Welcome to this session. In this session we
will be discussing the system - Buddhism or
Buddhist school. As you know what the schools
we have discussed are so far. We have also
given a historical background of that school,
because a school cannot be developed all his
theory in overnight, he took at least a few
years to come up with all the theory. And
henceforth since Buddhism is a school, he
took a long time to come out as a school as
like yoga system, as like Charvaka, as like
Nyaya schools, Buddhism is also a school.
In this school, there are many scholars; we
say Buddhist scholars contribute their opinion,
their theory on many of the issues, issues
like nirvana that is why a human being seeks
for liberation, what is the requirement for
a human being for searching for liberation
issues likes also, why a human being suffers
while living in this earth, how to get read
from sufferings, all this issues you find
in Buddhist schools. Most of the scholars
they have discussed, and also its not discussed
the scholars or those who thinks that or they
are practitioner of Buddhism, they also practices
many of the rituals norms prescribed by the
Buddhism, the founder of Buddhism is known
as a Gautama Buddha, what we will discuss
is a historical background today, that how
really this Buddhist schools comes into existence.
And who are those scholars who are those people
who really contribute to develop that theory,
and how long it took time to develop Buddhism
as such, and what are the ways and process
people have involved developing this theory
in different form, which is known as Buddhist
school.
Therefore, in Buddhism school, you find a
particular issue exist in a different forms;
you also find that there are particular issue
people has interpreted in a different way;
further, you will also find that again Buddhism
divided into sub groups, because all the rules
regulation and norms that initially prescribed
for a Buddhist monk was not practiced regularly
and religiously.
Therefore, those things that all the norms
are not correct, then they split, they go
into a different group, and they said that
we will be practicing some of the norms conditions,
but not all the norms and conditions; as a
result they themselves construct a different
groups, however they will also consider as
Buddhism. Now, all this things, today, will
discuss in details.
Buddhism is a form of religion without god,
whenever we talk about god immediately it
comes to your mind that something in the form
of incarnation, something in form of image;
suppose, if you speak about Hinduism, people
consider goddesses Durga, goddesses Kali,
goddesses Saraswathi, Laxhmi, so on and so
forth.
Even if you consider Hindu religion as such,
they will also consider god like Varuna, Agni,
karthika, so on and so forth, Vinayaka or
Ganesh, shiva, Vishnu, etcetera, but here
you find that Buddhism is a religion without
god, because Buddhism believes religion in
a sense that, there is a karma, there is a
duty we must do that, if this is we are doing,
then we are also practicing some theory which
constitute the religion as such. But unlike
Hindu and other religion Buddhism thought
that, we need not to have an incarnation or
an image of some god or goddesses, we need
not to worship them; what we have to do is
that there are norms and condition prescribe
for us, and we have to religiously practice
that by understanding what this rule is meant
for.
Therefore, it is said that, Buddhism is a
religion without god; Buddhism is a religion
where people believe that they should do the
work is a karma theory whatever is prescribed
for them, but however, they do not believe
that there is something exist which is in
the form of image or incarnation that we have
to worship like Hinduism.
Thus Buddhism you find is not an Astika in
that sense; if you see the first slide we
have discussed that how schools divide into
Astika and Nastika, so here you find Buddhism
as a school comes under Nastika, because though
they believe in religion, however their understanding
of religion not same as you find religion
in Hinduism, in Christianity, and so on and
so forth.
Now, it was believed that Buddhism as a school,
it was started near about 563BC in India,
nowhere it said that exactly in which year
it was started, they said that around 563BC;
and as you know that Gautama Buddha is the
founder of Buddhism, he born in a Lumbini
village near Kapilavastu at a place called
Kushinara, he attained Mahaparinirvana, what
is Mahaparinirvana? He born in a very royal
family, where he enjoy all the pleasures,
all the material pleasures, all the physical
pleasures, what is the best pleasure can be
provided to a child, in that way he received
all the pleasures by virtue of getting born
in a royal family.
