HISTORY

L-6 New Questions And Ideas

I. Describe the ways in which the Buddha tried to spread his message to the people.
Answer:
 Buddha taught the people in Prakrit, which was the language of the ordinary people so
that everybody could understand his message without any difficulty.
 He also encouraged people to think for themselves rather to simply accept what he said.
 Buddha, himself set an example to lead a simple life.
 He preached about life being full of suffering & unhappiness, he spoke about ‘Tanha’
the desire to have more. He taught about ‘karma’ or actions will affect us in current life
& also in later life. He taught people to be kind and respect the lives of others.
 Gautama Buddha moved from place to place to give his message to all people- ordinary
as well as people from other classes of society.

II. State whether true or false: [ Mark on text book]

1. ‘The Buddha encouraged animal sacrifices. [False]

2. Saranath is important because it was the place where the Buddha taught for the first
time.. [True]
3. The Buddha taught that ‘Karma’ has no effect on our lives. [False]
4. The Buddha attained enlightenment at Bodh Gaya [True]
5. Upanishadic thinkers believed that the ‘atman’ and ‘brahman’ were ultimately one.
[True]
III. What were the questions that Upanishadic thinkers wanted to answer??
Answer:
Upanishadic thinkers wanted to know about life after death. Some wanted to know why
sacrifices should be performed. They felt there had to be something permanent in the
universe that lasted even after death. Their ideas are recorded in the Upanishads.

IV. What were the main teachings of the Mahavira?

Answer:
The main teachings of the Mahavira were:
• Men and women who wished to know the truth must leave their homes.
• They must follow very strictly the rules of ahimsa, which means not hurting or killing
living
beings.
• They had to lead simple lives, beg for food, be absolutely honest and had to observe
celibacy.

V. Why do you think Anagha’s mother wanted her to know the story of the Buddha?
Answer:
Anagha’s mother wanted her to know the story of the Buddha because she was going on a
school
trip to Varanasi. Sarnath near Varanasi is closely connected to the life of Buddha as Buddha
taught the people for the first time in Sarnath. wanted her to know the story of Buddha the
founder of Buddhism and the greatest teacher of ancient times.
VI. Do you think it would have been easy for slaves to join the sangha? Give reasons for
your answer.
Answer:
It would not have been easy for slaves to join the sangha because they needed their master's
permission to do so. Also, the masters’ wouldn’t have given them the permission easily.

Question VII and VIII do it by yourself

Extra Questions

1. What did the Buddha do after his enlightenment?

Answer: The Buddha went to Saranath and taught for the first time. He spent the rest of his
life travelling and teaching people.

2. What was the ‘Karma’ according to the Buddha?

Answer: ‘Karma’ refers to our actions—good or bad.

3. How did the Buddha connect to everyone in society?

Answer: The Buddha used Prakrit so that everyone could understand his teachings.

4. What did Mahavira do to attain enlightenment?

Answer: Mahavira left home at the age of thirty. Then he spent twelve years in the forest
and led a hard and lonely life. Then he got enlightenment.

5. State two basic rules of Jainism

Answer: (a) The Jains had to beg for food.
(b) They were to be absolutely honest.

6. Name the book which gives the rules of the Buddhist ‘Sangha’.
Answer: The Vinaya Pitaka gives the rules made for the Buddhist ‘Sangha’.

7. Who all joined the ‘Sangha’?

Answer: Those who joined the ‘sangha’ included ‘Brahmins’, Kshatriyas’, merchants,
labourers, slaves, etc.

8. How did monks take shelter in the rainy season?

Answer: The monks got temporary shelters built during the rainy season, or they lived in
caves.

I. Answer the following questions briefly.

1. Describe Buddha’s life in brief.
Answer: The Buddha original name was Siddhartha Gautama. He belonged to a small
‘gana’ and was a Kshatriya. At an early age, he left the comforts of home and went in search
of knowledge. He wandered for several years, and met and discussed with other
contemporary thinkers. He meditated for several days under a ‘peepaT tree at Bodh Gaya in
Bihar. Here, after meditation, he attained enlightenment. This gave him the name ‘the
Buddha’ (the Wise One). He went to Samath and taught people. He travelled and preached
for the rest of his life. He spoke of ‘tanha’, ‘Karma’, etc. He died at Kusinara.
2. What does the Vinaya Pitaka tell us about ‘sangha’?
Answer: From the Vinaya Pitaka, we know that there were separate branches for men and
women in the Buddhist ‘sangha’. Children were supposed to take the permission of their
parents and slaves had to ask for permission from their masters to join it. Women had to ask
their husbands. Those who lived in the ‘sangha’ had to lead very simple lives—meditating,
travelling and begging. They taught others and helped each other.