NCERT HISTORY CLASS-VI
CHAPTER-VI PART-I
BUDDHISM
Around 2500 years ago, the kings of the Mahajapadas were growing in power and extending their influence over neighboring kingdoms. The life of people in the city and also in the village changes rapidly, among them many people think why these changes were happening? and they also wanted to know the meaning and the purpose of life. At that time, Siddhartha (Gautama) the founder of Buddhism, was a Kshatriya and belongs to a small Gana called Sakya Gana. Even though he has everything, he left all his comforts and wandered several years meeting, holding discussions with the people like him in search of knowledge. Finally, he decided to find his own path of realization through meditation. So, he meditated for many days under a peepal tree at Bodh Gaya near Bihar where he attains enlightenment. After that, he traveled from place to place teaching his understandings through Prakrit (common people's language), so that all people can understand. He went to Sarnath, Varanasi to taught and passed away at Kusinara.
By understanding and realizing the meaning of life, Gautama Buddha says "Life is full of sufferings and unhappiness." This is because we are not satisfied with what we had and our desires are not even once it is fulfilled. He says that this Thirst or Tanha can be fulfilled by the following of moderation in everything. He also wanted us to be kind to everyone, even with animals, he strongly believed in Karma (every action of us will return, whether good or bad).
UPANISHADS
A Thinker can change the trend of human activities. By understanding the past, we can conclude that every idea and thought is important and to be noted. Many people wanted to know about life after death and why these sacrifices are happening. Some strongly believed that something is permanent in this universe that lasts even after death which is described as Atman (Individual Soul) and Brahman (universal soul), both are one. These thinkers also wanted to find answers to difficult questions and also got some ideas on that.
All these ideas were recorded in the Upanishads meaning 'Approaching and sitting near' and the texts contain conversations and ideas were presented through simple dialogues.
THINKERS
Most of the Upanishadic thinkers were men like Brahmins and Rajas. sometimes women thinkers also participated in the debate at Royal courts. One special thinker named Gargi was famous for his learnings also one famous exception was Satyakama Jabala (want to learn about reality) who was named after her slave mother. He was accepted by a Brahmin teacher and a well-known thinker at that time named Gautama. After that Shankaracharya, a famous thinker of all time developed many ideas of upanishads.
THE WISE BEGGAR
Shaunaka and Abhipratarin were two sages who worshipped the universal soul. once they sat down and eat, a beggar came there and asked them to offer some food for him, but they refused. He asked them you are worshipping the universal soul, don't you know that it fills the whole world?. I am also a part of this world, so refusing me to offer food is like denying the universal soul. After that, they realized the truth and offered some food to him. This story is from the most famous Chhandogya Upanishad.
STORY OF KISAGOTAMI
Kisagotami was a woman whose son had died. She runs along the streets needing help to save her child's life back. Once Buddha sees that he told the woman to bring a handful of mustard seeds from a house of a family where nobody has died. By hearing that she was overjoyed and rushed door to door, but everything went vain. somehow somebody had died in every family. This is one of the famous stories of Buddha. From this, we can understand that