Part• • ••• -• 1 • • • Ethics • • •

Philosophers/Thinkers/ Social Reformers

PART• • ••• -• 1 • • • ETHICS • • •

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MPPSCADDA

Philosophers/Thinkers/ Social Workers/Reformers

Mahavira

Facts:

Name: Vardhamana A Birth: 599 B.C. Birth Place: Kshatriyakund, Vaishali (in modern dayay Bihar) DA Parents: King Siddhartha and Queen Trishala Spouse: Yashoda DD Children: Priyadarshana (daughter) Titles: Mahavira, Trirthankar, Jina ADDAD CA Lord Mahavir was the twentyenty fourth SCASCand llast Tirthankara of the Jain religion of this era. According to Jain philosophy,ilosophy, alall Tirthankaras were human beings but they have attained a state of perfection or enlightenmentPSCADDAPS tthrough meditation and self-realization. Significant points of TeachingsPP of Lord Mahavir: Mahavirvir made religreligion simple and natural, free from elaborate ritual complexities. His teachings reflectedMMPPMP the internal beauty and harmony of the soul. Mahavir taught the idea of supremacy of human life and stressed the importance of the positive attitude of life. At the heart of right conduct for Jains lie the five great vows: Nonviolence (Ahimsa) not to cause harm to any living beings Truthfulness (Satya) to speak the harmless truth only Non-stealing (Asetya) not to take anything not properly given Chastity (Brahmacharya) not to indulge in sensual pleasure

Non-possession/Non-attachment complete detachment from people, places, and (Aparigraha) material things

Mahavir said that, "A living body is not merely an integration of limbs and flesh but it is the abode of the soul which potentially has perfect perception (Anant darshana), perfect knowledge (Anant jnana), perfect power (Anant virya), and perfect bliss (Anant sukha). Mahavir's message reflects freedom and spiritual joy of the living being.

Mahavir emphasized that all living beings, irrespective of their size, shape, and form how spiritually developed or undeveloped, are equal and we should loveove anand respect them. This way he preached the gospel of universal love.

Mahavir rejected the concept of God as a creator, a protector, andA a destroyer of the universe. He also denounced the worshiping of gods and goddesses as a means of material gains and personal benefits. DA Gautam Buddha DD Facts: AD Born: Lumbini, Nepal Died: Kushinagar CADCA Full name: Siddhartha Gautamama Spouse: SCASC Parents: , MayaPSCPS

Buddhahoodhood or BuddhatvBuddhatvaPPSPP is the state of perfect enlightment attained by a Buddha. This refers to the universal and ininnate property of absolute wisdom. Symbols of 5 MPMPPSCAMgreatgr events of Buddha’s Life: a) Buddha’s Birth: Lotus & Bull. b) The Great Departure (Mahabhinishkramana): Horse.

c) Enlightment (Nirvana): Bodhi Tree. d) First Sermon (Dhammachakraparivartan): Wheel.

e) Death (Parinirvana): Stupa.

Four Noble Truths:

a) Sorrow: The world is full of sorrow and everything from birth to death brings sorrows in life b) Cause of Sorrow: The cause of sorrows is desire. It is the un-fulfillment of human desires which leads him to the vicious cycle of births and rebirths. c) Prevention of Sorrow: It is possible to prevent sorrow. Man can get rid of sorrow by triumphing over the desires. d) The path of Prevention of Sorrow: Man can avoid sorrow by avoiding extremes of life and following middle path or Madhyam Patipada. The life of moderation and self-control along with pursuance of 8 fold path is essential to prevent the sorrow.

