AIZAWL THEOLOGICAL COLLEGE

ASSIGNMENT ON A DETAILED STUDY OF HINDU RELIGIOUS TRADITION (BRS 04)

Topic: The rise of Buddhism, Jainism and Carvaca – Their reaction to the Hindu
Religion

Submitted to: Rev. Dr. V.S Lalrinawma

Submitted by: H. Vanlalruattluanga, Roll No-12, BD III
Presented on: 29th July 2019

Introduction

1. The Vedic Religion and Sramana Movement

The founders of Jainism and Buddhism were living in the same periods of age. Both of them
were contemporarily they have some common ground and natural influences. They mainly
try to finds a new thing which is far from the Vedic religion, and developed what we called
‘Sramana movement’.1

1.1 Vedic Religion: The Vedic religion was a worship religion of many god and goddesses.
The Brahmanic religion was a ritualistic and the Upanishadic religion was a metaphysical
thought. The brahmanic religion was very much based on highly developed ritualism. The
Brahmans or Brahmins were very much involved in ritualistic performances and they were
held to be first after god. Their duty was to study and teach the Veda scriptures, and perform
sacrifices and other ceremonies. Brahman is atman or atman is brahman, not understandable
and approachable to the common people. Both Jainism and Buddhism is developed in this
kind of socio-economic and political conditions and religious thought in India.2

1.2 Sramana Movement: The Sanskrit Shramana or Sramana was also applied to a Jain
ascetic who was later more usually called a Yati. Sramanas means the working priests or
wandering monks. They believed in good and evil spirits which brought prosperity and
adversity to human life. Sraman services were rendered by both Jainism and Buddhism. Both
religions challenged the Hindu Society and its religion. The people were tired and fed up with
the Brahmanic ritualistic life, which was a kind of burden and compulsion for the people, and
particularly for the common people what wanted to have some belief and release.3

The new philosophical schools- sramanas were men who had contracted out of ordinary
society and become wanderers living either by gleaning what they could in the woods and
fields or by begging. Their aim was to discover the truth and attain happiness, or at least
peace of mind. The sramanas rejected the Veda, and the authority of the Brahmans, who
claimed to be in possession of revealed truths not knowable by any ordinary human means.4
1
Christopher Augustus Bixel Tirkey, Major Religions of India (Delhi: ISPCK, 2001), 155. Hereafter
cited as Tirkey, Major Religions of India…
2
Tirkey, Major Religions of India…155
3
Tirkey, Major Religions of India…157.
4
A.K Warder, Indian Buddhism (Delhi: Motilal Banarsidas Publishers Private Ltd.,2015), 32-33.
Hereafter cited as Warder, Indian Buddhism…
Page 1
In place of authoritarian tradition the sramanas sought to find satisfactory explanations of the
universe and of life by genuine investigations and by reasoning. The ascetic practices, or even
merely the renunciation of the society, of the sramanas have led to speculation that their
tradition goes right back to the presumed ascetics of the Indus Civilisation.5

2. Main Teachings and Philosophy of Buddhism, Jainism and Carvaca

2.1 Buddhism

According to most account, Buddha was born at Kapilavastu, his father being the ruler of a
principality. He was born at 563 B.C.E, and represented as a greatly accomplished prince. He
was married at 16, at this time he began to reflect upon the vanities of life, and upon the
tragedy of death, disease and old age which afflict mankind. After that he renounced all the
worldly things to discover the way out of the misery of the world. He left the palace and went
away to the forest. After meditating, penance and mortifying his body and at his second
attempt he was successful and he became fully enlightened.6

It is very difficult to determine the original form of the creed and doctrine of Buddhism. An a
similar difficulty is experienced in defining the relation of early Buddhism to Brahmanism.
That it should greatly influenced by the latter, the dominant faith at that time. Buddha’s
teaching was a protest against the over-elaborate ceremonialism that, in one sense, had given
rise to the Upanishadic doctrine itself. It placed morality other than sacrificial and ritual,
though by no means ignored in Brahmanism.

2.2. Jainism

Jainism is the word derived from ‘Jaina’ or ‘jaina’, which in turn is derived from the Sanskrit
word Jina, literally meaning “Conqueror”. Jainism as it has survived to this day is traced
back to the life and teachings of the Jina Mahavira, whose given name was Vardhamana.
Mahavira serves as a model not only for achieving the goal of enlightenment which he
himself realized, the goal of nirvana or moksha which is common to Buddhism and Hinduism
as well, but also as a model for insightful thinking about human nature, life and the world.7

Jainism is the very old form of Non-Vedic religion. It arose in the later Vedic period and was
only revived by Vardhamana, styled ‘the great hero’ (Mahavira), in the sixth century B.C. It
also seems to represent a reform of Brahmanism, but only on far or less conservative lines.
For example, it repudiates animal sacrifices; but it does not believe in supreme God.8

The distinguishing feature of Jainism, on the theoretical side, is its belief in the eternal and
independent existence of spirit and matter – the animate and the inanimate respectively called
Jiva and Ajiva. But by spirit here we have to understand only the individual self, and not the
supreme soul as in the Upanishads. Jainism does not believe in any universal spirit or God in