After enjoying his all life, he has seen that
there is an old age that everyone must also
find the old age or we as human beings we
must go through that stage known as old age;
he also finds sick person (human being). Since
we have a human body, we must have, we also
sometimes have sickness, there is an old age
sickness, and after that there is a death.
He understands all this components of the
life, then he thought that, it is not possible
to understand the real nature of life if I
will be living in a lobby’s palace; therefore,
he left his lobbies life style and stayed
in a very faraway place from the kingdom,
and there he realizes what is nirvana? Why
one must seek for the liberation in his or
her earthly life, why a human being suffers?
And what is the cause of suffering? If there
is at all a cause of suffering, then what
are the ways where we can stop that suffering?
So, he knows all the things and he realizes;
therefore, in the age of eighty, he performs
the theory known as Buddhism, and there he
said that we all human beings should not anchoring
for wealth power, so on, and so forth, because
all these are temporary, nothing is permanent
in this world.
Not even me as a human being, there he explains
that whether soul is an eternal or not, whether
human body is mortal or immortal; so, what
he concludes is that we as a human being,
because of our ignorance we change to get
many more things for our enjoyment of life,
but if you see that everything is changing
in a constant way, nothing is permanent. If
this is so we as a human being also changing
from time to time and if this is so then we
should not seek for the worldly pleasure,
because if at all we seek for a worldly pleasure
then we have to suffer in many ways.
That suffering on his term is said that Duhka,
that means, it is because of ignorance we
think that we should achieve many more things,
and as a result we suffer while living in
this earth; further, he also suggested that,
if you know that these are the things that
you want to achieve, and as a result you are
suffering, you can also get away from that,
you can also stuff for seeking for all this
lobbies good.
Therefore, he also prescribe that there is
a way through which one can attain the liberation,
and further he seeks that one most seek liberation
while living in this earth, and this is the
peaceful life, one should not attach with
each and every object passion at the Gautama
Buddha, and in the age of eighty he discovered
all the theory. And in that case he says Mahaparinirvana,
that means, while living in this earth also
you get liberation, you have no attachment
to the any of the worldly objects in this
earth; now, Gautama was born as a Hindu, it
is an very interesting issue, Gautama was
born as a Hindu, and also practices all the
rituals, and sacrifices as Hindu practiced.
He also died has a Hindu, but what important
point over here is that, while he was an Hindu
he knows that there are many problems arises
if you practice Hindu religious and Hindu
norms and conditions who have to live in this
earth. He was not satisfied at all with the
Hindu norms and conditions that one should
practice while living in this earth; therefore,
he percept by thinking that why this big notions
at all, why illogical notions we are practicing
at all, and why Brahmins are dominating the
society by giving us the fall information,
and because of the false information we think
that we need many more things, and to get
away from many more things also we need to
sacrifices in some or other form; and therefore,
he thoughts that Hindu religious must be sharp
end, Hindu religion must be reformulated.
Therefore, he said that he born has a Hindu,
he also lives in this earth in his time as
a Hindu, he also practices many religious
many norms and condition prescribe by Hindu
and also died as a Hindu, but he has observed
since many irrational practices in the Hinduism
and their religious practices. Therefore,
he wants to come out with a new theory which
is certainly different from the Hinduism,
and in this sense he was called as a revolt
child of Hinduism, because prior to him all
those people who are practicing Hinduism they
are constantly avoiding the rules and regulations
prescribed by the Brahmins, prescribed by
the Veda, but what he finds what Gautama Buddha
finds is that, in Veda it is a religious scripture,
and many times you find there is a contradiction
and so many of the issues and also you find
there are many illogicality.
Therefore, he thought that, as a human being
if I want to live a peaceful life, if I want
to live my life as I want, then I need not
to practice all these superstitions and prejudiced
notions prescribed by the Brahmins and Hindu
religion; therefore, he wants to develop a
new theory where human beings can live happily
in a peaceful life, and therefore is called
as a revolt child of Hinduism.
