INTELLECTUAL AWAKENING OF 6TH CENTURY B.C.

I. CHOOSETHE BEST ANSWER:

1. Which period witnessed a greatintellectual awakening in the world

6^th century

2. How many years did the philosophyof Confucius mould and dominate the Chinese mind.

2000 years

3. Whowas the founder of Zorastrianism

Zoroaster

4. Who was the 23^rdTirthankara

Parsavanath

5. In which place Buddha gotenlightenment

Bodh Gaya

II. MATCHTHE FOLLOWING:

1. Zoroastrianism – Mazda

2. Jina – Conqueror of senses

3. Yasodhara – Buddha

4. Triratnas – Mahavira

5. Sangha – Buddhism

III.HEADINGS:

1.ZOROASTRIANISM:

a) Who founded Zoroastrianism?

Zoroaster.

b) Which was the wise spirit ofZoroastrianism?

Ahura mazda.

c) What type of worship representedthe monotheistic basis of Zoroastrianism?

Ahura mazda was a Cult.

d) What was the name of Holy scriptureof the Parsees?

Zend avesta.

2.JAINISM:

a) How many Thirthankaras were therein the Jain religion?

24 Thirthankaras.

b) Who was the earliest Thirthankara?

Rishabadeva.

c) What was the name of the lastThirthankara?

Vardhamana.

d) Who preached the four disciplinesto his disciples?

Parsavanath.

3.MAHAVIRA:

a) What was the original name ofMahavira?

Vardhamana Mahavira.

b) Where was he born?

Kundagrama, near Vaisali.

c) What is meant by Jina?

Conqueror of senses.

d) For how many years did he wanderand observe severe penance?

12 years.

4. BUDDHA:

a) Who founded Buddhism?

Gauthama Buddha.

b) What was his original name?

Siddhartha.

c) Where did he give his first sermon?

Deer park at Saranath.

d) Where did he get Enlightment?

Bodh Gaya.

IV. ANSWERIN BRIEF:

1. Why did Intellectual awakeningstart in the 6th century B.C.?

The reformers of all over the worldraised their voice against the existing social beliefs and systems andendeavored to reconstruct them on a rational basis.

2. Write a short notes on Mazda?

Ahura mazda, personified as sun, fireand light.

Zoroastrians could practice Mazdaworship in the form of fire worship in their own house.

For them the body is only theinstrument of sprits hence the corpse did not deserve reverence or preservance.

3. What was the four disciplinespreached by Mahavira to his disciples?

1. Non-injury to living beings.

2. Not to speak untruth.

3. Not to steal.

4. Not to possess.

4. Write about pitakas?

The Buddhist scriptures, known aspitakas are divided into three sections, namely, the Sutta, the vinaya and theAbhidhamma.

5. In which council was the Sanghadivided into two?

In the fourth council convend duringKanishka’s reign, the sangha split into two i.e., Mahayana and Hinayana.

V. ANSWERIN PARAGRAPH:

1. Write a paragraph about Confucius?

• Confucious was not the founder of any religionnor was he a social reformer.
• He was a transmitter,believing in and lovingthe ancients.
• Eventhough ninitialy he lived a life ofluxuries,later on he became a teacher and started his school.
• He said,”a man’s character is formed by theodes developed by the rites and perfected by music”.
• He spoke of disciplined society and of healthysocial relations.
• Father,teacher,husband or king should protecttheir dependends.
• If they faild in their responsibility revoltwould take place.
• Thus,cofucious(kung-fu-tse) was advocating afair social order based on discipline.
• His philosophy molted the chinese mind formore than 2000 years.

2. What was the importance ofZoroastrianism?

• Zoroaster was the founder of Zoroastrianism.
• The struggle between good and evil became thecentral theme of Zoroastrianism.
• Zoroaster asked the people to give up theirpolytheistic cults.
• He asked them to accept Ahura Mazda as theonly god.
• Zoroastians could practiced mazda worship inthe form of the fire worship in their own houses.
• Ahura Mazda, personified as sun, fire andlight had been carrying on a relentless struggle against the evil forces.
• The evil forces were ignorance, selfishnessand all wices.
• This struggle is manifested not only humansbut also in all natural expressions.
• Zoroaster’s concept of good and evilstrengthened the moral base of persian society.
• Is monotheism served the cause of social unitywithout involving any costly rituals.

3. Write the note on the teachings ofMahavira?

• Mahavira is considered as the 24th thirthankara.
• When he became an ascetic, he preached fourdisciplines to his disciples.
• Ahimsa, speak the truth, not to steal and notto posses.
• When he attained keval gnanam, at the age of42, he became the “jina”.
• He had no faith in god and rejected theauthority of the vedas.
• He believed that the matter and soul were twoeternal elements.
• He preached the three gems or triratnas.
• Right knowledge, right faith and right conductare the triratnas.
• He had strong faith in ahimsa.
• He did not belive in the caste system orsacrifices and yagnas.
• He preached equality of human beings.

4. Enumerate the code of conduct thatmahavira preached.

• Jainism advocates the state of moksha ornirvana can be attained by following the triratnas.
• The tri ratnas are right belief, rightknowledge and right action.
• The code of conduct that mahavira preached hasfive disciplines.
• non injury to living beings,
• not to utter untruth,
• not to steal,
• not to posses,
• to practice celibacy
• After the death of mahavira, Jainism splitinto two groups namely digambaras and swetambaras.

5. Write a paragragh on the eight foldpath of Buddhism?

• The eight fold path consists of the followingprinciples;

(1) right belief,

(2) right thought,

(3) right speech,

(4) right action,

(5) right means of livelihood,

(6) right effort,

(7) right meditation and

(8) right remembrance or memory

• The Buddha preached “nirvana” the ultimategoal in the life of a man.
• The Buddha neither accepted nor rejected theexistence of god.
• He had no faith in caste system.
• He advocated the principle of universalbrotherhood.
• He laid stress on morality.
• He established sangha to propagate hisprinciples and to render services to people.