brAhmaNavagga of the dhammapada (was Gonzalez-Reimann/Deshpande)

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See also the brAhmaNavagga of the dhammapada.

 

 

 

Luis Gonzalez-Reimann:

> INDOLOGY

> Wed, 8 May 1996 08:30:05 -0400 (EDT)

> Madhav Deshpande <mmdesh

> Early Buddhist rejection of the Vedas

>

>

> The clearest evidence from the early

> Buddhist texts for the

> rejection of

> the Vedas, not just of the caste of the Brahmans or

> their sacrifices, is found

> in the TevijjaSutta of the Diighanikaaya among other

> sources. It specifically

> refers not only to the three Vedas, but to a number

> of specific Vedas and

> their

> Shaakhaas: Addhariya, Tittiriya, Chandoka,

> Bahvarijjha. These are brought up

> in the context of the Brahmans belonging to these

> Vedic schools teaching paths

> "into a state of union with Brahmaa"

> (brahmasahabyataaya maggam

> pa~n~naapenti),

> which is a reference to the Upanizad-like teachings

> of these different

> branches. The specific Rizis mentioned are ATThaka,

> Vaamaka, Vaamadeva,

> Vessaamitta, Yamataggi, Angirasa, Bhaaradvaaja,

> VaaseTTha, Kassapa, and

> Bhagu.

> These Brahmans and their Rizis are then ridiculed as

> claiming to show a

> path to

> the union with Brahmaa which none of them have ever

> seen: "Verily, VaaseTTha,

> that Braahmans versed in the Three Vedas should be

> able to show the way to a

> state of union with that which they do not know,

> neither have seen - such a

> condition of things has no existence. Just,

> VaaseTTha, as when a string of

> blind men are clinging one to the other, neither can

> the foremost see, nor can

> the middle one see, nor can the hindmost see - just

> even so, methinks,

> VaaseTTha, is the talk of the Braahmans versed in

> the Three Vedas but blind

> talk: the first sees not, the middle one sees not,

> nor can the latest see.

> The

> talk then of these Braahmans versed in the Three

> Vedas turns out to be

> ridiculous, mere words, a vain and empty thing."

> (Rhys Davids, Buddhist

> Suttas, p. 173). "And you further say that even the

> Rizis of old, whose words

> they hold in such deep respect, did not pretend to

> know, or to have seen

> where,

> or whence, or whither Brahmaa is." (Ibid, 178).

> The positive significance of expressions

> like Vedagu and Vedantagu in

> early Nikaaya texts is more like the positive

> significance of a redefined term

> like BraahmaNa = baahitapaapadhammo, not in

> reference to any presumed Vedic

> texts or traditions for which either the Buddha

> himself or his followers had

> great respect, not unlike the redefinition of a good

> sacrifice (ya~n~na) as

> daana in the Nikaayas. In all likelihood the terms

> Vedagu and Vedaantagu

> indicate the early Buddhist appropriation of current

> terms, with redefined

> content.

> The Tevijja Sutta interestingly has an

> assertion of the ThreeSiilas

> (ibid, p. 188). Rhys Davids suggests in his note:

> "These three Siilas may

> perhaps have been inserted in the Sutta as a kind of

> counterpoise to the Three

> Vedas."

>

> Madhav Deshpande

> ___________________

>

>

>

> [Non-text portions of this message have been

> removed]

>

>

 

 

 

 

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