the harappan civilization 3300 bce - 2400 bce aerial view of mohenjo-daro
TRANSCRIPT
The Vedas 1200 BCE-600 BCE.
written in SANSKRIT.
Hindu core of beliefs:
hymns and poems.
religious prayers.
magical spells.
lists of the gods and goddesses.
Varna (Social Hierarchy)
Shudras
Vaishyas
Kshatriyas
Pariahs [Harijan] UntouchablesPariahs [Harijan] Untouchables
Brahmins
The Caste System
The mouth?
The arms?
The legs?
The feet?
WHO IS… BrahminsBrahmins
KshatriyasKshatriyas
VaishyasVaishyas
ShudrasShudras
Hinduism• Basic Beliefs
– Dharma: duties that must be followed to achieve liberation
– Karma: sum effect of one’s actions– Moksha: Liberation – release from
reincarnation– Samsara: reincarnation (birth, death,
rebirth)• Sacred texts
– Vedas (sacred hymns of knowledge)– Upanishads (philosophocal
reflecetions on Vedas)
Jainism• Vardhamana Mahavira, 540-468 BCE• Abandoned privileged family to lead
ascetic life• Promotes 7th c. movement based on Upanishads
• Emphasis on selfless living, concern for all beings
• Ahimsa– Principle of extreme non-violence– Jainists sweep earth, strain water, use slow
movements to avoid killing insects– Ahimsa continues to inspire modern
movements (Ghandi, Martin Luther King Jr.)
The essence of Buddhism
The essence of Buddhism
The “middle way of wisdom and compassion.”
2,500 year old tradition. The 3 jewels of
Buddhism: Buddha, the teacher. Dharma, the
teachings. Sangha, the
community.
Siddhartha Gautama (563-483 BCE)
Siddhartha Gautama (563-483 BCE) Born in NE India
(Nepal). Raised in great luxury
to be a king. At 29 he rejected
his luxurious life toseek enlightenmentand the source ofsuffering.
Lived a strict,ascetic life for 6 yrs.
Rejecting this extreme, sat in meditation, and found nirvana.
Became “The Enlightened One,” at 35.
What is the fundamental cause
of all suffering?
What is the fundamental cause
of all suffering?
Desire!Desire! Therefore, extinguish the
self, don’t obsess about oneself.
Four Noble TruthsFour Noble Truths
1. There is suffering in the world. To live is to suffer. (Dukkha) The Buddha found
this out when he was young and experienced suffering and death in others.
Four Noble TruthsFour Noble Truths
2. The cause of suffering is self-centered desire and attachments. (Tanha)
Four Noble TruthsFour Noble Truths
3. The solution is to eliminate desire and attachments. (Nirvana = “extinction”)
Eightfold PathEightfold Path
NirvanaNirvana The union with the ultimate spiritual reality.
Escape from the cycle of
rebirth.
Types of BuddhismTypes of
Buddhism Therevada Buddhism
Mahayana Buddhism
Tibetan Buddhism
Zen Buddhism
Theravada BuddhismTheravada Buddhism The oldest school of Buddhism.
The “Way of the Elders” or the “Small Vehicle.”
Found in southern Asia. The monastic life is the best
way to achieve nirvana.
Focus on wisdom and meditation.
Goal is to become a “Buddha,” or “Enlightened One.”
Over 100,000,000 followers today.
Mahayana BuddhismMahayana Buddhism The “Great Vehicle.”
Founded in northern Asia (China, Japan).
Buddhism “for the masses.” Seek guidance from
Boddhisatvas, wise beings. Goal: Not just individual
escape from the wheel, but the salvation of all humanity through self-sacrifice of those enlightened few.
Tibetan BuddhismTibetan
BuddhismThe “Diamond Vehicle.” [Vajrayana]
Developed in Tibet in the 7c CE.
A mix of Theravada and Mahayana.
Boddhisatvas include Lamas, like the Dalai Lama.
