UPSC Prelims 2019 · GS Paper I
Question 9: History and Culture
Consider the following :
- 1.Deification of the Buddha
- 2.Treading the path of Bodhisattvas
- 3.Image worship and rituals
Which of the above is/are the feature/features of Mahayana Buddhism?
AnswerUPSC’s answer is (d).
All three are features of Mahayana Buddhism. Mahayana, the Greater Vehicle, arose around the early centuries CE. It treated the Buddha as a divine being rather than only a teacher, made the Bodhisattva ideal, which means putting off one's own nirvana to help others, the path to follow, and brought in image worship and rituals. Hinayana or Theravada kept to the Arhat ideal and early simplicity, without images in the beginning.
- 1. Mahayana regarded the Buddha as divine.
- 2. The Bodhisattva ideal is central to Mahayana.
- 3. Image worship and ritual came in with Mahayana.
How you could have got this
- If you were sure statement 1 is correct, (c) goes: it leaves 1 out.
What you needed to know: Mahayana regarded the Buddha as divine.
- Then, if you were sure statement 3 is correct, (a) and (b) go: each of them leaves 3 out.
What you needed to know: Image worship and ritual came in with Mahayana.
Only (d) is left. You didn’t need statement 2.
Which options go is worked out from UPSC’s key and the options, not by a model.
Why each option is right or wrong
- (a) Deification is a feature, but so are the other two.
- (b) Image worship and rituals are also a Mahayana feature.
- (c) Deification of the Buddha is also a Mahayana feature.
- (d) Correct: deification, the Bodhisattva path and image worship all mark Mahayana.
Answer: UPSC’s key. Explanation: written by UPSC Grade, not by UPSC.
Source: UPSC, Civil Services (Preliminary) Examination 2019, General Studies Paper I, Series A. The paper on upsc.gov.in.