What he said is that, he said that after my
death dharma will play a great role within
individuals; as I said in the beginning, Buddhism
is a religion without god, here also he focuses
that, once I will be perished, since my body
will be perished in this earth, the way I
find the problems and the way that I find
some of the theory, the new theory, this will
start as a valid for all of us.
And many of the people also realize that what
I have said certainly is the valid, because
Gautama Buddha realizes that whatever he has
obtain, whatever he has said, whatever he
has found it was very valid and realistic
in a nature, because he always talks about
dharma, and dharma what he means that, once
own duty; as you are a student you have a
duty, your parents also has a duty, and if
you do your duty, then this is a dharma for
you; and therefore, this dharma as nothing
to do with a religion which speaks about an
image or incarnation, where one should worship
for to get relief of some of the pain. He
saying that if you want to relief from the
pain then you have to do the work for yourself,
you need not to pray a god and should not
expect that god will help you to get away
with all the problems.
You as a human being with your region, and
rationality you have to do your own dharma,
and if you do that you realize what is to
be done and what are not to be done, and therefore,
you must be confirm about the rules regulation
what you have practicing, you need not to
blindly follow what are the rules and regulations
already prescribed by the Brahmins in Hindu
scriptures.
Now, as I said you those he was enjoyed all
types of worldly pleasure by virtue of it
in birth in a royal family he had experienced
all sorts of sufferings such as old age sickness,
death, etcetera; due to his high spirit of
selflessness he knew that, a transformation
cannot be done as a king as a result he took
up asceticism.
What is asceticism? Asceticism talks about
that you should not have any attachment towards
the worldly objects, but you realize that
the worldly objects exist for your own enjoyment,
you should not have any desires or cravings
to get some worldly pleasures, and you should
be lived happily in a in a forest where you
need a basic requirement for your life.
If this is the case then you have to practice
asceticism; and the same way Gautama Buddha
practice that he realize that, if at all he
will be staying in the palace where he was
enjoying all his lobbies style, then he could
not realize the true nature of a human being
what is life; therefore, he is decided that
he should go out from the kingdom and stay
in a place where it is a calm, quite, and
one can concentrate to realize the true nature
of self.
In this way, he practices asceticism. There
are three main streams of thought found in
Buddhism; if at all we will make it in a short
why Gautama Buddha thought that Buddhism should
be established or there should be a some new
theory come up against the Hindu religions
or Hindu practices.
There are three things involve; the first
one is that Brahminical rituals and sacrifices;
in early period when he born has a Hindu and
practice many of the Hindu rituals, he finds
that Brahmins is a growth dominates the whole
society, and Brahmins are those who prescribe
to the other people saying that if you have
this sort of problem then you have to pray
for this god, if you want to refrain from
all these diseases, then you have to pray
to this god.
If you are not getting your own cultivation
properly, then you have to pray this or that
god. So, here Gautama Buddha finds this is
all option, so all illogical all superstitions
or blind beliefs; so therefore, he was not
satisfied with the Brahminicals dominance
in the society and their prescription to the
ordinary people.
He realize that how Brahmins people are cheating
to other people that they need to do some
kind of religious practices to get read of
something or other. The second point he highlighted
is that asceticism strip; that means, we must
realize that there are things or objects or
facts exist for human being, however we should
not cry for that thing, we should not have
a so much attachment for that thing; therefore,
he said that even attachment leads to suffering,
because suppose you have a two friends now
very close to each other, after some or other
time you are disassociating with each other
because of the prior attachment, because of
this your close relationship later time when
you are detach from each other, you feel pain
by realizing that how you were associated
with each other, how you were close with each
other once up on a time.
In this way he said that we must realize that
attachment leads to suffering, we should not
have so much attachment to the worldly pleasure;
if anyone who thinks that he or she needs
each and every things for his or her worldly
life or enjoyment of life, then he or she
its bounds to be suffer in this earth.