The Eightfold Path of Buddhism: They are also called the Middle Path and is the system of following these eight divisions of the path to achieve spiritualpiritual enlightenlightenmentA and cease suffering: a) Right understanding: Understanding that the Four Noble TruthsTruthDA are noble and true. b) Right thought: Determining and resolving to practiceDDADD BuddhistBu faith. c) Right speech: Avoiding slander, gossip,p, lying, and all forms of untrue and abusive speech. AD d) Right conduct: Adhering to thee idea of nonviolencenonv (ahimsa), as well as refraining from any form of stealing or sexual improprietyimpropriety.CADCA e) Right means of makingaking a living: NNot slaughtering animals or working at jobs that force you to violate others.thers. SCASC f) Right mentalntal attitude or effort: Avoiding negative thoughts and emotions, such as anger andnd jealousjealousy. PSC g) Rightt mindfulness:mindfulnesPPSPP Having a clear sense of one’s mental state and bodily health and feelings. h) Rightht conc concentration:MPPSCADDMPPMPM Using meditation to reach the highest level of enlightenment. Buddhist Literature: a) Sutta Pitaka: It contains over 10 thousand suttas or sutras related to Buddha and his close companions. b) Vinaya Pitaka: The subject matter of Vinay Pitaka is the monastic rules for monks and nuns. c) Abhidhammapitaka: It deals with the philosophy and doctrine of Buddhism appearing in the suttas.

The triple jewel: The Buddha knew it would be difficult for people to follow his teachings on their own, so he established the Three Refuges for them to rely on. If a person wants to become Buddhists take refuge in and rely on the Buddha, the Dharma, and the Sangha. These are known as the Triple Jewel. The Sangha are the monks and nuns. They live in monasteries and carry on the Buddha's teaching. The word Sangha means 'harmonious community'. The Buddha, the Dharma, and the Sangha together possess qualities that are precious like jewels and can lead one to enlightenment.

The five precepts: All religions have some basic rules that define what good conduct is and what kind of conduct should be avoided. In Buddhism, the most importantmporta nt rules are the Five Precepts. These have been passed down from the Buddha himself. A 1. No killing Respect for life 2. No stealing Respect for others'thers' property 3. No sexual misconduct Respect foror our pure natureDA 4. No lying Respectct for honesty 5. No intoxicants Respectespectpect for a clear mmind

Nirvaana: Is the end of all suffering,g, the cessationsati of desire. The state of enlightenment achieved by the purified spiritual seekers.ers. Pratityasamutpada commonly translated asCA depdependent origination, or dependent arising, states that all dharmas ("things") arise in ddependenceepende upon other dharmas: "if this exists, that exists; if this ceases to exist, that also ceases SCASCto eexist." It is a pragmatic teaching, which is applied to dukkha (suffering) andd the cessationcess of dukkha.

The principle is applied in thePSCPS twelvetw links of dependent origination doctrine in Buddhism, which describes thee chain of causesc which result in rebirth and dukkha. By breaking the chain, liberation from thiss endless cycles PPSCADDAPPSof rebirth and dukkha can be attained. Guru Nanak MMPMPP Facts:

Date of Birth: April 15, 1469 Place of Birth: Rai Bhoi Ki Talva (present day Punjab, Pakistan) Date of Death: September 22, 1539 Place of Death: Kartarpur (present day Pakistan) Successor: Guru Angad Famous As: Founder of Sikkhism

Guru Nanak was the founder of Sikhism, one of the youngest religions. Guru Nanak became the first Sikh Guru and his spiritual teachings laid the foundation on which Sikhism was formed.

Guru Nanak did not support monasticism and asked his followers to lead the life of honest householder. His teachings were immortalized in the form of 974 hymns, which came to be known as ‘Guru Granth Sahib,’ the holy text of Sikhism.

Nanak had played a very dominant role in the Bhakti movement of medieval India. Both Sufism and Bhakti had contributed to the development of Nanak’s religious philosophy. So his teachings were composite by nature comprising of the noblest principles of Hinduism and Islam. At the same time he discarded the retrograde elements of bothh religions.religio

Nanakji taught that if God was to be found, he would be found in the innerinn chambers of human heart. If man is intoxicated enough with the name,me, memory andA thought of God, he would experience Him in his own self. For Nanakji suchch a person wawas a true yogi and a true Brahmin, not the one who wore orange robes for appearanceppearance sakeDA oro someone who was born into a Brahmin caste.

