As we have discussed that the rigidity and the complexion in the 'Hinduism' & enlightened views of two great reformers 'Gautama Buddha'and 'Vardhamana Mahavira'; led shudras and the untouchables on the paths of the simplicity of the philosophy(Religion) of the two, known as 'The Buddhism' & 'The Jainism'. Their views had affected whole of the Indian Subcontinent.
Vardhamana Mahavira was the the 24th & the last tirthankara(1st tirthankara, Rishabhdeva) of Jainism. He was born in 540 B.C.(599 B.C., according to Jainism) in Kundaligrama near Vaishali in Bihar. Father Siddhartha belonged to a kshatriya clan of Vajji tribe. His mother, Trisala Belonged to a ruling family of Magadha. He married to a princess named, Yashoda and had a girl named, Priyadarshana. After living a pious life, He left the home at at the age of 30 years and after practising severe penance and living a life of an ascetic for 13 years, he gained spiritual consciousness & came to be known as conqueror or 'Jina'. Thus his followers came to be known as 'Jains' and his philosophy (Religion) as 'Jainism'.
Vardhamana died at the age of 72, at Pava(Pavapuri), near Rajgriha(now Rajgir) in 468 B.C(527 B.C., according to Jainism).
Mahavira preached the Three-fold path to attain 'Nirvana' or salvation (freedom from the cycle of the life and death), They are :- Right Belief, Right Conduct, Right Knowledge. He taught his followers; Not to steal, Not to tell a lie, to be Honest, Non-violent and Kind.
The jains were later divided into two sects- Digambaras(naked) and Svetambaras(who wore white cloth).
Gautama Buddha(original name; Siddhartha) was born in 563 B.C.(around 486 B.C., according to some sources) in a Sakya Kshatriya clan, in Kapilavastu(Nepal). His father Suddhodana was the king of Kapilavastu and her mother named, Maya was a princess of Devadaha in sakya territory. He was married to a princess called Yashodhara and had a son named Rahul. He was brought up in a luxurious life however a vision of a sick person, an old man, a dead person and an ascetic robbed his happiness and forced him to find out the source of permanent happiness. Ultimately he left his house at the early age of 29 years in search of his answers, till six years after his renunciation of his luxurious life he couldn't find anything except wandering, finally he sat under a pipal tree, in Bodh Gaya(Bihar) and started meditating and it is here he attained 'Enlightenment' and became 'Buddha'- the enlightened one and that pipal tree came to be known as 'Bodhivriksha'.
Siddhartha died at the age of 80(known as Mahaparinirvana) in 483 B.C.(around 400 B.C., according to some sources) in Kushinagar, in Deoria(Uttar Pradesh).
Gautama Buddha told that the causes of all the suffering is 'Desire' & to overcome these desires & to attain 'Nirvana' one has to follow Eight-fold path, i.e. - Right views, Aspirations, Speech, Conduct, Livelihood, Effort, Action and Thinking. It is also called the Middle path.
The early Buddhists worshipped the 5 symbols of Buddha (Lotus, Wheel, Stupa, Paduka, Bodhi tree) & known as Hinayana sect of Buddhism. Later the image worship started, that came to be known as Mahayana sect of Buddhism.
Both, the Mahavira and Buddha preached in the language of common people that is Prakrit and/or Pali, this helped them to share their message to a large number of people.
Growing importance of the kings and their patronage also helped both the religions to spread in almost the whole of the Indian subcontinent. we will discuss about the rising Kingdoms and the kings, who gave their importance to these new religions in later posts.
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