Therefore, one should not think that everything
he or she can achieve, and henceforth he can
realize the truth of it; he said that happiness
will be realize only when you know and understand
what is the true nature of self, why human
beings born in this earth, and what is your
duty. The third point he said nihilistic conception,
that means, nothings is permanent in this
world, if this is so why we will be craving
for getting something, why at all we thing
that we must have an attachment towards object,
towards a human being, towards other animal;
as well he saying that the world is full of
nothing else, nothing else what he means is
that, no objects, no human beings, no animals
is permanently exist in this earth each and
every one is moving further; that means, there
is a change you find in each and every object;
for example, now you see there is a table
in front of you which is a very good table
with polishing all the colures, after ten
years you come you find that the color get
faded, many of the woods comes out; so, therefore,
things are changing.
If you see the human beings, they are now
having this child now, they grown up young
age then they have an old age then there will
be a same; in case of animals, when you are
young age you have more energetic, when you
are old age you cannot have that energy. So,
therefore, you find that everywhere there
is a constant change. In the same context
let us clearly pointed out that the one cannot
bath in the same water of a same river; what
he means is that, the water of a river is
flowing if you take a bath, that means, the
same water is not remain in the same place,
the water is flowing down, if at all you need
to have a bath, then you have to bath in another
water.
In this case he is very very close to the
Buddhist approach of understanding what is
reality; however, Heraclitus, from western
perspective said that, I repeat that one cannot
bath in the same water of a same river, whereas
in Indian context he find Buddhist also said
that one should not think that he or she will
be getting happiness if he or she achieve
all the worldly pleasures by chasing behind
all this worldly objects. So, therefore, once
you would realize that no object is fixed
and final, no object is permanent, no one
is going to exit permanently in this earth
neither the cogniser nor the cognition; therefore,
since everything is changing one need not
to crave all the worldly pleasures.
Now, we will see that there are four Buddhists
council organized and how this Buddhist school
Buddhist as a school develop; Gautama Buddha’s
three main followers were Upali, Anand, and
Mahakasyapa; this three followers remembered
Gautama Buddha teachings.
And also after Gautama Buddha death they realize
that they need to teach to a those human beings
those persons who really a follower of Buddha;
therefore, you find that this three people
take an initiating and constitute the first
Buddhist council Buddha grappled his teachings
a practices from the root plant of a Hinduism
which already we have discussed.
After three months of Buddha’s death the
council was organized by this three peoples
or three followers, one is Upali, Anand, and
Mahakasyapa; Mahakasyapa was the chairmen
of that council; Upali was settling the Vinayaka;
what is Vinayaka? That means, the rules, norms,
and practices one should understand realize
and one should do it religiously. In that
Vinayaka Pitaka, Upali has written clearly
one after another what a Buddhist monk should
practice, what a Buddhist monk should believe,
and what a Buddhist monk should have knowledge
about certain object.
Now, the Anand, Anand another follower, he
also settling the dharma, dharma means what
is a duty of a person, because as you know
that all this three followers of Buddha they
realize that nothing is permanent; that means,
there is each and every step what one should
do as his or her duty.
Therefore, Mahakasyapa is being a chairmen,
and this two people Upali and Anand they settling
Vinayaka and dharma respectively. There are
two volumes comes up or the two books comes
up, one is Sutta Pitaka, another is Vinaya
Pitaka were composed in the first council.
Now, if you see Upali was really the founder
of the Vinaya Pitaka, and Anand was really
the founder of dharma Pitaka or say Sutta
Pitaka and Vinaya Pitaka are the two volumes
Buddhist theory or the volumes where all the
Buddhist theory norms regulation are written
comes out in the first council; Sutta Pitaka
means, it is found in the form of sutra or
the verse; Vinaya Pitaka means, it is written
in the form of sentences, where you find the
rules regulation and norms, where one Buddhist
monk should practice in his or her life endeavor.
