ŚRAMAṆA TRADITION

Śramaṇa tradition or ascetic movement in India can be recognized as a philosophical movement which stands against traditional Brahmanic religion. In this regard many scholars are of opinion that initiation of ascetic movement marks the beginning of new era in Indian religious and philosophical movements. In the process of declining of religion and progress towards philosophy many individual thinkers came into existence in addition to prominent Upaniṣad thinkers. Jaina Mahāvīra and Śākyamuni Buddha can be recognized as the most prominent figures that gave birth to this era. There were many contradictory opinions in relevant to the origin of ascetic movement. As we are aware, traditional Brahmanic religion or Brahmanism dealt with mundane matter. Brahmanic rites and rituals were centered upon worldly gain. Up to Brahmanic period, people turned to depend on outside courses that were considered as more powerful then themselves. They were outward dominated and not inward dominated. In the contrary they were not attempting or identifying the internal course that could be directed to overcome or understand external courses. The inferiority complex, with regard to

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UPANIṢAD THEORY

The word 'Upaniṣad' consists of three words – 'Upa' which means 'near', 'ni' which means 'down' and 'shad' which means 'be seated'. So Upaniṣad means „be seated at the feet of the guru to receive the teaching.“ During ancient times, pupils used to sit near the teacher in a circle to learn the holy teachings and sacred scriptures. The Upaniṣad philosophy basically indicates learning from a spiritual teacher. The exact number of classical Upaniṣads is not known. Scholars differ when it comes to estimating the number of Upaniṣads that exist. It is estimated that there are around 350 Upaniṣads that exist today. The Upaniṣads constitute the Vedanta (Veda-

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UPANIṢAD PERIOD

Upaniṣad was known as the philosophy of Vedanta. There is large number of Upaniṣad (sitting close to the teacher). Upaniṣads are known as secret teaching, Guhyam parama Guhyam rahasyam. Upaniṣadic thinkers strove to understand the nature of the person, the nature of world / universe, and the relationship between those too. There are the aims of Upaniṣad “

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ĀRANYAKA PERIOD

Āranyaka period was new era of thinking that the Āryan society of understand the nature and life through wisdom purity. In the Brahmin period Āryans expected a better future through yāgas based on faith and devotion. Preference to the spiritual development is given in the Āranyaka period as a result of this; the demand for yāga become loses. The spiritual development was open for all without any discrimination all low castes including women are permitted to practice spiritual development. This count is done without wasting money and other assets. Āranyaka period can be considered as a new era in the Vedic thought because the significance of the spiritual development was established

during this period. Wisdom became very important than the faith and devotion. Yoga practices were introduced during the Āranyaka period. Many people went to the forest to meditate when they need mental (sati) function; scholars are not unanimous about the origin of the Āranyaka period. According to Vedic period tradition Aranyaka period is an extent of Sañyāsi Āśrama (stage) four Āśramas; 1) Brahma Cariya, 2) Ashastas, 3) Vanapratha, and 4) Sañyasi. During the Sañyasi period, Brāhmaṇa who was come to the old age goes to the forest to meditate. In the four stages of meditation started only in the Sañyasi period. Therefore some argue that the Āranyaka period could be considered as a development of the Sañyasi stage. There is

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THE THEORY OF KAMMA

The teaching of kamma is found almost in all religious schools in India during the time of the Buddha. Some schools believed that everything ahppens due to former kamma, everything happens due to the will of God. And some believed as everything happens without cause, they are mere accidents and coincidence s. The Buddha rejected all these erroneous views and defines kamma as simply action or a deed. The definition of kamma in Nibedhikapariyāya Sutta says that cetanā or volition is kamma (cetanāhaṃ bhikkhave kammaṃ vadāmi), which is

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CONCEPT OF KAMMA

Kamma literally means 'action' or 'deed'. In the religious technical sense it means moral action which brings about good or bad results.
All religions in India teach about kamma. Vedic Brahmanism teaches all action to please the God on good kamma and those aagainst the wish of the God on bad kamma. Thus sacrifice is called kamma, a good action to please the god. Upaniṣadic taechers give a more moral meaning. Some șramaṇa teachers – especially the materialists – did not believe in kamma. The Jainas believed that one's past kamma is the

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ORIGIN OF BUDDHISM

When Buddhism arose there were two main religious traditions: Brāhmaṇa and Śramaṇa. The terms samaṇa-brāhmaṇa in the suttas refer to these two traditions. The Brāhmaṇic tradition were of two levels: (a) Vedic (b) Upaniṣadic Vedic-Brāhmaṇic tradition depended mainly on sacrifice Yajña also called karma. It was believed in sacrifice as in the most effective mean of security of happiness here and here-after. Therefore it was called Yajña-mārga or karma-mārga. In this tradition there was the belief in a creator God and a pantheon of other gods. The worship of them, offerings to them were the main religious practice. The Upaniṣadic tradition is more philosophical. It believed in a universal

principal called Brāhmaṇ (viṣva-ātman) which should have been the source of everything. Its counterpart was ātman (pudgda(?)ātman). Both those were metaphysical concepts. The way to salvation was the realization of the ultimate oneness of the Brāhmaṇ – ātman. This had to be attained through knowledge (jñāna) produced by the practice of mental concentration and observance of severe ascetic practices (aṭṭhakilamathānuyogo). The Śramaṇa tradition opposed these beliefs. There were six famous Śramaṇa teachers: 1. Ajita (a materialist who did not believe in morality) 2. Makkhalī  (inclined to materialism; completely denied personal effort and action (kiriyavāda and viriyavāda) ) 3. Pakudha (inclined to materialism) 4. Pūrana (inclined to materialism) 5. Sañjaya (a sceptic) 6. Mahāvīraan (an extremist who preached non-violence and kamma determinism) Ajita was a materialist who did not believe in morality.

