Professional Documents
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Parasangasvewa Sumanatissa
Bhikkhu B. Dhammarama
SIBA-BABL 14-13
7th Semester
Sri Lanka International Buddhist Academy
1
Content
Introduction
Origin of a being
Concept of Brhmana
Women concept
Conclusion
Bibliography
2
Introduction
The name Buddhism comes from the word 'bodhi' which means 'to wake up' and
thus Buddhism is the philosophy of awakening. This philosophy has its origins with the
experience of Siddhata Gotama, known as the Buddha, who was himself awakened at the
age of 35. Buddhism is now 2,500 years old and has about 300 million followers world-
wide.
abruptly in India. It is the ultimate fruit of a long-term struggle of finding the true nature
of life. As well as the teaching of the Buddha is not the perfectly separate doctrine from
other teachings which were existed at the time of the Buddha, but the ultimate and the
obvious that what Buddha did is giving new interpretations to existed philosophical
concepts. In Nagara sutta the Buddha evidently defined that he did not find anything
new but found the ruin city and the way of that city.1 So the Buddha himself explained
that his teaching is not newly originated one and he purified the way of liberation from
In this study it will be looked at some concepts which were practiced and
believed contemporary the Buddha and how Buddha reinterpreted them from Buddhist
point of view. To complete this study the Pali canon particularly, Suttanta Pitaka was
was maintained by the Brahmans. In their religious philosophy, the concept of creation
of the world was prominent. Specifically the purpose of the preserving this concept was
to keep their social, political, economic and religious authority to govern the society
But, elucidating the Buddhist standpoint on this matter in Aggaa Sutta the
created. The entire world does not disappear while some planets of it can appear and
disappear. The world exists as it is. The evolution and dissolution of the world take place
again and again between the periods of the two fixed times called Vivaha kappa or
expansion and Samvaha kappa or contraction. The Buddha states in the sutta, the
society opens up in the particular time and it closes down after millions of periods of
that particular time. The lots of evolution and dissolution take place between these two
Thus the Buddha reinterpreted the creation of the world of Mahbrahma into a
Origin of a being
The Buddhist standpoint of the origin of human being is very much different from
the view of the Brahmans. The Buddha explains the origin of beings revolving in Samsara
being cloaked by Avijj or ignorance is undiscoverable. At the same time it is laid down
the truth there could never have been a beginning an origin out of nothingness of the
According to Brahmanism in India, the idea had spread that the man is a creation
of Mahbrahma. Again the Aggaa Sutta shows us how was the Brahmans view on the origin
child, bringing forth and nursing children. And yet it is these very womb-born
brahmins who say that brahmins are genuine children of Brahm, born from
3
Dissanti kho pana, vseha, brhmana brhmaiyo utuniyopi gabbhiniyopi vijyamnpi pyamnpi.
Aggaa Sutta in DN
5
The Buddha gave a new interpretation considering the parents as the Mah
Brahma who was considered as the supreme figure who creates the being. And further
he declared that parents have the same qualities which can be seen in the Mah Brahma.
Vizmett, karu, mudit, and upekkh. And also the Brahmanic belief and confidence
Concept of Brhmana
According to the early teaching of the Buddha, those who avoid the immoral behavior
can be noticed, and banishment. Let us now put away from us evil and immoral
customs. And they put away from them such customs. They put away (bhenti)
5 ppak vata, bho, dhamm... ppake akusale dhamme vhesu. Ppake akusale dhamme vhentti kho,
At the time of the Buddha the term Brahmana was used by a certain group of
people who had the authoritarian power in the society and they believed that people
should obey to their power. They were the people who only could perform religious acts
for others and they were the noblest people although they had serious sin and
unwholesome behavior. As well as they were the only people who known as Brahmans.
These attested instances elucidate the term Brahmana is used to indicate the
person who has noble qualities. Most importantly, in Dhammapada Arahanta vagga
shows in several occasions the Buddha used this term Brahmana to arahat monks. Thus
the Buddha could reinterpret the term Brahmana from one narrow angle to broader and
noble direction.
