Philosophical thoughts inherent in sermons of Gautam Buddha

:Pratityasamutpada
Pratityasamutpada is fundamental principle of the Buddhist philosophy. This philosophical principle of
the Buddhism is inherent in the second and third ‘Noble Truth (Arya Satya)’ of the Gautam Buddha. In the
second Noble Truth, Gautam Buddha tells the causes of origin of suffering. He has described ignorance (Avidya)
as the chief cause of suffering and also showed how suffering results – samskara from ignorance, vigyana from
samskara, name and form from vigyana, shadayatana from name and form, sparsha (touch) from shadayatana,
vedana (trouble) from sparsha, trishna (thirst) from vedana, upadana (ingredient) from trishna, bhava (world)
from upadan, jati (caste) from bhava and jaramarana (suffering) from jati. Again he has cleared in the third
Noble Truth (Arya Satya) how the end of suffering is possible. According to him the end of suffering is possible
by destruction of ignorance (avidya) which is the cause of suffering.
Pratityasamutpada is causation principle of the Buddhist philosophy. It is the principle of relative cau-
-sation. It is also called the Doctrine of Dependent Origination too. Etymologically, Pratityasamudpada is a
combination of two words – Pratitya and Samutpada. Here ‘Pratitya’ means ‘this being (on being so)’ or
‘having expectation’ or ‘being dependent’ and the word ‘Samutpada’ means ‘that arises’. Thus, etymologically
the word Pratityasamutpada means ‘this being that arises’ or ‘the principle of origination of effect depending on
the cause’. That is, according to Pratityasamutpada, other circumstances arise as a consequence of certain
circumstances. This other circumstance also causes another circumstance. This sequence of origination contin-
-ues till the preceding circumstances continue to exist. In this way, according to Gautama Buddha each and
every incident of the world has a cause behind it. Nothing is without cause in the world. The origination of an
action depends on certain causes. This also proves that on restricting the cause the effect (action) also gets
restricted. If there is no restriction of the cause, the effect (action) keeps on going.
The Doctrine of Momentariness
Gautam Buddha propounded the Doctrine of Impermanence himself. The Momentariness is a logical
development of the Impermanence which came in existence in the Buddhist philosophy of the Later Buddhism.
Gautam Buddha’s philosophical doctrine of Impermanence proves from the philosophical doctrine of
Pratityasamutpada. It propounded the impermanence and instability of the materialistic things – both matter and
energy.
It was made clear by it that the world is a sream of changes, only a flow of incidents and thoughts in
which change is occurring at every moment. In the Buddhist philosophy an example of flame of fire and river
stream is found to clear the change and impermanence. A flame of fire or candle flame appears changeless but
it is not the same at every moment but other flame. It is due to constant flow of the flames a unity appears in
them. The river stream appears to maintain the similar flow in it while every moment there comes a new quantity
of water. One quantity of water is similar to other quantity of water but not the same. Similarly, all the matter s
of the world are impermanent and changeable. Even spirit is a sheer flow of momentary sciences.
No-soul Theory
The No-soul Theory of the Buddism proves from the Pratityasamutpada Theory of Gautam Buddha.
It is also called Nairatmavada. Some thinkers believe that the No-soul Theory gets effective on the spirit only.
In fact, it interprets the spirit and the physical world both. When Gautam Buddha says ‘Sarva Anatmakam’ it
means that there is no existence of eternal consciousness or matter element. There is neither existence of eternal
substance as the Soul nor the Matter of as the materialistic substance. Only momentary attribute is true. These
PHILOSOPHY
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momentary attributes keep on forming an impact which are constantly changing. It is worth noting here that
there are Five Skandh in the Buddhism – Rupa (matter or body), Vedana (sensations or feelings), Sangya
(perception of sense object),Sanskara (mental formation) and Vigyana (awareness and consciousness).