Nanak Dev castigated ostentatious displayy of religiosityreligiositDD and superficial observation of religious conduct. He laid emphasis on inner virtue anda adherence to truth, sincerity and honesty in devotion to God. AD Guru Nanak did not advocate ascetic life CAas a way to salvation. He himself led a normal life, amidst society, in touch with people of hhis time, though he was completely God centered and detached from the worldd and its ways.SC The three guiding principles toPSCPS spiritspiritual life 1. Vand Chhakkna:kna: Always sharshare what you have with others. Help those who are in need. 2. Kirat Karna:na: Earn monmoney honestly and without ever resorting to fraud or exploitation. 3. Naamam Japna: AlwaAlways remember God and practice ceaseless devotion to Him by constantly chanting His name.MPPMPM Kabir Facts:

Born: Lahartara near Kashi Died: Maghar

Known for: influencing the Bhakti movement, Sant Mat and Kabir Panthmovements. Hymns in the Guru Granth Sahib

Occupation: weaver, poet

Kabir was one of the chief exponents of the Bhakti movement in the medieval period.

The central teachings of Kabir are very simple.

a) He laid stress 'Bhakti'.

b) He said that through Bhakti or devotion one would come nearer to God; one could be released from the cycle of birth and death only by sincere love andd ddevotion to God, which he called Bhakti.

c) He sincerely tried to emphasise the unity of Islam and Hinduismduism by preachingprea those virtues which were common to both religions. A d) He made no distinction between Hindus and Muslims.ims. DA e) To Kabir Allah and Rama were but different namess of the sasame supreme being. To him Hindus and Muslims were "pots of the sameme clay".clay. DDA f) According to Kabir salvation could be attained by doing good deeds or by means of Bhakti or sincere devotion to God. ADDAD Against Idol Worship: He did notot believe in CADCAidol worship. He was also against the performance of rituals and superstitions or pilgrimage tto the so called holy places.

Against the Caste System:em: Kabir denoudenouncedSCASC the caste system. He said that there should be no discrimination on the basis of caste. He rejected the authority of both the Veda and the Koran. He laid great emphasismphasis on thePSC eequality of a men. He preached a religion of love which aimed at promoting unity amongamongstPPSPP all castes and creeds. He wass full of humilityhumilit and the first saint to reconcile Hinduism and Islam. Kabir's teachings are containednedMMPPMP in hihis Dohas. The devotional songs or 'bhajans' of Kabir called Kabir Doha. Those Dohas are in ththe form of short poems in the Bijaka, sacred book of the Kabir Panthis, the followers of Kabir.

Kabir was a firm believer in the unity of God. He preached his teachings among the people in Hindi. His devotional bhajans or Dohas appealed most to the common men, Hindus as well Muslims.

He wanted man to give up pride, anger, enmity and ego. He appreciated brotherhood, which ultimately directed towards reaching the main objectives: "Love of God" and "Love of humanity".

Tulsidas

Facts:

Born – Rambola

Died - Assi Ghat, Varanasi, Awadh Subah, Mughal Empire (present-dayent-dayay Uttar PraPradesh, India)

Literary Works - Ramcharitmanas, Vinaya Patrika, Geetawali,wali,ali, Dohavali, SahSaSahitya Ratna, Hanuman Chalisa, Vairagya Sandipani, Janaki Mangal,angal, Parvati MaMMangal, and others

Tulsidas was a Hindu poet-saint, reformer and philosopherosopherr re renowned for his devotion to the god Rama. A composer of several popular works, he isDDD bestbe known as the author of the epic Ramcharitmanas, a retelling of the SanskritRamayana in the vernacular Awadhi.

Tulsidas wrote in Hindi rather thann Sanskritanskrit and mamadeAD accessible the same message of truth, devotion and God realization thatat all true saintsCA cocconvey. The works of Tulsidas aree about Sri Ram,Ram with two exceptions: Krishna-gitavali and Parvati- mangal. Tulsidas’s magnumgnum opus, the Ramcharitmanas, is the story of Sri Ram retold in mellifluous language—anan outboutburst of bhakti based on his own spiritual experiences. Although the origin of thehe RamcharitmRamcharitmanasPSCPS lies in the Valmiki Ramayana, its immediate source is the Adhyatmaa Ramayana.RamayanaPPSPP Tulsidas’sas’s other long woworks include the following:

