Static Quiz 29 October 2024 (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: (c)
Justification: Gautama’s three main disciples known as Upali, Ananda and Mahakashyap remembered his teachings and passed them on to his followers. It is believed that soon after the Buddha’s death a council was called at Rajagriha where Upali recited the Vinaya
Pitaka (rules of the order) and Ananda recited the Sutta Pitaka (Buddha’s sermons or doctrines and ethics). Sometime later the Abhidhamma Pitaka consisting of the Buddhist philosophy came into existence. It is the last of the three pitakas constituting the Pali Canon, the scriptures of Theravāda Buddhism. It is a detailed scholastic reworking of material appearing in the Suttas, according to schematic classifications. It does not contain systematic philosophical treatises, but summaries or enumerated lists

Solution: (a)
Justification: Vajrayāna, Mantrayana, Esoteric Buddhism and Tantric Buddhism refer to the various Buddhist traditions of Tantra and “Secret Mantra”, which are systems of beliefs and practices that developed in medieval India and spread to Tibet and East Asia under varying names and forms. It subscribes to the literature known as the Buddhist Tantras. It includes practices that make use of mantras, dharanis, mudras, mandalas and the visualization of deities and Buddhas.
According to its scriptures, the term Vajrayana refers to one of three vehicles or routes to enlightenment, the other two being the Sravakayana (also known as the Hinayana) and Mahayana.