5
Warder, Indian Buddhism…38.
6
Hiriyanna, The Essentials of Indian Philosophy…71
7
Dalsukh Malvana and jayendra Soni, Encyclopaedia of Indian Philosophy Vol X: Jain Philosophy
Part I (Delhi: Motilal Banarsidass Publishers Private Ltd., 2014), 3-4.
8
Hiriyanna, The Essentials of Indian Philosophy…60.
Page 2
the common acceptation of that term.9 Like Hinduism, Jainism believes in the theory of
transmigration. But there are two important distinctions – The Hindu believed that it is god
who allots rewards and punishments to all being according to their karma. The jains, on the
other hand do not believe in a supreme God, declares that karma operates by itself. And
again, the Hindus take karma to be immaterial, the Jains believe it to be but subtle particles of
matter, which is one of the ajivas, finding their way into the soul and soiling its nature.

2.3. Carvaca

A school of materialist thought to have been contemporary with early Buddhism. Materialism
is the name given to the metaphysical doctrine that holds that matter is the only reality. 10 The
Carvaka or Materialism system admits the validity of only one pramana which is perception,
and rejects not only verbal testimony but also inference. The Carvaka does not believe in any
spiritual values, and is content in the worldly ones of sensual pleasure and wealth. The
Upanishads speak of five elements and given in perception- earth, water, fire and air, and
discards the fifth viz. space.11

This school had a strong individualistic foundation, and stressed the reality of the personal
and the concrete. Each thing had its ownness or inherent nature. This individual principle,
and not the dictates of deity or the prescriptions of sacred books, was the sole guide to ethics
and moral behavior. It taught that inherent nature was all that effects are self-existent and are
not the result of causes.12Thus, for the materialist, the physical body as characterized by
sentience is to the materialist the only self (atman), and there is no ‘soul’ apart from it.

4. Reactions of Buddhism, Jainism and Carvaca to Hinduism

4.1 Buddhism

Buddhism did not start as a new and independent religion. It was an offshoot of the more
ancient faith of the Hindus, perhaps schism or heresy. While Buddha agreed with the faith he
inherited on the fundamentals of metaphysics and ethics, he protested against certain
practices which were in vogue at the time. He refused to acquiesce in the Vedic
ceremonialism. On that, he said that, “I do not approve of sacrifices for I do not care for
happiness which is sought at the price of others’ suffering.” (Buddhacharita, XI,64).13

The Buddha’s main object was to bring about a reformation in the religious practices and a
return to the basic principles. He does not condemn the whole Sruti but only that part of it
which enjoins sacrifices.14

9
Hiriyanna, The Essentials of Indian Philosophy…61.
10
V.S Lalrinawma, Major Faith Traditions in India (Delhi: ISPCK, 2007), 80. Hereafter cited as
Lalrinawma, Major Faith Traditions in India…
11
M.Hiriyanna, The Essentials of Indian Philosophy (Delhi: Motilal Banarsidas Publishers Private Ltd.,
1995), 57-58. Hereafter cited as Hiriyanna, The Essentials of Indian Philosophy…
12
Lalrinawma, Major Faith Traditions in India…81.
13
S.Radhakrishnan, Indian Religions (New Delhi: Orient Paperbacks, 1979),170. Hereafter cited as
S.Radhakrishnan, Indian Religions…
14
S.Radhakrishnan, Indian Religions…171.
Page 3
There are some Buddhist profound principles which denials of the non-Buddhist
heterodoxies:

a) Momentariness: Nothing exists for any length of time. There is no substance or duration
to things. Each moment is entirely a new existence, which is succeeded by an entirely new
existence.

b) Relative existence or No self-nature: Nothing has an essence, nature, or character by

itself. Things in isolation are shuniya, ‘empty.’ The nature of things only exists in relation to
everything else that exists. Existence as we know is it is thus completely relative and
conditioned by everything else. Only Nirvana would be unconditioned, although we cannot
know what it is like.

c) No Atman: There is no self (atman) in Buddhism, either as an essence or as a substance.

What we call self is a collection of things, the ‘aggregates’ - i) the body or form, ii) feelings,
iii) ideas, iv) impressions, v) momentary consciousness. There is no enduring thing present in
the aggregates. An implication of No-atman is that reincarnation cannot be transmigration,
since there is nothing to migrate.

d) No-God: There is no Brahman or any other such ultimate enduring substance or nature to
reality. Nirvana thus cannot be characterized as realizing either Self, Brahman or God.

f) Karma: Because of there is no substance or duration Buddhism, the Buddhist view of

Karma is different from that in Hinduism or Jainism. Karma is only causation, without the
meditation of any substance (apurva).15

4.2 Jainism

Jainism began as a heretical movement within Hinduism and did not appear in a religious
vacuum, but now we can only be viewed as a distinct religion with reference to Hinduism.
There were, however many points of disagreement or reaction between the two religions at
the inception of Jainism, some are:16

a) Rebirth: According to Hindu doctrine, souls do not individualized in eternity, but become
absorbed in Brahma, Mahavira strongly asserted the independence or autonomy of the
individual soul.

