TRANSCENDENCE IN INDIA

Themes religion and philosophy empires Brahamanism, Hinduism, Jainism, Buddhism * Mauryan Empire and Asoka

Bodhi Tree, Ficus religiosa, Foster Gardens

Hindu Worldview

• Development from Brahmanism
  • Vedic period 1500-500 B.C.E.
    
    
  • Brahma, Vishnu, and Shiva
    
    
  • caste: Code of Manu and Bhagavad Gita; Arjuna and Krishna*
    
    
• Main Traditions
  • transcencence
  • karma
  • gyana
  • bhakti
  • dharma
    
    
• Questioning
  • context
    
    
  • asceticism
    
    
  • Jainism: Mahavira* 540-468 B.C.E
    
    
  • Buddhism:

Buddhism

• Significance
  
  
  
• Life of Gotama Buddha* 563-483 B.C.E.
  • kshatriya
  • old age, disease, death: asceticism
  • Enlightenment: Middle Way
  • Deer Park (stupa*)
    
    
• Theravada
  • worldview
    
    
  • 4 noble truths and 8-fold path
    
    
  • Nirvana
    
    
  • monasticism*
    
    
• Mahayana 1st-2nd cen. C.E.
  • 3 Jewels
    
    
  • bodhisattva
    
    
  • yoga
  • mantra
    
    
• Features
  • teaching
    
    
  • way of salvation
    
    
  • humanist enlightenment
    
    
  • Isidasi
    
    

Buddhism and Empire

• Political context
  • Republics and Kingdoms c.600-321 B.C.E.
  • Mauryan Empire 321-185 B.C.E.
  • Diffusion and disintegration c. 180-B.C.E.-C.E. 320
  • Gupta Dynasty 320-550 C.E.
• Mauryan Empire
  • Chandragupta Maurya 321-297 B.C.E.
  • Bindusara 297-272 B.C.E.
  • Asoka 268-232 B.C.E.
• Asoka and Buddhism
  • Asokavandana
    
    
  • Sanchi stupa; lions*
    
    
  • Dharma
    
    
  • Rock and Pillar Edicts
    
    

Conclusions and Comparisons

• power of ideas
  
  
• compare to Confucianism and Christianity
  
  
• spread of ideas
  
  
• next lecture: the Greeks, T&E ch. 10; Encounters ch. 4 Thucydides and Sophocles; ch. 5 Tyrtaeus and Archilochus; ch. 6 Homer, Odyssey