Buddhism and Jainism, 1st ed. 2017 Encyclopedia of Indian Religions Series

This volume focuses on Buddhism and Jainism, two religions which, together with Hinduism, constitute the three pillars of Indic religious tradition in its classical formulation. It explores their history and relates how the Vedic period in the history of Hinduism drew to a close around the sixth century BCE and how its gradual etiolation gave rise to a number of religious movements. While some of these remained within the fold of the Vedic traditions, others arose in a context of a more ambiguous relationship between the two. Two of these have survived to the present day as Buddhism and Jainism. The volume describes the major role Buddhism played in the history not only of India but of Asia, and now the world as well, and the more confined role of Jainism in India until relatively recent times. It examines the followers of these religions and their influence on the Indian religious landscape. In addition, it depicts the transformative effect on existing traditions of the encounter of Hinduism with these two religions, as well as the fertile interaction between the three. The book shows how Buddhism and Jainism share the basic concepts of karma, rebirth, and liberation with Hinduism while giving them their own hue, and how they differ from the Hindu tradition in their understanding of the role of the Vedas, the ?caste system,? and ritualism in religious life. The volume contributes to the debate on whether the proper way of describing the relationship between the three major components of the classical Indic tradition is to treat them as siblings (sometimes as even exhibiting sibling rivalry), or as friends (sometimes even exhibiting schadenfreude), or as radical alternatives to one another, or all of these at different points in time.

Karam Tej Singh Sarao was born in a remote village in the district of Sangrur in Punjab (India) where he received his initial school education. His an alumnus of the universities of Panjab, Delhi and Cambridge. After doing his Pre-University from Panjab University, he joined the University of Delhi from where he received the degrees of Bachelor of Arts (Hons) in History with Economics, Master of Arts (History), Master of Philosophy (Chinese and Japanese Studies) and Doctor of Philosophy (Indian Buddhism). He was awarded the prestigious Commonwealth Scholarship in 1985 to study at the University of Cambridge (United Kingdom) from w

Builds understanding of Buddhism and Jainism in India, Asia and beyond

Views these religions in dynamic interaction with other religions on the Indian landscape

Explores the history, effects, role and impact of Buddhism and Jainism

Contributes to structured knowledge of religions relating to the Indian identity

Includes supplementary material: sn.pub/extras