According to Brahmanism in India, the idea had spread that the man is a creation
of Mahbrahma and the Brahmans are the superior cast in the society.
Only a brahmin is of the best social grade; other grades are low. Only a
Kammun vasalo hoti - Kammun hoti brhmao. - Vasal sutta in Sutta nipta
7
are of pure breed; not they that are not of the brahmins. Only brahmins are
They used this caturvara or four cast system to control society and to keep the
power. But instead of these cruel and wicket four groups the Buddha introduced four
Women concept
In later Vedic period, the women had to face many problems in their lives.
Because in that period Brahmins wanted to spread and entrench their power in Indian
society. And also the position of women did not appear to have been a very happy one.
Generally women seem to have been looked upon as being inferior to men. And, at times
they were considered as being on the same level as the Sudras, the lowest of the four
castes. Their freedom was extremely limited. In the Manu Smriti it is shown the cruel
husband, when her lord is dead to her sons, a woman must never be
independent.8
7 Brhmaova seho vao, hn ae va. Brhmaova sukko vao, kah ae va. Brhmava
done independently, even in her own house. In childhood a female must be subject
to her father, in youth to her husband, when her lord is dead to her sons; a woman
their husbands): if a wife obeys her husband, she will (for that reason alone) be
exalted in heaven.10
society. The Brahmin tradition always looked at women with misogynist eyes.
Under Buddhism the Buddha gave an honorable place to women. With Buddhism
women got the freedom to engage in religious activities, to live freely under Buddhist
guidance, to enter the Buddhist Sagha communityetc. The Buddha regarded everyone
1. Bhikkhu
2. Bhikkhun
3. Upsaka
4. Upsik
8 Law of Manu. V. 153. Nsti strna pthag yajo na vrata npyuposatha pati suryate yena tena
svarge mahyate
freedom to participate in a religious life. The Buddha was the first religious
Teacher who gave this religious freedom to women. During the Buddha's time,
women's position in society was very low. His move to allow women to enter the
Holy Order was extremely radical for the times. Yet the Buddha allowed women
to prove themselves and to show that they too had the capacity like men to
attain the highest position in the religious way of life by attaining Arahantahood.
Every woman in the world must be grateful to the Buddha for showing them the
real religious way of living and for giving such freedom to them for the first time
in world history.11
An incident reported in the Pali Canon illustrates this well. It records an exchange
between Mara, the Buddhist embodiment of evil, and a nun Soma Theri. Mara taunts
Soma that no woman could reach the high ground of the wise because she has only the
of the cooked rice is tested by pressing it between the fingers. But as a best answer, once
Women also should be looked after. They also could be wise and they also
could treat relatives well and give birth to brave children who can rule the
kingdom.12
Tass yo jyat poso sro hoti disampati - eva subhagiy putto rajja pi anussat SN. I. 86.
10
The most interesting story is that Ambapali was a celebrated prostitute of Vesali.
She gave up her profession and embraced the life of Bhikkhuni. Ultimatety she became
an Arhant when she had heard the sermon preached by her son Thera Wimalaa. In her
old age she wrote about her religions experience in beautiful verses which are known as
inferior. The Buddha allowed women to ordain in his dispensation and showed the
Worshiping directions also was a famous religious practice which was performed
by the people at the time of the Buddha. T. W. Rhys David, in the Introduction to his
translation of the Singlovda Sutta, notes that the Atharva Veda identifies each region
with a god as Agni, Indra, Varuna, Soma, Vishnu, and Buhaspati. In the Satapatha
Brhmana, five as well as seven directions are mentioned in rites. In the Grahya Sutras,
the four quarters are to be worshipped in connection with certain rites. And so much
self-anointing or contact with water is enjoined that the lay celebrant may well have had
The six directions are mentioned in the Singla sutta dealing with the cultivation
of loving kindness (mett, bhvan) and the divine abodes (brahma,vihra). The Buddha
reinterpreted this meaningless concept which was practiced by the Singla into
meaningful action while assigning certain groups and their rights and obligations to each
` Animal and human sacrifice is the ritual killing and offering of an animal or a
human usually as part of a religious ritual or to appease or maintain favor with a deity.
