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Buddhism in Scripture and Practice

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Buddhism in Scripture and Practice Buddhism In Scripture and Practice K.R. Paramahamsa 1 Dedicated to the Being of Sri Sathya Sai TAT Embodied 2 3 Table of Contents Page No Preface7 1. Buddhism – An Overview 9 2. Evolution of Buddhism 14 The Buddhist Canon 14 Theravaada and Sarvaastivaada Scriptures 18 The Ascendancy of the Mahayana in India 25 3. The Teachings of the Historical Buddha 28 Original Teachings 28 Philosophical Teachings 50 Moral Doctrines 71 Meditative Teachings 78 4. Schools of Buddhism 85 Role of Schools 85 The Hinayana Schools 89 The Mahayana Schools 104 5. Samskaaras 116 Samskaaras in Buddhism 116 The Doctrine of Momentariness 119 Karma 127 6. Abhidharma Philosophy 131 Distinction between Sutra and Abhidharma 131 The Inception of Abhidharma 143 Dharma - Factors 146 Matrices 179 7. Abhidharma Literature 182 The Theravaada School 182 The Sarvaastivaada School 196 4 5 8. Epistemology 219 Preface General 219 Perception – Perception of Particular 221 Inference 229 Buddhism arose more than 2500 years ago in India in an Verbal Knowledge 234 atmosphere of great philosophical ferment. It was the atmosphere Validity of Knowledge 235 in which the sacrificial religion was systematised in the Mimamsa, Time 238 the philosophical ideas of the Upanisads were crystallized, and The Doctrine of Illusion 240 the ideas of independent thinkers, not owing allegiance to either, Body is the Only Sense Organ 244 were trying to gain their foothold in the Indian thought. All these Mind Alone is the Sense Organ 246 philosophies were philosophies of life according to the reality as Momentariness Vs Apperception and understood by their propounders. All the philosophical sects at Historical Consciousness 247 that time, except the Chaarvaakas, were indeed ascetic. Causal Law and I-consciousness 249 Being and Non-being are not Coordinates 251 Buddhism arose out of the sects independent of the Knowledge of Existence 253 Mimamsa and the Vedanta. It incorporated what it considered to Relativism –Positive and Negative Expressions 255 be the best from all, both the orthodox and the heterodox. It Tathataa, Tathyam, Satta and Satyam 257 became one of the world’s greatest religions, and contributed Dharmadhaatu 259 one of the highest of philosophies. 9. Life’s Ideal 261 10. The Buddhist Way to Liberation 266 The founder of Buddhism, Gautama, known to the world The Philosophy of Liberation 266 as the Buddha, the Enlightened, participated in a critical and Meditational Practices 280 creative movement to synthesize ancient, traditional worldviews, 11. Assimilation with Vedanta 298 which vied for the collective heart of India in his time. Interestingly, some of the most influential thinkers the world has ever known such as Confucius and Lao-tzu in China, Zoroaster and Socrates in Persia and in Greece, Jeremiah and Deutero Isaiah in Israel also belonged to the same period with a variation of a few decades on either side. The Buddha was the most influential individual to emerge from the then intellectually and religiously stimulating period in India. Buddhism, as a religious teaching, is valid independently of any special status of its founder, the Buddha. As a system of 6 7 thought,and a spiritual thought,Buddhism ever remains 1. Buddhism-An Overview theoretically valid. Buddhism is more than 2500 years old; but its ideas are The Buddha evoked the admiration of even the orthodox still older. It arose in an atmosphere of great philosophical ferment. Mimamsakas and Vedantins by the gentleness and nobility of his It was the atmosphere in which the ideas of the old sacrificial character, and also by the clarity and simplicity of his teachings. religion later expounded and systematized in the Mimaamsa, the He was accordingly absorbed into the Hindu pantheon. His Upanisadic ideas later expounded by Badarayana, and the ideas philosophy, in its latest stages, looked so similar to the Vedanta of independent thinkers not owning any allegiance to any part of that it was eventually assimilated to it. As such, Buddhism the Veda, but relying on their own experience and logical ability, gradually lost justification for separate existence and disappeared were jostling with one another. Even though logical, dialectical, from India, except for a few border areas. and independent, their philosophies were all philosophies of life, It may be more appropriate to say that Buddhism has not according to the reality as understood by them. Except for the disappeared from India, but has formed part of the lifeblood of Chaarvaakas and perhaps a few others, all the philosophical sects Indian outlook and culture. This is evident from the fact that the at that time were more or less ascetic. Buddha is venerated as an incarnation of the Supreme Godhead in its aspect as mercy and compassion, karuna. His philosophical Buddhism arose out of such independent sects. It and ethico-religious concepts are incorporated into all the great originated, however, at a time when the religious and intellectual philosophies