a) Dohavali, writtenMPPSCADDAMPPM in Brajbhasha and containing 573 verses in the Doha and Soratha metres. A variety of subjects are dealt with in this work, including religion, bhakti, ethics, love, discrimination, the nature of saints, and the glory of Sri Ram and the name of God b) Kavitta Ramayana, or Kavitavali, containing the story of Sri Ram in 369 stanzas in the Kavitta, Savaiya, Chhapyaya, Jhulana, and some other metres. It is very popular owing to its style and disposition. It describes the majestic side of Sri Ram. c) Gitavali, a collection of 330 songs set to different ragas—Kedara, Soratha, Lalita, Chanchari, and others—where the depth of mood is brought to the fore in preference to philosophy. It portrays the tender aspect of Sri Ram

d) Vinay-patrika, with 279 hymns and prayers, is a book of petitions in the court of King Ram e) Krishnavali, or Krishna-gitavali, has 61 songs on Sri Krishna.

The following are his shorter works: a) Vairagyasandipini, which deals with the nature of dispassion

b) Ramlala-nahachu, verses for nahachu, a ritual performed at the time of yajnopavita, sacred- thread ceremony, and marriage

c) Ramajna-prashna, verses for an auspicious beginning to a journey or a task d) Barvai Ramayan, a small poetic composition in the Barvai metre e) Janki-mangal and Parvati-mangal, which describe the marriagesages of Sita andA Parvati f) Hanuman Bahuk, an appendix to Kavitavali containingg prayers to HaHanuman; and Hanuman- chalisa, forty rhymes in praise of Hanuman. DA At that time there were four major secretive cults that cultivatedcultivat the practice of supernatural powers: the Vedic sacrificial, the Tantric, the Natha, and DDtheth Mahanubhava. It is natural that common people will equate religion with occultism. TuTulsidas’s teachings bailed out religion from this pitfall and made it plain and simple.ADDAD HHe emphasized living a virtuous life and developing human perfection, as opposed toCACAD supsupernatural achievement. Tulsidas' doctrine has been describedscribed as ana assimilation and reconciliation of the diverse tenets and cultures of Hinduism.m. SCA Raja Ram Mohan Roy PSCP Facts: PPSCPP Born: 22 May 1772 in Radhanagar, Hugli district of Bengal Parents: fatheratherMP RaRamakant Roy and mother Trivani Devi He is consideredre as the architect of Indian Renaissance and father of modern India. He died of meningitis in Bristol, England on 27 September, 1833.

At the beginning of 19th century, India was plagued by various social evils such as Sati pratha, Caste system, Religious superstitions etc. Raja Ram Mohan Roy was the first person who recognized these inhuman practices and decided to fight against the same.

Raja Ram Mohan Roy was very open minded and was of very questioning brains.

He was very much influenced by western progressive thoughts.

He was also well versed in the teachings of various religions. He was influenced by monotheism of Islam, Mysticism of Sufi philosophy, Ethics and morals of Christianity and Vedanta philosophy of Upanishad.

His main focus was towards the evils which had surrounded the Hinduindu society of the times, such as:

a) He criticized idol worship of Hindus and tried to prove his pointoint through theA verses of Vedas

b) But the main contribution for which Raja Ram Mohanan Roy is still rememberedremDA was his relentless efforts in abolishing the practice of Sati Pratha. DDA He began a movement to abolish this barbaric custom aand for that purpose he persuaded the British Government to pass an Act abolishingolishing Sati ADDADPPratha; the Bengal Sati Regulation Act, 1829 was passed by Lord William Bentinck,nck, the thenCA GoGovernor General of Bengal On August 20, 1828, Raja Ram Mohan RoRoy established the Brahma Samaj, which later became the Brahmo Samaj, ann organizationSCA anda a movement with the objectives of promoting monotheism, criticizingizing idol wworshiping; opposing wide spread Brahmanism and uplifting the pitiful condition of women etc.PSPSC

Other Importantmportant Works:PPS

a) In 1820, he publispublishedMPPMPM a book named Percepts of Jesus: The Guide to Peace and Happiness; in this book Ram Mohan Roy explained the simplicity and morality of Christian religion

b) He also started publishing two newspapers viz. Samvad Kaumudi and Prgya Chaand in the year 1821 to spread his ideas and views to the common people

c) He also started a Persian newspaper “Miratul- Akhbar'

d) Apart from these, Roy also helped in the establishment of one Vedanta College and the Hindu College in Calcutta.

