scheme of Ministry of Road Transport and Highways for Char Dham (Kedarnath, Badrinath, Yamunotri & Gangotri) in Uttarakhand.