In the Buddhism the word ‘Anatmavada’ has another meaning as well. It shows the thought of the Buddha
relating to Atman (spirit). The thoughts related to Atman (self theory) of traditional Brahman ideology have
been accepted in it. It may be noted here that the Brahman ideolgy believes in existence of immortal, eternal
and unchangeable soul. But Guatam Buddha has denied this sort of immortal, eternal soul. Therefore, the
thoughts of Gautam Buddha related to soul are called Anatmavada or Nairatmavada.
Achar Mimamsa (Mimamsa Philosophy)
Dharma and Apurva
Mimansa philosophy is the critical investigation of the Vedas. He rejected even the power of God to
establish eternity and supernaturalness of the Vedas. The main subject matter of Mimansa is to interpret and
examine the form of religion. In its eye the Vedas are eternal source of knowledge. Maharshi Jaimini has given
an actual meaning of the text. The religious concept found in it is secondary to ritualistic purpose. In eye of
Mimansa the religion is Vidhinishedhparat that is the interpretation of religion lies in what should and should not
be done by human being. In other words, only the dogmas of the Vedas determines what are duties and what
are non duties for human being. Under this cult the Vedas are the only basis in decision of religion and non-
religion and duty and non-duty. Mimansa philosophy has proved supernatural and eternity of the Vedas. Mimansa
has propounded the doctrine of immortality of the soul in background of interpretation of its subject matter. It
regarded a powerful authority (Apurva) as the protector of the consequences of the karmas and rejected the
existence of the God.
According to the Veda directed method and negation in Mimamsa philosophy, the presence of Pravitti
and Nivritti in action is the characteristics of the Dharma. Mimamsa philosophy classifies the karma into two –
Sakaam Karma and Nitya Karma. In Mimansa philosophy a differentiation is made between morality and true
spiritualism. Maharshi Shabar says that the virtuous deeds like opening water serving centers, building
dharmashalas are for altruism and, therefore, are good too but they are not dharma. True spirituality lies in
dharma that is it is inherent in such works which give fruit in parloka (other world). He regards Apurva as the
consequence of yagna karma and he does not believe it to be karma like Nyaya Vaisheshik philosophy. Ac
cording to Kumaril dharma (righteousness) is one which is compulsory to do such as yagna. According to
Kumaril adharma (non-righteousness) is the karma which is restricted to do, such as drinking wine and animal
killing. Mimamsa also says that the Veda is the means to know ordained or inordained actions.
In Mimansa philosophy nitya karmas have been ordained which include to perform sandhya and yagna.
According to Mimansa philosophy, the dharma is abidance of Veda ordained karmas and shunning the karmas
restricted by the Veda.
Doctrine of Apurva
In Mimamsa philosophy the concept of an invisible power has been made which is a supernatural link
between the karma and its consequence. It is called ‘Apurva’. Literally, Apurva means ‘Something new object
which was not known earlier or something which was not earlier. It is the belief of Mimansa philosophy that
karma has an intrinsic relevance to its consequence. There are some karmas which show their results in distant
future. Yagna is one such karma. The karma like yagna etc performed at present can give its result in the future
only when it can give birth to any invisible result before its being concluded. Maharshi Jaimini term this sort of
power as ‘Apurva’ which gives result on time to the performer of the yagna. The Atman (soul) has to undergo
pleasure or pain on the basis of Apurva only. According to Kumaril, Apurva is an ability in performer of the
karma which was not before performing the karma. Apurva is a certain power produced by the karma which
takes to its result. The doctrine of Apurva is a universal law which believes that after the hurdles are removed,
the power inherent in every object will certainly give some or the other result. There is no need of God to
operate Apurva. It is automatic.
Review –
1. The Vedant philosophy asserts that every action howsoever sacred it might be is mechanically performed
without any sentiment hence it cannot be useful itself for liberation. The rituals are usually harmful because it has
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a sense of false belief. Whatever number of yagnas we may perform, it is most likely that they may not be able
to bring about any change in internal feeling. If religion implies moral reform or self denial then it is sacrifice of
selfishness which needed not performing yagna related rituals.
2. The Vedant philosophy criticizes Apurva doctrine of Mimansa. According to Shankaracharya the concept of
the Vedanta is not non-materialistic. It can work unless its operator is any spiritual element.