Now, coming to the second Buddhist council;
the second Buddhist council was organized
at Vaisali in 367BC, it was continuing till
1060 years; what are the norms and condition
all the Buddhist monk agreed in the second
council it was continue people also practice
the same way till the thousand and sixty years,
such a long year, you see; therefore, he said
that one must understand the historical background
while knowing some of the systems of Indian
school.
In a second council Sabbakami was the chairmen;
and the main purpose of this council was to
determine the conduct of Ujaini monks whether
they have a lawful or not; what happens in
the first council, when this two volumes comes
up one is Sutta Pitaka, another is Vinaya
Pitaka, all the Buddhist monk try to practice
the rituals sacrifices and the norms conditions
prescribed in that book.
Second Buddhist council was organized because
to check whether people have practicing in
the same way as it is mentioned or they deviated,
because if you see that, in a society some
norms, conditions will be constituted for
the betterment of the society; initially people
will practice as it is, slowly, slowly the
practisers get de-motivated, that means, they
would not practice as it is written that the
they manipulate in their own practice.
So, therefore, the second council was constituted
or organized to see that whether the Ujaini
monks who are supposed to be Buddhist monks
or the followers of Buddha whether they are
practicing the same thing as it is prescribed
in this Sutta Pitaka or Vinaya Pitaka.
So, the chairmen was the Sabbakami there are
two purpose, one is that to check or to see
whether Ujaini monks were practicing all the
laws or the prescription made in the first
council, and the second is that they are practicing;
if at all they are practicing whether they
are practicing correctly or not; suppose,
you are going for an evening walk whether
you are walking properly or is a pleasant
walk, so therefore here also people are checking
whether the things what are the things that
you are practicing by saying that you are
follower of Buddha how far it is correct that
what you are practicing, how far it will be
valid and the correct way you are practicing.
So, there are two purposes in the second Buddhist
council to purify the Buddhist practice this
council provides ten chief laws; they found
that Ujaini monks somehow other are not able
to practice the rules regulation and norms
prescribed in Vinaya Pitaka as well as Sutta
Pitaka. So, therefore, to purify their practice
to make them understand that whatever they
are practicing is not appropriate or correct,
for this reason this council provides ten
chief laws, these are as follows, carrying
salt in the horn is prohibited, because for
them storing of food is ruled out.
If you see the earlier practice in Hindu,
people are storing some of the fruits or food
grains in a horn, horn means in the suppose
a big animal died, the horn will be there,
and the horn will become empty after the animal
die, and people are taking that horn and putting
some of the food grains there they thought
that they will preserve for a longer time;
because like in the present situation where
you bring some vegetables and you put it inside
your fridge, because you thought that if you
will keep outside it will be certainly damaged,
it will certainly has no use after some or
days.
So, therefore, they also said that Buddhist
monk realize that in Hindu practice, where
people are storing salt or food grains in
the horn; what happens as a result, the food
grains becomes a damage or continental, and
after eating that food grains people are suffering
from diseases.
And once people have suffering from diseases
like in the present society you go immediately
to a doctor will prescribe some medicines,
so that he will clear immediately in that
time they have to go to a priest they have
to go to a Brahmins where Brahmins will say
that if this is the disease you have you have
to practice this norms or you have to pray
to this god, so that this disease will be
certainly removed from your body or you will
be cure after certain times; and here Buddhists
realize, Gautama Buddha realizes that this
is the blind belief or superstitions.
Therefore, he said that one should not keep
any kind of food in the horn; if they will
do that, then the food grains will contaminated;
and if you will use that after certain times
you will fall in seek or you will be in a
disease. So, therefore, your health would
not to be maintained as it is; therefore,
they as prescribe the norm that one should
not keep any kind of food or food grains in
the horns. The second point they said eating
food after mid-day meal is prohibited, what
they mean is that, that if somebody it access
he or she feels lazy, therefore he or she
cannot do his or her duty as it is prescribed,
if you do not do your own karmas how can you
think that god will come and save you in all
the cases as like Hinduism.