But the Buddha was against in sacrificing animals or humans in order to gain the divine
bless. During the time of the Buddha, many kinds of sacrifices were practiced by
Brahmins who were the priests of the Vedic religion professed by the upper castes of
contemporary Indian society. The Buddha did not see any value in these sacrifices.
The Buddha tells Kadanta of a worthy sacrifice held in ancient times under the
injured; all the labor is voluntary and the sacrifice is offered not only on behalf of the
12
king, but of all the good. As well as the Buddha admired the radiating mett towards the
all beings as the way of gaining peace and happiness. Particularly in Mettnisaamsa
Sutta, it is clear that developing mett towards beings one can gain eleven kinds of
results which are beneficial to live a peaceful life. Thus the Buddha gave a new
Finding the path of liberation is the meaning of a religion. There were some
teachings regarding the way of liberation of a being at the time of the Buddha. But those
first sermon of the Buddha, he expounds to us the four Noble Truths: the Noble Truth
of dukkha; that is to say that all things are subject to dissatisfaction. The Noble Truth of
the cause of dukkha; that is to say mental impurities: desire, anger, jealousy, greediness,
fear, pride, etc. The Noble Truth of the cessation of dukkha; that is to say nibbna, the
cessation of all kinds of mental defilements. The Noble Truth of the path that leads to the
cessation of dukkha; that is sla, samdhi and pa which is the buddhist path of
liberation.
The ultimate goal of Buddhism is to clarify and show the path for beings in order
to purify their minds from defilements. For that there were some ways which had been
introduced as the paths of liberation by many other religious leaders at the time of the
Buddha. The Buddha realized that those teachings did not help to overcome the suffering
and what the Buddha did was he reinterpreted those teachings and explained the path of
Conclusion
India. It took place as the ultimate fruit of a long-term struggle of finding the true nature
of life. Therefore the teaching of the Buddha is not the totally separated doctrine from
other teachings which were existed at the time of the Buddha, but it is the ultimate and
the incomparable teaching which was blossomed on the lake of philosophical thoughts.
Thus it is clear that Buddha wanted to make the practices meaningful and blissful.
the Buddha evidently defined that he did not find anything new but found the ruin city
and the way of that city. So the Buddha himself explained that his teaching is not newly
originated one and he purified the way of liberation from blind beliefs and practices. As
well as, he knew that nothing could be established to a culture or a tradition without
So the most of the teachings of the Buddha are reinterpreted or new interpreted
teachings to what were maintained by other religious and philosophical schools at the
Bibliography
Primary Sources
Trenckner, V. (1964), The Dgha Nikaya, Vol. II, pp. 30-35.; The Majjhima- Nikdya, Vols. I, III, (3rd
Buhler G. (1866). Laws of Manu, Sacred Books of the East, Vol. XXV. Oxford University Press.
Secondary Sources
Nanaloka K. (1967). The earliest Indian logic (ed: and trans: into Sinhalese). Vol IV. Colombo, Sri
Lanka.
Narada. (1998). The Buddha and His Teachings. (reprinted) Buddha Educational Foundation.
Taipei, Taiwan.
Lalita Dhar Parihar (2011), Woman and Law, From Impoverishment to Empowerment A Critique,
Agrawa. A. (2003). Female Foeticide Myth and Reality, 374 Cases Histories of Woman Who Have
Arvamundan. G. (2011), Disappearing Daughter's, The Tragedy of Female Foeticide, Penguin Book
India Publication.
Bergmann, P. G. (1993). Relativity. In The new encyclopedia Britannica (Vol. 26). Chicago.
Online References
http://www.importantindia.com