question_answer

Read the passage given below and answer the questions that follow:

Buddhism In practice

This is an excerpt from the Sum Pitaka and. contains the advice given by the Buddha to a wealthy householder named Sigala:

In five ways should a master look after his servants and employees ... by assigning them work according to their strength, by supplying them with food and wages, by tending them in sickness; by sharing delicacies with them and by granting leave at times ...

In five ways should the clansmen look after the needs of Samanas (those who have renounced the world) and Brahmanas by affection in act and speech and mind, by keeping open house to them and supplying their worldly needs. There are similar instructions to Sigala about how to behave with his parents, teacher and wife.

(a) What advice was given by Buddha to Sigala regarding relationship between a master and his servants and employees?

(b) List the instructions given by Buddha to the clansmen for Samanas and Brahmanas.

(c) According to you what suggestion Buddha would have advocated regarding parents and teachers?

Or

A divine order?

To justify their claims, Brahmans often cited a verse from a hymn in the Rigveda known as the Purusha Sukta, describing the sacrifice of Purusha, the primeval man. All the elements of the universe, including the four social categories, were supposed to have emanated from his bod:

The Brahmans was his mouth, of his arms was made the Kshatriya.

His thighs became the Vaishya, of his feet the Shudra was born.

(a) How does Rigveda describe the sacrifice of Purusha?

(b) According to Rigveda how did the elements of universe and four social categories emanate?

(c) How did the Brahmanas enforce these norms?

 

Answer:

(1) Buddha says that the master should be affectionate towards servants and should treat them as human beings. He should take care of them in need and should not be over exploitive.

The master should assign work to servants according to their strengths in order to get maximum gain as well as maximum happiness to the servants.

The master should give food as well as wages on time and he should also share good food with them. This implies that the servants should get food worthy of human beings.

The master should grant the employees leave whenever they require.

(2) Buddha says that the clansmen should have attitude of respect and love towards samanas and Brahmanas. They should act in respectful manner and should show affection through speech.

They should also have respect and love for the samanas not only in showing bit in mind also.

Since Brahamans and samanas have renounced the world and they travel places to places so ii they require to stay somewhere then the clansmen should readily invite them and should always have their doors open for them.

The clansmen should also donate item such as food, water, clothes etc which are worthy for survival.

(3) Buddha would have advocated that parents and teachers should be affectionate towards children and students. They should teach them the language and ideals of live, respect and affection for fellow beings.

They should motivate them to aspire for a life of peace rather than blind race of materialistic prosperity.

Or

(1) According to Rigveda Purusa is a primeval giant that is sacrificed by the God and from whose bodies the world and the varnas are built. Rigveda presents the nature of Purusha or the cosmic being as both immanent in the manifested world and yet transcendent to it and that the sacrifice was imperative for creation of the world.

(2) Rigveda describes the form of his as having countless heads, eyes and legs manifested everywhere, and beyond the scope of any limited method of comprehension. He is the source of all creation. The moon takes birth from the Purusha?s mind and the sun from his eyes. Indra and Agni descend from his mouth and from his vital breath, air is born.

According to Rigveda the four varnas are also built from the body parts of the Purusa. Brahmins were created from his mouth while Kshatriyas were created by his arms, Vaishyas from thighs and shudras from feet.

Thus, this shows the hierarchy of the four strate from superiority to inferiority corresponding to mouth, arms, thighs and feet.

(3) Brahmans enforced these norms by writing down the rules in Sanskrit texts such as Manusmriti.

They also appealed and taught to kings that it is Rajdharma to ensure that all varnas work according to the prescribed occupations.

There were punishments for those who tried to break away from and defy the Varna norms.