Therefore, Buddhists cleared that one should
perform his or her duties very religiously
and sacrosanctly. So, therefore, they said
that one should not take too much, then the
stomach digest; therefore, the prescribe the
rules saying that eating food after mid-day
meal is prohibited; here I said in my slide
V P, that means, Vinaya Pitaka rule number
thirty-seven, you can find VP means Vinaya
Pitaka.
Now, moving further the third point they said
clearly saying that having second meal in
the same day is prohibited, again the repeating
that the same things focally, because they
thought that many people eating so much foods
every day, and as a result they are forgetting
to do whatever they want to do they are not
practicing their dharma they are not also
remembering what exactly they should do that,
and if this is so they will become lazy, and
being the laziness they only thinks that in
the short run they have to do some practices
which is not the correct practices; therefore,
they made the norms saying that, having second
meal in a same day is prohibited.
In addition to that they also thought that
if someone can have a meal in a day he or
she can survive happily with having good health;
and while not having second day meal means
is giving that meal (the second meal) to the
others who have an empty stomach; therefore,
he says equilibrium you find among the groups
all groups are having the same food; therefore,
one should not take two meals in a day; the
fourth they said Drinking buttermilk after
lunch is prohibited, it entails over meal
is prohibited.
Buttermilks sometimes leads to make you feel
sleepy, feel lethargic, because once you have
a meal your stomach will fill up, after that
on and above if you are drinking buttermilk
what happens, you feel really a lethargic,
because your mind will be sleepy; whatever
action you will be doing certainly the action
would not be based on your rational basis,
because your mind wants to get some rest,
because this is a overdoes of milk; and many
times because of the buttermilk one find sometimes
lazy and also sometimes find like an intoxicated
persons where one needs to have some rest,
otherwise he or she cannot do any of the work
that is prescribed for him or her.
Thus they said that drinking buttermilk after
lunch is prohibited, because it entails one
should not take the over meal in the same
day. Drinking tudy is prohibited. Drinking
tudy means, tudy is an alcohol in that time,
there is an alcohol, people have practicing
to drink alcohol whenever they tired or in
the leisure time they drink, and the drink
is known as tudy.
What they thought is that, if one will drink
the tudy, then what happens that he or she
will be become subconscious, he or she will
be rich to a stage which will be known as
subconscious stage; that means, all his or
her actions may not be a rational action,
neither a valid action nor to be a correct
action, because once you are an intoxicated
you do not know why that action you are performing,
because your mind would not be alert in that
time, your mind would not be conscious in
that time.
So, therefore, any action you will do you
may not be a countable for that; and henceforth,
this is a very irregular practice or irrational
practice, and irrational practice is not endues
neither encouraged by the Buddhist school;
therefore, one should not drink tudy, because
drinking tudy is prohibited for them, because
while one is doing some actions, while one
doing his or her dharma should practice that
dharma correctly, and religiously consciously
rationally and intentionally; therefore, drinking
tudy is prohibited, and absolutely prohibited
in case of Buddhism; the sixth point they
say that using blanket without a border is
prohibited. If you see that Buddhist monk
they will be having maroon colour cloth, which
is a very long cloth, which they will be wearing
in all of part of their body, why because
they thought that no insects should enter
top their body and harms them.
If there is a border, it will be stop the
insect to enter into their body, and inject
in their part of the body, which will cause
them suffering; therefore, they said that
one should wear some cloth which has a border,
and as you know that the border is mush heavy
than the cloth and the reason behind that
no insects should harm them; therefore, they
can do their duty as it is. Further they said
that accepting gifts like gold silver from
hosts is prohibited; what it implies is that,
from host you should not accept any kind of
gold or silver.
Indirectly saying that if you accept, that
means, you have a attachment towards the worldly
objects, and a host by saying that you do
this practice that practice by giving some
gold and silver, if you accept that, that
means, you are taking the bribe from somebody
and consciously you are doing some illogical
actions or irrational action, that means,
you are not practicing what Buddhist try to
do that.
