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
relationship between oneself and the external world made them more and more confident on powerful external courses. Sacrifice became compulsory medium of getting things done. Brahmanic priests became the mediatoers between external courses and man. Coincidences with complex ritualism and with the development of thinking,  intellectual power of the era attempted to search out truth within oneself and external world. This attempt resulted in perceiving the reality of ātman and Brahman. Scholars such as Das Gupta tried to say that Upaniṣadic approach to seek knowledge was not a new movement but a gradual progress descending from Vedic and Brahmanic period. Anyhow it is more rational and evidential to assume that Upaniṣadic philosophical result of new movement came into existence against complex ritualism in Brahmanism. In other words, it is not evolution of Vedic thought, but new movement came into existence against Brahmanic teaching. Some scholars such as B. C. Bunte tied to make another opinion in this regard. According to them Vedic tradition and ascetic tradition parallelly developed in India from the inception of Āryan religion. Their thesis is that after the Āryan invasion Vedic religious tradition developed but non-Āryan religious traditions did not disappear, but rather were persistent. According to their opinion śramaṇa tradition was not a new movement but its origin goes back to Indus Valley Civilization. There are some rare evidences for accepting that existence of ascetics during the Vedic period. Ṛg Veda mentioned about a śramaṇa in a vague form. The detail given in this śramaṇa is evidential to the existence of śramaṇa at the time of Vedic religion. Brahman and Ātman Someone knows the Brahman, truth, knowledge as infinite. He receives all aspiration. This is how the Brahman concept has been explained in Vedic literature. In Aitareya Upaniṣad Brahman and ātman have been explained as ānandaṃ or happiness. Furtehr it says human beings live with happiness. After their death they will go to the happiness. Therefore, all the beings are generated from happiness. This explains and implies they have considered the human beings to live with happiness. The Brahman concept can be seen in the Atharvan Veda as well as in Brahmanic literature. Once they said universal origination is from the Brahman concept. It was the imaginary concept. Therefore, Vedic teaching has considered the Brahman as the praying.(?) They have seen some powers included in the praying.(?) In Brahmin period, they have attributed special power to the praying. Therefore, they could consider there could be power of creation. They accepted this power of creation was the initiative force for the whole creation. According to that truth of external world was considered as the Brahman. They wanted to know absolute truth concerning the human beings. As a result of that
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they accepted there is the truth of spirituality within the men as ātman. Brahman concept gradually has been developed. This concept has been realized according to the understanding of the Brahmin priest. In the Chāndogya Upaniṣad it is explained as the water. Soucillir(?) it is explained as ajuee(?) and sky(?). Someone identifies this concept as the Sun and Moon. In this way Upaniṣadic thinkers have explained according to their own understanding. Aitareya Upaniṣad has mentioned that Brahman as the fellow human being. From which human being gets birth, where he lives, where he goes after his death is Brahman. Further they said all the material things are Brahman. Bbut animate things can't bbe explained through inanimate things. Therefore they considered prāṇa or life force as the Brahman. Without material body the being can't live but through the material body the sacredness of life can't be explained. Therefore, life force was considered as the Brahman. But they couldn't explain the reality of the life force. Mind or the knowledge of material thing is the different entity. It is considered as a Brahman. But they accepted there would be important reality than the mind.(?) They thought it as the knowledge. They tried to explain the absolute truth through the consciousness. But they were not satisfied with such an explanation. Therefore, they believed in ānanda or happiness as the absolute truth. Further Upaniṣadic teachers said that Brahman can't be realized through the visual things. It is invisible entity. The Sun, the wind, which represent the Brahman's existence, Brahman can't be explained. There are not enough words to explain his existence. Whatever the words we use to explain the Brahman, everything is Brahman. Further Kena Upaniṣad says that whatever exists beyond our thinking, seeing and listening, it is Brahman. Brahman can't be seen. No one can enter it. One who purifies the knowledge and purifies the mind, through that, Brahman can be seen. On ewho sees Brahman he wards off happiness as well as sorrow. Kesi Sukga in Ṛg Veda depicts the position of Muni during that period. According to this Vedic record this śramaṇa was having long hair and beard, wore yellow robes, wandered from place to place addicted to intoxication and had an awful looking. This description of śramaṇa that is contained in Ṛg Veda depicts that śramaṇa was not a popular figure during that period, but there was a class of people who were named as śramaṇa.