The Tibetan Book of the Dead[Bardo Thodol].
zen Buddhismzen BuddhismThe “Meditation School.”Seeks sudden enlightenment
[satori] through meditation, arriving at emptiness [sunyata].
Use of meditation masters [Roshi].
Beauty, art, and aesthetics: Gardens. Archery. Tea ceremony. Calligraphy.
Chandragupta: 321 BCE-298 BCE
Chandragupta: 321 BCE-298 BCE Unified northern India.
Defeated the Persian general Seleucus.
Divided his empire into provinces, then districts for tax assessments and law enforcement.
He feared assassination [like Saddam Hussein] food tasters, slept in different rooms, etc.
301 BCE gave up his throne & became a Jain.
KautilyaKautilya Chandragupta’s advisor.
Brahmin caste.
Wrote The Treatise on Material Gain or the Arthashastra.
A guide for the king and his ministers:
Supports royal power.
The great evil in society is anarchy.
Therefore, a single authority is needed to employ force when necessary!
Asoka (304 – 232 BCE)
Asoka (304 – 232 BCE) Religious conversion
after the gruesome battle of Kalinga in 262 BCE.
Dedicated his life to Buddhism.
Built extensive roads.
Conflict how to balance Kautilya’s methods of keeping power and Buddha’s demands to become a selfless person?
Asoka’s law code
Asoka’s law code Edicts scattered in
more than 30 places in India, Nepal, Pakistan, & Afghanistan.
Written mostly in Sanskrit, but one was in Greek and Aramaic.
10 rock edicts.
Each pillar [stupa] is 40’-50’ high.
Buddhist principles dominate his laws.
Turmoil & a power Vacuum:
220 BCE – 320 CE
Turmoil & a power Vacuum:
220 BCE – 320 CE
Tamils
The Maurya Empire is divided into many kingdoms.
Gupta RulersGupta Rulers Chandra Gupta I
r. 320 – 335 CE
“Great King of Kings”
Chandra Gupta II r. 375 - 415 CE
Profitable trade with the Mediterranean world!
Hindu revival.
Huns invade – 450 CE
Fa-Hsien: Life in Gupta India
Fa-Hsien: Life in Gupta India Chinese Buddhist monk traveled along
the Silk Road and visited India in the 5c.
He was following the path of the Buddha.
He reported the people to be happy, relatively free of government oppression, and inclined towards courtesy and charity. Other references in the journal, however, indicate that the caste system was rapidly assuming its basic features, including "untouchability," the social isolation of a lowest class that is doomed to menial labor.
Extensive Trade:4c
Extensive Trade:4c
spices
spices
gold &
ivory
gold & ivory
rice & wheathorses
cotton goods
cotton goodssilks
KalidasaKalidasa
The greatest of Indian poets.
His most famous play was Shakuntala.
During the reign of Chandra Gupta II.
Medicine Literature
MathematicsAstronomy
Printedmedicinal
guides
1000 diseasesclassified
PlasticSurgery
C-sectionsperforme
d
Inoculations
500 healingplants
identified
DecimalSystem
Conceptof Zero
PI = 3.1416
Kalidasa
SolarCalendar
The earth
is round
GuptaIndia
Gupta Achieveme
nts
Gupta Achieveme
nts
The Decline of the Guptas
The Decline of the Guptas Invasion of the White Huns in the 4c
signaled the end of the Gupta Golden Age, even though at first, the Guptas defeated them.
After the decline of the Gupta empire, north India broke into a number of separate Hindu kingdoms and was not really unified again until the coming of the Muslims in the 7c.
QUESTION: Is the best literature and art written as the civilization is on the rise, at its height, or in its decline?
BhartrhariBhartrhari 5c India court poet and
philosopher.
Knowledge is man's crowning mark,A treasure secretly buried,The source of luxury, fame, and bliss,A guru most venerable,A friend on foreign journeys,The pinnacle of divinity.Knowledge is valued by kings beyond wealth---When he lacks it, a man is a brute.