of spirituality. If Platonism can be said to be dead traditions of two great civilizations were in the midst of vigorous in Western culture and outlook, then only can we say that interchange and ferment, as is evident from the speculations of Buddhism is dead in India. the Upanisads. It incorporated what it considered to be the best from all, both the orthodox and the heterodox. It became one of This book gives a comprehensive account of the origin the world’s greatest religions, and contributed one of the highest and evolution of Buddhism in India and outside, the philosophies of philosophies. of different schools of Buddhism, the pursuit of spirituality perfected in the Mahayana schools, leading ultimately to its The founder of Buddhism, Gautama (6th century BC) assimilation with the Vedanta. evoked the admiration of even the orthodox Indians by the gentleness and nobility of his character, and also by the clarity and simplicity of his teachings. He was accordingly absorbed into the Hindu pantheon. There is, however, no indication that the Buddha (the Awakened One) was specifically acquainted with any of the Upanisads that have come down to us. But there is ample indication that he was familiar with such speculations. 8 9 The Buddha participated in a critical and creative doomed to pass away due to the ravages of old age, disease and movement to synthesize ancient, traditional worldviews, which death, and that in all the world only the simple contemplative life vied for the collective heart of India in his time. By his time, the of the mendicant seeker of truth held the key to release from the synthetic movement had become widespread and urgent. One is ravages of these sufferings. The Pali sutras record the Buddha only to imagine the cultural impact of conquering or being himself indicating that contemplation of universal misery of old conquered by an alien race, and then slowly integrating over the age, disease and death inspired his search for truth. centuries to form a unitary new race and culture. In his age, several remarkable thinkers also began to attempt a coherent ‘Legends of the early life of the historical Buddha also unity from the religious and intellectual heritages of two great reveal tellingly the religious beliefs and values of an important peoples in the process of becoming one. segment of the Indian society in his day. Saviours were expected. They might be born to mortals. They were thought to perform The Buddha was the most influential individual to emerge miracles and consort with deities. Their task was to discover from this period of transition in ancient India. Buddhism, as a and teach the path that leads beyond the relentless suffering of religious teaching, claims to be valid independently of any special this and future lives. The gods would only be well-wishers and status of its founder, the Buddha. Even if it were to be discovered helpers in this exalted search. The final salvation of human kind that the historical Buddha never existed, Buddhism, as a system would be realized not through divine intervention, but through of thought and spiritual thought, would nonetheless remain truth, discovered and taught by extraordinary human beings. theoretically valid. The Buddhist scriptures state thus. ‘Whether These saviours would emerge from the ranks of the homeless, or not Buddhas arise, constant is the status of truth, the law of mendicant ascetics who walked the land in humble attire seeking truth, the relationship of cause and effect.’ only food, clothing and shelter to sustain their strenuous meditative and ascetic practices’, in the words of Noble Ross Reat. The Buddhist legend asserts that, in his twenty-ninth year, the religious beliefs and values of the Indian society have remained gods themselves conspired to bring the Bodhisattva (Buddha to the same though these centuries to date. be) in contact with four great visions, which inspired him to embark on the quest for enlightenment. While being on a pleasure His philosophy, in its latest stages, looked so similar to outing, prince Siddhartha encountered, for the first time in his the Vedanta that it was eventually assimilated to it. As such, life, the sight of an old man, a diseased man, a corpse, and Buddhism gradually lost justification for separate existence and finally a radiantly serene mendicant holy man. The first three disappeared from India, except for a few border areas. visions made him preoccupy with the unavoidable sufferings of mundane life. The fourth vision inspired in him the resolution to It may be more appropriate to say that Buddhism has not renounce material well being, and enter the austere path of spiritual disappeared from India, but has formed part of the life-blood of enlightenment. Because of his innate spirituality, he had realized Indian outlook and culture. This is evident from the fact that spontaneously, on the basis of these four experiences alone, that Buddha is venerated as an incarnation of the supreme Godhead even such extravagant worldly pleasures as he had enjoyed were in its aspect as mercy and compassion, karuna.
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