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BRAHMIN PERIOD

During the Brhāmaṇa period yāga became the most popular rituals among Āryans. According to this stage, all human beings belong to four casts namely; Brāhmaṇa, Kṣatriya, Vaiśya and Śūdtra. The hierarchy of this caste system can be changed as if was created by the Brāhmaṇa. Each caste is given a set of duties to fulfill, 1. Brāhmaṇa has appointed for religious purposes. 2. Kṣatriya has duties to protect the country. 3. Vaiśya has the task to farm and trade or commercialize. 4. Śūdra has duties to slave or service above three castes. Kṣāatriya and Vaiśya were given permission to practice the caste duties of the next lover operate in the time of adversities; Brahmans get the power over this

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THE YAMA AND ITS CONCEPTS

According to early Vedic teaching Yama was a god who lived above in the sky, he was known as the first human being who died. All dead people go to Yama and live with him. This belief was changed due to the rational reasoning. Āryans thought that it was unjust to permit all human beings those who have done good and bad to live together with Yama without a time limited. As a result of further questioning Āryans accepted that all dead people go to Yama and Yama inquires about their previous characters and allows those who have done good to remain in the heaven and sends others to the hell which is situated under the earth. Āryans believed that dead could not live forever in the hell or in the heaven on what they have done in the previous lives because merits and demerits were collected by every individual was limited. With a limited merits or demerits, one cannot live in the heaven or in the hell forever. It is not clear for what would happen to them at the end of merits and demerits earned by the individual. It was unjust to live forever in that heaven or in the hell for limited quality merits or demerits. So

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Henotheism

Peculiar to stage of time, the Āryans were disposed to pay reverence to gods as supreme, standing
side by side, but at some circumstances only one is holding the highest position. It happened that
they choose the supreme gods like Indra, Varuṇa and Prajāpati. In this period they seemed to have

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Polytheism

As the relationship or 'alliance' bbetween the Āryans and the mighty beings pursued, the Āryans
continued gradually to personify the forces of nature and to an extent converted them into

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Anthropomorphism

After they had settled in their new Indian home, the Āryans became aware that in fact the various
elements existent in nature were important factors affecting their very lives, that these natural
elements were somehow powerful or out of their control and at the same time, they were much
fascinated by them. Thunders, wind, rain, storm etc. Held obviously, as they believed, some kind of
standing personalities behind these phenomena that, as they do, possessed manlike nature. As they

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VEDIC PERIOD

 According to archeological traces, Āryan people entered India at about the time of decline of the
Indus civilization (about 1600 B.C.) they were probably barbarian invaders, who conquered the Indus
people and destroyed their cities. These Āryans were nomadic herdsmen, who spoke in an early form
of Sanskrit, called Vedic after the earliest extant Indian texts (the Veda) which can at present be
read. The earliest of these Vedic texts of the Āryans were perhaps composed two or three centuries

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EMERGENCE OF BUDDHISM: HISTORICAL BACKGROUND

1). Omnipotent (having great or much power)
2). Omnipresent (to be everywhere)
3). Omniscient (knowing everything) and also must have the abilities to create, sustain and destroy
the universe.

Aryans venerated in the Vedic period and Varuṇa was famous one among those gods. He was considered
as a powerful god comparing to other gods; he was the famous as the controller of the world order

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EMERGENCE OF BUDDHISM: HISTORICAL BACKGROUND

The Origins of Buddhism and their relationship to Indian thought are expected to study here.
Special attention is drawn to the following topics for this purpose.
Vedic thought on philosophical trends such as the path of Karma (Karmamārga) and the
path of Ñāna (Ñānamārga), Yogic meditation and the realization of truth, the concept of soul,
rebirth and liberation; a study of the independent concepts that sprang up in the Vedic tradition;
survey of the Brahmin and ascetic traditions; teachings and life stories of six religious teachers
contemporary to the Buddha; multiple theories of liberation; the pre-Buddhist awareness of Jhāna
and Samāpati; self-mortification and theory of soul; self-indulgence and materialism; view of
Pubbantākappikas and Aparantakappikas; the influence of pre-Buddhist thought and culture on the
emergence and nature of Buddhism; Buddhism criticism of views (Diṭṭhi); Buddhist interpretation
of traditional terms; the way in which the Buddha refuted the contemporary religious and
philosophical foundation; Buddhist criticism of traditional Indian religions and philosophies;
identity and uniqueness of Buddhist thought.
Recommended Reading:

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EMERGENCE OF BUDDHISM: HISTORICAL BACKGROUND

The Origins of Buddhism and their relationship to Indian thought are expected to study here. Special attention is drawn to the following topics for this purpose. Vedic thought on philosophical trends such as the path of Karma (Karmamārga) and the path of Ñāna (Ñānamārga), Yogic meditation and the realization of truth, the concept of soul, rebirth and liberation; a study of the independent concepts that sprang up in the Vedic tradition; survey of the Brahmin and ascetic traditions; teachings and life stories of six religious teachers contemporary to the Buddha;

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