Therefore, from your host one need not to
accept neither good nor silver nor any kind
of valuable ornaments; if you do that, that
means, you are manipulated the rules and regulation
and consciously practicing something which
is not prescribed; and you know that this
is the way you are not correctly practicing
the rules regulation prescribed in Vinaya
Pitaka; therefore, one should not receive
the gift from the host.
However, if somebody has given a gift to you
for your own performance you should receive
that, because performance means you have done
something correctly, rationally, and intentionally,
and that is evaluated that is assessed by
others, and they are also feel proud that
you have done some actions, if that is the
case then one should very proudly receive
the gift from the authority.
The next point they said that, using customer
habits as authority is prohibited. In Hinduism
Brahmins have to be authority them, whatever
they will speak other people has to practice;
and here Buddhist say that, one should not
consider himself or herself as an authority,
one should not consider himself or herself
as a authority and dominate other people in
the Buddhist, that norms should not find.
Though he will be knowing many more things
about the Buddhist and there is suppose there
is a new comer who wants to be a follower
of Buddhism you should not behave him or her
such a manner that he or she will feel that
your authority and dominating him or her,
therefore no dominance should find in case
of Buddhism or like Hinduism.
The ninth point they say that, performing
Upasta ceremony in the same village twice
is prohibited; that means, once the Buddhism
comes to the existence they said that the
same thing you cannot speak to the people
two times in a day, you cannot make the ceremony
Upasta ceremony in a same village.
If you do so, that means, you are not going
to other village and other people are not
able to knowing what Buddhism are doing that;
and by repeatedly sayings the same thing towards
others means you are making them bore, you
are forcing them to do some practice, rather
making them understand what is the importance
of their practices; therefore, as a group
of monks you should not practice this Upasta
ceremony two times in a same village.
The last point they said that obtaining sanctions
from sangha after the deed is been performed
is prohibited. In Hinduism many cases people
those are very close to the Brahmins they
first practice all the things, seneschal as
well as non-seneschal, and later they get
certificate or conformity or authority later
from the Brahmins, that means, they said that
it is Brahmins side so, and because of the
Brahmins we are we are doing so and so; what
here Buddhist people are different from Hinduism
they said that you must take the permission
from the authority or the senior who already
understand and realize what are the Buddhist
practices, and if he or she agrees to this
point then only you can do that, otherwise
you cannot first do some kind of actions and
later you take the permission from the authorities,
that is not allowed in case of Buddhism.
They said that rectifications should not be
done by an individual rather by each and every
human being; each and every monk that are
follower of Buddha or that are follower of
Buddhism as a school or Buddhism as a theory.
Here if you find that how sublime they are;
and how wider they are in their theory; they
said that what we are saying it is not that
we are identifying one or two, we are not
identifying Ujaini monks or Kashmiri monks
or so on and so forth; what we are saying
that, if one should not practice so far these
are the ways, and now you have understood
what are the lacuna lies if you do not practice
the Buddhist theory as it is practiced; therefore,
one should correctly practice what the theory
supposed to be.
Thus one can realize the benefit of practicing
the Buddhist theory; they said that in this
council “Tripitaka” this book is framed,
and some people has said that all these rules
are really very top for us all these rules
are cannot be practice by us, because we are
not living in a particular geographical area,
other way living in a different part of the
world, different part of a country, where
different geographical condition, different
cultural condition, a different religious
conditions are involved, and also economy
condition involved; therefore, many of this
Buddhist monk thought that they cannot practice
all the ten rules prescribed in the second
council.
And many of this Buddhist monk did not agree
to practice all this rules; therefore, they
have divided; now, you find that there are
many subgroups in Buddhism as such; Buddhist
as a schools now they have divided broadly
into two groups, one is Mahayana, and another
is Hinayana; Mahayana are those who are broadly
accept all the rules prescribed by the Buddhist;
Hinayana are those they said that these are
the rules we will practice and the remains
we cannot practice, that means, they are very
rigid in their nature, whereas in Mahayana
broadly they accept all the rules.
