Discuss the impact of heretical sects on Indian Society in ancient India ?

 

Introduction: Ancient India saw increasing social, economic and political complexities and the growth of hegemonic institutions. At the same time, it was also marked by a prominence of the ideal of renunciation and an intense level of philosophical debates.

Buddhism and Jainism were two among many such schools and established long-enduring monastic institutions closely connected with the laity. Apart from them the Lokayatas and the Ajivikas left long-lasting impact on the discursive traditions of Early India.

Buddhism Teaches Overcoming Circumstances 

• Buddha established the four Noble Truths. These are: a) the entire existence is full of sufferings and sorrow (duhkha); b)it is possible to explain the genesis of sufferings (duhkhasamudaya); it is possible to bring an end to suffering (duhkhanirodha) and finally, d) there is a way to bring an end to sufferings (duhkhanirodhagamimarga).
•  Buddhism Teaches to attain Nirvana every individual has to follow four phases : 1) Srotapanna – the initial phase when one has joined the stream of sadhana; 2) Sakridagami – the higher stage that requires only one more mundane descent and existence; 3) Anagami – the stage which does not require any further birth; 4) Arhat or the Enlightened one.
• The eightfold path (ashtangikamarga) that enabled in individual to strive for Nievana are:  Right views (sammaditthi)  Right intention (sammamati)  Right speech (sammavacha)  Right action (sammakammanta)  Right livelihood (sammaajiva)  Right effort (sammavyama)  Right mindfulness (sammasamadhi)  Right concentration (sammasankappa).

Janinism: Conduct 

• The Jaina system comprises three jewels (triratnas): Right Knowledge, Right Philosophy and Right Conduct. The universe is held to be eternal and to function through the interaction of living souls and five categories of non-living entities, i.e., akasha, dharma, adharma, kala and puggala.

Ajivika : Social Order 

Ajivika never incurred the guilt of obeying another man’s command; refused to accept food which was specially prepared for him; did not accept food from people when they were eating, lest they should run short of it; did not accept food collected in time of drought; did not accept food where a dog was standing by or flies were swarming around, lest they should lose a meal; and did not eat fish or meat, nor take intoxicants.  

Charvaka

The Charvaka logic raised the question that if the sacrificed animal in the jytoishtomayajna was stopped to have gone to heaven, then why the sacrifice would not sacrifice his own father to ensure his heavenly abode.

Lokayata:

The Lokayata doctrine strongly upheld that man was made of four elements. After his death earth returns to the aggregate of earth, water to water, fire to fire and air to air, and his senses vanish into space. ‘When the body dies both fool and wise alike are cut off and perish. They do not survive after death’. The Lokayatas did not propound the concept of an eternal soul surviving the mortal body.

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astika’ and ‘nastika’, which are often rather inaccurately translated as ‘theistic’ and ‘atheistic’. According to the Samkhaya philosophy, the existence of God cannot be proved; though this is an atheist position, the Samkhaya philosophy did not belong to the nastika category, as it recognized the authority of Vedas. As the Buddhist, the Jaina, the Charvaka and Lokayata challenged the authority of the Vedas, they were labelled as nastikas

 The age of urban growth and of communities marked by distinctions of class and caste was also the age of renunciants who advocated giving up attachment to all material things and social relationships. The renunciants were referred to by various terms like Paribbajaka, samana and bhikkhu. The cultural features that distinguished these groups were celibacy, mendicancy and wandering. The sixth century BCE marks the rise of two of the most important heterodox religious movements, namely Buddhism and Jainism, opposing the Vedic tradition and the supremacy of the priestly community. However, these were not the only two such protestant groups. Even within the Vedic tradition, the Aranyakas and the Upanishads did not approve the cult of sacrificial rituals. Besides Buddhism and Jainism, notable heterodox groups included the Charvakas, the Lokayatas and the Ajivikas.