Swami Vivekanand

Facts

Born on 12 January 1863 in Calcutta. Parents: Vishwanath Datta and Bhuveneshwari Devi

Swami Vivekananda died on 4 July 1902 while in meditation at Belurelurr MathMath,, BeBBengal, India.

He was not only a social reformer but also an educator. His contributionontribution to edueducational thought is of supreme importance if education is observed as thee most powerful instrumenti of social change. According to Swami Vivekananda education shouldd cover all aspectsDA of life – material, physical, moral, intellectual, spiritual and emotional, as education is a constant process. For him, education defines as ‘the manifestation of perfectionerfectionfection that is alreadya in man.’ He suggested that education should aimm at reforming ththe human mind; it should not be for filling some facts into the brain. Educationucationcation should bbe the preparation of life. He once said that “Education is not the amountt of informationnformation ththat is put into your brain and runs riot there, undigested all your life. We must have life-building, man-making, character-making, assimilation of ideas. If youu have assimilaassimilated five ideas and made them your life and character, you have more educationon than any man whow has got by heart a whole library. If education were identical with information,rmation,mation, theth librlibraries would be the greatest sages in the world and encyclopedias thehe rishis.” Vivekananda propagated that the essence of Hinduism was best expressed in Adi Shankara’s Advaita Vedantadanta philosophy.philosopphiloso And thus, for modern education system Swami Vivekananda wantedd to implement maximum emphasis on meditation and concentration in the teaching- learning process. His main focususMPPSCADDA w was on removing the weakness of India’s youth of the time, both physical as well as mental. And to gain strength he suggested physical exercise or attaining of knowledge. For him strength is life and weakness is death; for all the problems of India whether social or political the solution is self-respect in India’s culture and philosophy. He was against religious dogmas and superstitions; in his speeches and lectures he continuously argued against prevailing social evils.He was more confident about women’s ability to change the fortune of India; he proclaimed that with the help of 50 women he can transform India into a modern forward looking nation.

However his real contribution to India was to revive the true meaning of Hinduism; he propagated the real philosophy and culture of India to the world at the Parliament of the World’s Religions in Chicago in 1893; through his lectures and speeches all over the world proved that Hindu religion is no inferior to anyone; at He inculcated, in the youth of the country, a sense of proud and worth so that they could face the world with confidence. He was fiercely against any kind of social evil perpetuated by religious logic and dogmas and was of the view that Hindu belief in untouchability must change if the nation is to progress.

Swami Dayananda Saraswati

Facts: A Born: 12 February 1824, Tankara Died: 30 October 1883, Ajmer DA Guru: Virajanand Dandeesha Literary works: Satyarth Prakash (1875) DDADD Books: Rigvedadi Bhashya Bhumika, Gokarunaa Nidhi Parents: Yashodabai, Karshanji Lalji Tiwariwari ADDAD Swami Dayananda Saraswati’s childhood name wasw Moolshankar; he was born on 12 January 1824 at Maurvi, Gujarat. He leftft home at thet CADCA agea of 21 and he kept wandering in the company of one Dandi Swami Poornanandarnananda who gavegavga Moolshankar the name Swami Dayananda Saraswati.

Swami Dayanandada was the greatgrea believerb in the teachings of Vedas; he gave the slogan: ‘Return to Vedas’. Hee criticized HinduH religious texts such as Puranas for perpetuating Idol worship and other superstitions.perstitions.stitions. He trtriedtrie to revive true Hindu philosophy and belief and argued against all wrong things being propagatedpropr in the name of Hinduism. He aggressivelyivelyMPPSCADDA atattacked social evils like Caste System by birth but he argued that it should be on the basis of occupation and work.

He supported and advocated women’s right to education and their equal social status.

Also, Swami Dayananda started campaign against Untouchability, Child Marriage etc.

He supported inter-caste marriages and widow remarriages; supported Sudras and women’s right to read Vedas and to attain high education.