b) Caste System: Hinduism taught caste system but Jainism strongly opposed and developed
democratic form of social system, believed in the worth of all individuals. So, Mahavira
taught the importance of casteless society.

c) Polytheism vs. Atheism: Vedic literature suggested that the gods may number as many as
3,333, particularly Vedic and Brahmanic periods, Hinduism was polytheistic. On the other

15
Vraj Kumar Pandey, Encyclopaedia of Indian Philosophy Vol I (New Delhi: Anmol Publications Pvt.
Ltd., 2007), 104-105.
16
Tirkey, Major Religions of India…159.
Page 4
hand, Janism was repelled by the extremes of Vedic polytheism. In fact, Mahavira did not
taught the existence of god at all.

d) Ahimsa vs. Sacrificial Ceremony: Hinduism in Vedic and Brahmanic period taught the
importance of animal sacrifices. These ceremonial occasions became complex affairs with
large numbers of animals slaughtered. Mahavira developed his thoughts on the other way and
gave emphasis upon the harmlessness “Ahimsa” (Non-Violence) to all living things in
response to the excesses of animal sacrifice in his time.17

4.3 Carvaca

Traces of materialism appear in the earliest recordings of Indian thought.  Initially, Indian
Materialism or Lokāyata functioned as a sort of negative reaction to spiritualism and
supernaturalism.  During the 6th and 7th centuries C.E. it evolved into a formal school of
thought and remains intact, though consistently marginalized.18

a) Materialism is anti-Vedic: Vedic thought, in the most comprehensive sense, refers to the
ideas contained within the Samhitas and the Brāhamaṇas, including the Upaniṣads. The Vedic
period marked the weakest stage of the development of Indian Materialism.  In its most latent
form, Materialism is evident in early Vedic references to a man who was known as Bṛhaspati
and his followers.  The literature suggests that Bṛhaspati did not attempt to forward a
constructive system of philosophy but rather characteristically refuted the claims of others
schools of thought.  In this sense, followers of Bṛhaspati were not only skeptical but
intentionally destructive of the orthodoxies of the time.  It is thought that any mention of
"unbelievers" or "scoffers" in the Vedas refers to those who identified with Bṛhaspati and his
materialist views.  Thus, Materialism in its original form was essentially anti-Vedic.  One of
Bṛhaspati's principal objections to orthodoxy was the practice of repeating verses of sacred
texts without understanding their meaning.19 

b) Non-existence of god: Unlike Hinduism, the Carvaca schools rejected the existence of
God, God, whose existence cannot be perceived, fares no better than soul.20

c) Non-Karmic: The Carvaca school reacted the reborn of the soul taught by Hinduism. This
school does not believe in the existence of soul. According to this school, the soul is simply
the conscious living body.21

d) Rejects the idea of Liberation: Most of the Orthodox schools including Hinduism
believe that the highest goal of human life is heaven, which is a state of unalloyed bliss that
can be attained after death by performing some rites or sacrifices. But Carvaca rejects this
idea of liberation because this is based on the unproved existence of a life after death.22

17
Tirkey, Major Religions of India…160.
18
https://www.iep.utm.edu/home/about/. Access on 8 Jul 2019

19
https://www.iep.utm.edu/home/about/. Access on 8 Jul 2019
20
Lalrinawma, Major Faith Traditions in India…82.
21
Lalrinawma, Major Faith Traditions in India…83.
22
Lalrinawma, Major Faith Traditions in India…84.
Page 5
Conclusion

Therefore, from the brief study of the Vedic religion; we can witness its contradiction with
the offshoot of those orthodoxies. They are coming out because of their discontentment of
worshipping and faith traditions. Maybe because of their social differentiations, culturally
bounded classes, burdens of religious ceremony and philosophical thirsty. To conclude, from
the history of the reactions to Hindu religion by Buddhism, Jainism and Carvaca, we can
imagine the unending and untiring search of truth and rest by human beings that we can have
through Jesus Christ our savior by Christians.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

REFERENCES
Bibliography

Hiriyanna, M. The Essentials of Indian Philosophy. Delhi: Motilal Banarsidas Publishers

Private Ltd., 1995.

Lalrinawma, V.S. Major Faith Traditions in India. Delhi: ISPCK, 2007.

Malvana, Dalsukh and Jayendra Soni. Encyclopaedia of Indian Philosophy Vol X: Jain
Philosophy Part I. Delhi: Motilal Banarsidas Publishers Private Ltd., 2014.

Pandey, Vraj Kumar. Encyclopaedia of Indian Philosophy Vol I (New Delhi: Anmol
Publications Pvt. Ltd., 2007.

Radhakrishnan, S. Indian Religions. New Delhi: Orient Paperbacks, 1979.

Tirkey, Christopher Augustus Bixel. Major Religions of India. Delhi: ISPCK, 2001.

Warder, A.K. Indian Buddhism. Delhi: Motilal Banarsidas Publishers Private Ltd., 2015.

Internet Source

https://www.iep.utm.edu/home/about/. Access on 8 July 2019.

Page 6