Static Quiz 28 March 2023 (History)

Solution: (a)
Learning: Its purpose was to maintain the purity of the teachings of the Buddha. The second Buddhist Council was convened at Vaisali around 383 B.C. The third Buddhist Council was held at Pataliputra under the patronage of Asoka. Moggaliputta Tissa presided over it. The final version of Tripitakas was completed in this council. The fourth Buddhist Council was convened in Kashmir by Kanishka under the chairmanship of Vasumitra. Asvagosha participated in this council.

Solution: (a) Justification: Bodhisattva is the Sanskrit term for anyone who, motivated by great compassion, has generated Bodhicitta, which is a spontaneous wish and a compassionate mind to attain Buddhahood for the benefit of all sentient beings.In early Indian Buddhism, the term bodhisattva was primarily used to refer specifically to Gautama Buddha in his former life.
The Jataka tales, which are the stories of the Buddha’s past lives, depict the various attempts of the bodhisattva to
embrace qualities like self-sacrifice and morality.
According to the Jataka tales, the term “bodhisattva” originally referred to the pre- enlightened practitioner of austerities The worship of images of the Buddha and Bodhisattas became an important part of Mahayana tradition.

Solution: (a) Learning: Jetavana Grove, one of the eight major sites relating to the life of the Buddha, has long served as
one of the major destinations for Buddhist pilgrims. The grove is located inside the ancient city of Śrāvastī
(Savatthi, Pāli) in the Indian state now known as Uttar Pradesh.
During his ministry, the Buddha was said to have spent 25 out of the 45 rainy seasons at or around this grove; he also delivered a wide range of teachings that are transmitted in canonical sūtras and performed a multitude of miracles.
As the legend is told, the grove was given to the Buddha gift from both Anāthapiṇḍika, a wealthy merchant, and Prince Jetakumāra after a boastful challenge to cover the entirety of the grounds withgold was met. It was the second vihara donated to Gautama Buddha after the Venuvana in Rajgir.

Solution: (a)
Justification: Statement 1: Buddhist monks went from place to place throughout the year, teaching people. The only time they stayed in one place was during the rainy season, when it was very difficult to travel. Then, their supporters built temporary shelters for them in gardens, or they lived in natural caves in hilly areas. As time went on, many supporters of the monks and nuns, and they themselves, felt the need for more permanent shelters and so monasteries were built. These were known as viharas.
Statement 2: There was no Buddhism when the earliest Viharas were made. Buddhism, as an organized religion, came into being after the death of the Buddha. So, the purpose of preaching dhamma was a later purpose, and not the reason for establishing viharas.

Solution: (a)
Learning: There were many sects or schools of thought in that period (especially Buddhist period).
Lively discussions and debates took place between the teachers of these schools of thought. Teachers like Buddha and Mahavira traveled from place to place, trying to convince one another as well as laypersons, about the validity of their philosophy or the way they understood the world. Debates took place in the kutagarashala (a hut with a pointed roof) and in groves where traveling
mendicants halted. If a philosopher succeeded in convincing one of his rivals, the followers of the latter also became his disciples. So support for any particular sect could grow and shrink over time.