Swami Dayananda Saraswati established ‘Arya Samaj’ in the year 1875 to propagate his ideas. Its objectiv e was to rev iv e and r eform Hindu re lig ion; e stab lishment of Ved ic re lig ion in its true form again; to unify India socially, religiously and politically and to stop western cultural effects on Indian culture and civilization.

Babasaheb, Dr. Bhimrao Ambedkar

Facts: Born: 14 April 1891, Mhow, Central Provinces, British India (now in Madhya PrPPradesh, India) Died: 6 December 1956 (aged 65), Delhi, India Political party: Scheduled Castes Federation Other political affiliations: Independent Labour Party,y, ReRepublicanpublican PartParty of India

Ambedkar was very meritorious in studies and afterr completing his early education in Bombay moved to United States for post-graduation andnd research; DDdid his post-graduation and Phd from Columbia University, New York City. He furtherer studied at London School of Economics and completed masters and doctorate fromm there as welwell.AD Thus, Dr. Bhimrao Ambedkar, in spite of several odds got the best of education from very good institutions of the world becausese of his talentCADCA and merit only. He also received a degree in Law His major contribution in eradicatingSCA socsocial evils was fighting for the rights of the untouchables and so-called lowerr caste peoppeople. At the time of preparation of the Government of India Act, 1919, he advocatedcated for thePSCPS sseparate electorates for untouchables and other lower caste people. He demanded PPSPPrereservation for such communities. Ambedkardkar started sevseveral publications such as Mook Nayak, a weekly; Bahiskrit Bharat, a periodicalal to createMPPMPM awareness and to fight for the rights of untouchables and lower-castes. He founded Bahishkrit Hitakarni Sabha on 20 July 1924 at Bombay with the objective of creating socio-political awareness among untouchables and also for making Government sensitive towards their issues; he called upon the dalits and untouchables to “Educate, Agitate and Organize” for their rightful place in the society.

He started to launch public movements against discriminations faced by untouchables such as opening the public water resources for untouchables, burning of Manusmriti, an ancient Hindu text which gives sanction to caste-system and for the rights of lower caste people to enter into Hindu temples.

In 1932, after the Third Round Table Conference in Britain in which Dr Ambedkar participated, the British announced the infamous Communal Award according to which there was a provision of separate electorate in British India for different communities; thus, Untouchables were also considered as a separate electorate; it meant that for the election to the seats reserved for the untouchables only persons who could vote were untouchables. The scheme was vehemently opposed by Gandhiji and other Congress leaders as being communal and divisive in nature which would divide Hindus into two separate groups. But Dr Ambedkar was in its favour as he was of the view that by having separate electorate more and more number of legislatures of ‘Depressed Class’ would be elected.

After long and tedious discussions between Ambedkar and Congresss leaders, PPoona Pact was reached on 25 September 1932 according to which the systemstem of separatesepaA electorate was abolished but reservation of seats for Depressed Classs remained the same; hence, now untouchables would not be separate from Hindus but seats would be rreserved for them. It was a major step in recognizing the political rights of untouchablestouchables withinDA the fold of Hindu society. On similar lines, the Constitution of India inn 1950 gave DDADDbenefitsben of reservation to Schedule Castes and Scheduled Tribes who were earlier referred to asa ‘Depressed Classes’.

Dr Amedkar’s biggest contribution in the making ofADDAD modern India was his momentous effort as the Chairman of the Constitutionion Drafting ComCommittee; the most important feature of the Constitution of India is its specialcial focus on socsocio-politicalCAD and economic justice and equality; he forcefully advocated for the rights of womenwo and SCs, STs and OBCs; special provisions were added for their upliftmentment and for eradicatingeradiSCASC various discriminations faced by them. Later in his life,, Dr AmbedkarPSCPS convertedc to Buddhism after getting fed-up with caste system, superstitions,s, rituals andPP discriminatory practices of Hinduism Therefore,ore, all through his life, socially as well as politically, Babasaheb kept fighting against prevailingg social evevils of our country; his contribution towards making the downtrodden people acquire self-respectrespMMPPMP and their rightful place is immeasurable.

Note: Philosophers/Thinkers/Social Workers/Reformers Part 2 will be updated soon