UPSC Preparation: Art and Culture – Jainism and Cārvāka

The origin of Jainism could be traced back to India thousands of years ago to the 2^nd or 3^rd millennium BCE and few archeological remnants found from the sites of the Indus Valley Civilisation seemed to mention about the Tirthankaras of Jainism. Jainism is believed to have influenced two other important religions: Hinduism and Buddhism. The core beliefs of Jainism constitute the progress of one’s soul towards a divine consciousness by the means of wisdom, self-reformation, self-control and no-violence towards all living beings. The Jain community consists of about 10 million individuals worldwide with majority of them living in India and others in North America, East Africa and Asia. A unique feature of Jainism is the belief of the followers in the 24 great teachers known as ‘Tirthankaras’ who taught the importance of living in the harmony with the Universe and achieving spiritual liberation.

Cārvāka school of materialism which is also known as ‘Lokāyata’ (means “Worldly Ones” in Sanskrit) is a philosophical Indian school of materialists who supposedly stood against the view of karma, the after-world, liberation (Moksha), the dominance of sacred texts, the self and the concept of immortality. The Cārvāka school only believed in direct perception (Anubhava). One of the most important contributions of the Cārvāka school was in the field of science. The Cārvāka school’s emphasis on the validation of the truth in an empirical manner emerged as the golden rule of the scientific method. Do watch the video below to learn more about Jainism and the Cārvāka school of materialism.

 

In the video titled “Art and culture: Indian Philosophy 3.3 Jainism and Carvaka - Prepare for UPSC IAS”, Dr. Roman Saini discussess about two major heterdox schools: Jainism and Cārvāka. Dr. Roman deals with the introduction to Jainism, doctrines of Jainism (Panchmahavrata), philosophy of Anekantavada aka Syadvada, 2 Jain councils and Cārvāka/Lokāyata school.

 

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CSE Preparation: Tips for Art and Culture preparation and Introduction to Buddhism

Art and Culture forms an integral part of the Civil Services Examination preparation. For many CSE aspirants, learning the portion of Art and Culture seems to be a daunting task. The trick to learn Art and Culture is to imagine yourself as a participant in the important moments of history where various artistic innovations projected India in a majestic manner to the world. Let’s consider the Mysore Palace as an example. Imagine yourself as Henry Irwin, the brilliant architect who lead the construction process of the Mysore Palace. Scrutinise the architectural plan, observe the details of the unique rooms of the palace, and enjoy the manifestation process of the Mysore Palace into reality. This way all the vital information regarding the architecture of the Mysore Palace will get etched in your long-term memory provided you involve yourself in periodic revision sessions. Mere mugging up of the key points in Art and Culture will not help in anyway. Therefore, it is imperative to make learning fun in your own way.

 

Now, let’s focus on an important topic of Indian Philosophy: Buddhism. Buddhism originated about 2500 years ago when Siddhartha Gautama, known as Buddha attained enlightenment at the age of 35. The principles of Buddhism revolve around Dhamma or Truth. The Buddhist path emphasises on the importance of leading a life filled with morality, being mindful and aware of one’s thoughts and actions and developing wisdom and understanding. To learn more about Buddhism, watch the video below.

 

In the video titled “Art and culture: Indian Philosophy 3.2 Buddhism - Prepare for UPSC IAS” by Dr. Roman Saini, various important key points regarding the evolution of Buddhism in the Indian subcontinent has been discussed in detail. Dr. Roman deals with the reason behind the why certain  religious movements originated, introduction to Buddhism, doctrines of Buddhism: Arya Satya (Noble truth) and Ashtangika Marg, things in which Buddha didn't believe, Triratnas, Symbols of Buddhism and the 6 Buddhist councils.

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