intro to buddhism

India Caste System

1. Brahmins (priests) 2. Kshatriyas (warriors) 3. Vaishyas (farmers, merchants, artisans, herders) 4. Shudras (farm workers, servants, laborers) 5. Untouchables

sramana movement

Foundations of Indian Buddhism found in sramana movement - wanted to explore their own ideals - disenchantment with social order Origins in Vedic religion There are 6 main Sramana movements (led by 6 heretical teachers) with hugely differing beliefs from the soul's existence to non-existence, vegetarianism to meat eating, Asceticism to family life

Vedas

Sacred texts - memorized - revealed to sages in the distant past Ancient Sanskrit writings that are the earliest sacred texts of Hinduism.

Sramanas

groups of people who left their communities during the sramana movement - also known as "wandering ascetics" - opposed the dominant religion-social order of brahmin priests (brahmana) - rejected vedic tradition and its rituals - wandered in the forests begging for alms, argued in debates, and engaged in strenuous physical and mental practices - left their homes -left their families - strivers - seeking personal fulfillment/enlightenment on their own seeker, one who performs acts of austerity, ascetic

Brahmin Priests

hereditary ritual professionals -intellectuals of the time - had access to the repository of traditional knowledge - protectors and supervisors of info - ideological control over the world Controlled the technology of sacrafice. Only they knew the rituals which were passed down from generations of priests orally. They didn't encourage written records so they had a monopoly of the rituals. They were rewarded well for officiating at sacrifices and their knowledge gave them social and political power because they were the indispensable intermediaries (go-betweeens) between gods and humans.

Brahmanism

sacrificial cult that required the SINGING OF HYMNS and BURNING OF OFFERINGS in special fires - transactional exchange - vedas (internalized texts) ancient ritual traditions in which Brahmins played a key role; it grew out of older Vedic religious beliefs and helped lead to Hinduism