History · X-Factor Notes
Buddhism revision notes for UPPCS Prelims.
30 revision facts
| Concept | What to remember | Asked in UPPCS |
|---|---|---|
| Birth and Family | Born in Lumbini in 563 BC. His father belonged to the Shakya clan, and his mother (Mayadevi) was from the Koliyan clan. His childhood name was Siddhartha. | UPPCS (Pre) 2008; UPPCS (Pre) 2002 |
| Great Renunciation | Siddhartha left home at age 29. This event is referred to in Buddhist texts as 'Mahabhinishkramana'. | UPPCS (Mains) 2014 |
| Enlightenment (Nirvana) | Attained at Bodh Gaya under the Bodhi tree on the bank of the River Niranjana. | UPPCS (Pre) 2012 |
| First Sermon (Turning the Wheel of Law) | Delivered at Rishipattan (present-day Sarnath, Varanasi). This event is called 'Dharmachakrapravartana'. The concept of the Eightfold Path forms the theme of the Dharma Chakra Pravartana Sutta. | U.P. Lower Sub. (Pre) 2004; U.P. Lower Sub. (Pre) 2015 |
| Maximum Sermons | Buddha delivered the maximum number of sermons at Shravasti, the capital of Koshala. | UPPCS (Pre) 2011 |
| Visit to Kaushambi | Buddha visited Kaushambi during the reign of King Udayana. | U.P. U.D.A./L.D.A. (Pre) 2010 |
| Death (Mahaparinirvana) | Died in Kushinagar (Kushinara), the capital of the Malla Republic, at age 80 in 483 BC. The event is referred to as 'Mahaparinirvana' in Buddhist texts. | UPPCS (Pre) 2011; UPPCS (Mains) 2005; U.P. Lower Sub. (Mains) 2015 |
| Last Disciple | The last person to receive enlightenment from Gautama Buddha was Subhadda. | U.P. P.C.S. (Pre) 2013 |
| Concept | What to remember | Asked in UPPCS |
|---|---|---|
| First Buddhist Council | Held immediately after Buddha’s death at Rajgriha (in Saptaparni Cave). Patronized by King Ajatashatru. Presided over by Mahakashyapa. | UPPCS (Pre) 2000; U.P. U.D.A./L.D.A. (Mains) 2010; U.P.R.O./A.R.O. (Pre) 2014; UPPCS (Mains) 2010 |
| Second Buddhist Council | Held at Vaishali. | U.P.R.O./A.R.O. (Mains) 2014 |
| Third Buddhist Council | Held at Pataliputra during the reign of Ashoka. | UPPCS (Mains) 2008 |
| Fourth Buddhist Council | Held in Kashmir during the reign of Kanishka. It resulted in the division of Buddhism into Hinayana and Mahayana sects. | U.P.R.O./A.R.O. (Mains) 2013 |
| Kanishka's Court Scholars | Ashvaghosa (wrote Buddhcharita), Vasumitra, and Nagarjuna were contemporaries of Kanishka. Patanjali was not associated with Kanishka's court. | UPPCS (Pre) 1994; UPPCS (Mains) 2008 |
| Decline of Buddhism | One reason for decline in early medieval times was Buddha being considered an incarnation of Vishnu, thus becoming part of Vaishnavism. | N/A (Cited I.A.S. Pre 2010) |
| Concept | What to remember | Asked in UPPCS |
|---|---|---|
| Triratna (Three Jewels) | Consists of Buddha, Dhamma, and Sangha. | U.P. R.O./A.R.O. (Pre) 2017 |
| Tripitaka (Buddhist Canon) | Collection of the preachings of Buddha. The three parts are Sutta Pitaka, Vinaya Pitaka (rules for monastic life), and Abhidhamma Pitaka (philosophical exposition). | U.P. Lower Sub. (Pre) 2003/2004; UPPCS (Pre) 1996 |
| Abhidhamma Pitaka | Consists of seven books, including Yamaka. | N/A |
| Jataka Literature | Contains stories of the previous birth of Gautama Buddha and is written in the Pali language. | |
| Mahayana Sect | Emerged after the split at the Fourth Council. Key features include Deification of the Buddha, Treading the path of Bodhisattvas, and Image worship/rituals. They treat Buddha as God, contrasting with Hinayana, which treats him as a great man. | UPPCS (Pre) 1996; |
| Sunyavada Doctrine | Propounded by Nagarjuna, who discussed the theory of relativity in Madhyamikakarika. | U.P. R.O./A.R.O. (Pre) 2017 |
| Vajrayana | This sect was prominent during the Sultanate (medieval) period. The Aryamanjushrimulkalpa contains its principles. | |
| Doctrine of Momentariness | Propounded by the Buddha; it expounds the basic principle of impermanence (Anitya). |
| Concept | What to remember | Asked in UPPCS |
|---|---|---|
| Mahaparinirvana Temple | Located in Kushinagar, Uttar Pradesh. | U.P. Lower Sub. (Mains) 2015 |
| Dhamek Stupa | Located in Sarnath, and is related to the Gupta period. | UPPCS (Mains) 2010 |
| Sarnath Buddha Image | The image depicting the Bhumisparsha Mudra belongs to the Gupta period. | U.P. U.D.A./L.D.A. (Spl) (Pre) 2010; U.P. U.D.A./L.D.A. (Spl) (Mains) 2010 |
| Ashokaram Monastery | Located at Pataliputra, built by Ashoka. | UPPCS (Mains) 2015 |
| Nalanda University | Main center for Mahayana education. It came into existence during the Gupta Period. | |
| Mahavihara Establishment | Vikramshila Mahavihara was established by Pala King Dharmapala. | |
| "The Light of Asia" | The book on the life of Buddha written by Edwin Arnold is based upon the contents of 'Lalit Vistara'. | UPPCS (Mains) 2014 |
| Ashoka’s Visit to Lumbini | The Rummindei Pillar Inscription by Ashoka confirms that Sakyamuni Buddha was born in Lumbini. | U.P. U.D.A./L.D.A. (Mains) 2010; UPPCS (Mains) 2011/2007/2004; UPPCS (Spl) (Mains) 2008 |