Now, again after sometime when Hinayana people
are moving in a particular way and Mahayana
people moving in a particular way by practicing
the Buddhist rules and regulations by living
in a society, they again subdivided, because
of their own interest, because of some of
they thought that we cannot practice it.
And, an example, I will tell you. For example,
in India, you have particular political party,
after sometimes if some people from that party
thought that some of the rules regulation
is not suitable to him or her, he or she again
comes out from that party and constitutes
as a different party and give a different
name to that.
And however, you find that that person who
come from that party and constitute a new
party more or less he or she is avoiding some
of the rule regulations those he or she had
already practiced while working on a broader
party earlier; in the same way you find that
Hinayana are divided into two groups, one
is Vaibhasika, another is Sautranika; mahayana
divided into three groups, one is Vijnanavada,
Madhyamika, and Yogacara.
And all these groups concentrate about what
is the ultimate reality, what is the ultimate
principle behind all of us, and whether mind
exists or matter exists. Some of the school
said that it is mind exists, without mind
we cannot think anything, we cannot even identify
what is matter.
Some of the schools they thought that, the
small schools; “subdivided schools” under
Buddhism; they thought that it is matter exists,
because it is a matter, which constitutes,
which is the essential element of a mind;
if there is no matter then how mind is to
be constructed. We will all discuss in their
view when will be discussing at the end part
of Buddhism that how Buddhism divided into
different groups, and what are their views
on the ultimate reality on the principles
which constitutes the whole universe as such.
Now, people also believe that as I said that
Hinayana Mahayana, Buddhist are also divided
into two groups, one is Mahasanghika or you
say Mahayana or Sthaviravadin or you say Hinyana.
Now, the third council was organized at Pataliputra
in 247BC, two hundred and forty seven b c.
The third council, here the Mangaliputtatissa
was the chairperson of this council; in this
council Abhidharma Pitaka was composed like
Sutta Pitaka and Vinaya Pitaka; in this council
they were sending their peoples to different
countries to propagate the Buddhist religion,
Buddhist practices, making them out that how
Hindu people are practicing, Hindu religious
practicing something superstitions which is
no rational basis rather Buddhism, which prescribe
some new norms, which is a rational basis,
and one need to understand why rationality
involved in it.
In the fourth council was organized at Jalendra,
and some people are claims that is in Kashmir,
but I personally believe it is my own opinion
that in fourth council was organized in two
places in two different time, one is Kashmir,
another is Jalendra. In this fourth council
Parsvanatha was the chairperson of this council;
as you know that in each council there is
a chairperson.
Here is the fourth council, and here Parsvanatha
was the chairperson; and in this council king
Kaniska was a king highly fascinated by Buddhism,
here Buddhist monk were sent to the king Kaniska
Parsvanatha; as a chairperson of the fourth
council he sending each day some or other
Buddhist monk to the king Kaniska, and king
Kaniska while asking many of the questions
about the life, about the human beings to
the monks, he receives many variety responses
from the bunks and a realize that monks have
not understood properly what Buddhist theory
is about; therefore, Vibhasa that this manuscript
comes out in this council; it is also known
as the commentaries on Tripitaka.
There are three phases found in Buddhist school
one is realistic or pluralistic phase, where
I said that many people believe mind exist,
many people believe matter exist, and some
of the people believe only mind exist, and
some of the people believe neither mind nor
matter exist. Nihilistic phase where people
said that nothing is permanent in this earth,
everything is temporary; in an idealistic
phase they said that mind must exist, without
mind nothing can be predicted in this earth.
If this is so then we find that there are
four things in Buddhism in a characteristics
form; one is aversion to Vedic discussions,
and the second one is that pessimism, the
second one is pessimism that is where people
said that you start with pessimism, that means,
nothing is permanent, and here we will say
that how really Buddhist monks start with
pessimism and ends with optimism, we will
discuss in the next class. Thank you.
