Identify the correct statements regarding ‘Buddhism’:
(A) Buddha’s followers came only from wealthy men, kings, and gahapatis.
(B) Buddhism spread outside India as well.
(C) Buddha tried to convince people through reason and persuasion rather than through displays of supernatural power.
(D) Bhikkhus and bhikkhunis also contributed towards building monuments.
Choose the correct answer from the options given below:
Answer & explanation
Correct answer: option 1
The correct answer is Option (1) → B, C and D only
(A) Buddha’s followers came only from wealthy men, kings, and gahapatis. Incorrect. The followers came from many social groups: kings, wealthy men and gahapatis, but also humbler folk – workers, slaves and craftspeople. The word ‘only’ makes the statement false.
(B) Buddhism spread outside India as well. Correct. Over the centuries the Buddha’s message spread beyond the subcontinent: through Central Asia to China, Korea and Japan, and through Sri Lanka across the seas to Myanmar, Thailand and Indonesia.
(C) Buddha tried to convince people through reason and persuasion rather than through displays of supernatural power. Correct. Some stories describe his miraculous powers, but others show that he tried to convince people through reason and persuasion.
(D) Bhikkhus and bhikkhunis also contributed towards building monuments. Correct. Inscriptions on the railings and pillars of stupas record donations made by kings, guilds and hundreds of ordinary men and women; monks and nuns also contributed to building them.
NCERT (2025-26): “4.The Buddha and the Quest for Enlightenment … One of the most influential teachers of the time was the Buddha. Over the centuries, his message spread across the subcontinent and beyond – through Central Asia to China, Korea and Japan, and through Sri Lanka, across the seas to Myanmar, Thailand and Indonesia.… 5. The Teachings of the Buddha … The Buddha’s teachings have been reconstructed from stories, found mainly in the Sutta Pitaka. Although some stories describe his miraculous powers, others suggest that the Buddha tried to convince people through reason and persuasion rather than through displays of supernatural power.… 6. Followers of the Buddha … The Buddha’s followers came from many social groups. They included kings, wealthy men and gahapatis, and also humbler folk: workers, slaves and craftspeople. Once within the sangha, all were regarded as equal, having shed their earlier social identities on becoming bhikkhus and bhikkhunis.… 7.2 How were stupas built? … Inscriptions found on the railings and pillars of stupas record donations made for building and decorating them. Some donations were made by kings such as the Satavahanas; others were made by guilds, such as that of the ivory workers who financed part of one of the gateways at Sanchi. Hundreds of donations were made by women and men who mention their names, sometimes adding the name of the place from where they came, as well as their occupations and names of their relatives. Bhikkhus and bhikkhunis also contributed towards building these monuments.…” |