Advaitvada / Notion of Brahma
The subject matter of Shankaracharya’s Advaitvada is an acceptance to the only power of the Brahma.
In the metaphysics of Advaitvada, the Brahma is the only truth, the world is myth and even Jiva is also altruis-
-tically Brahma not different from the Brahma. In the Advait philosophy two characteristics of the Brahma are
found – Tatastha Lakshana and Svarupa Lakshana.
Tatastha Lakshana – In the Advaita Vedanta ‘Srishti Kartavya’ is regarded as Tatastha Lakshana of
Advaita Vedanta. Shankaracharya has inaugurated this very truth in interpretation of second sutra of Brahma
Sutra ‘Janmayasya Yatah’. He says that the Brahma is the element which is reponsible for Janmadi (birth,
maintenance and destruction) of this world. He showed that even the Shrutis tells the Brahma as the cause of
this world. Interpreting the Shrutis, they declared that the Brahma is one from which all these creatures are
born, they survive and finally they confidently dissolve into. After supporting his desired tenet through the
Shrutis, an effort has been made to confirm it logically. In this context, in the Brahmasutrabhashya he logically
proves unsatisfactory to other doctrines related to creation such as ‘Prakriti Parimanvada’ of Sankhya philoso-
-phy, ‘Parmanuvada’ of the Nyaya Vaisheshik Philosophy, and ‘Brahmaparinamvada’ of the Later Advait
Vedantis and proves the Brahma the only cause of the world. In this sense the Brahma is in union with the Maya
(illusion) and it (Brahma) is known as the God.
Swarup Lakshan – Stating about the Swarup Lakshan of the Brahma, Shankaracharya unveil its real
form. With this view he calls the Brahma as ‘ Sachchidananda’. The Brahma is truth, consciousness, bliss.
These are not the attributes or adjective for the Brahma. It has two reasons. Firstly, instead of denoting sense
they denote no meaning. It is distinguishing untruth from truth, unconsciousness from consciousness (gross) and
imperfection or sorrow from bliss. That is to say, this shows that the Brahma is not untruth, unconsciousness
and imperfection. Secondly, for being absence of all distinctions in the Brahma the sense of adjective cannot be
even imagined. In fact, truth, consciousness and bliss are not the attributes of Brahma rather they are the forms.
He is truth form, consciousness form and bliss form that is Sachchidananda. Truth, consciousness and and bliss
are not three, they are one. Philosophically they are one. What is truth, is consciousness and the same is bliss.
Two forms of Brahma in Advaitvada – Nirgun and Sagun – According to Shankar, Brahma is
transcenden–tally nirgun (formless). Terming the Brahma as nirgun does not mean that it is cypher. It only
means that any form of it as imagined by the intellect is not its real form. Any concept made by the intellect is
not effective on it. The Brahma is sagun (in form) in view of causation of the world. In this sense it is in union
with the Maya (illusion) and called the God.
Concept of Maya (Illusion)
Concept of Ignorance (Avidya)
In the Advaita Vedanta Maya (illusion) has basic importance. The Advaitvada cannot be understood
by separating it from Maya. Therefore, the Advaitvada is called Mayavada too. Spiritually, Brahma is the only
truth. It is a formless (nirgun), indiscriminate and unchangeable power. There is no power other than this. But a
mundane being feels something otherwise. He has falsehood of the world and variety of the jiva in his experi-
-ences. In other words, he has direct experience of the world as falsehood and jiva. In such a situation, the
question naturally arises that what is the reality of the world-jiva-falsehood. Is it thoroughly untruth ? How
should the world-jiva – falsehood be adjusted with the transcendental power of the Brahma. The Advaita
Vedanta introduces the concept of Maya (illusion) to unravel this myth. According to it, the illusive world and
variety of jivas come in experience due to Maya or Avidya (ignorance).
1. Maya is a gross and depends on the Brahma for its existence (power). It is worth noing here that
revoking the Dwaitvada of the Sankhya philosophy,Shankara has established its Purush element in place of the
Brahmaor Soul. and abducting absolute and independent power of the Prakriti, named it as Maya letting it be
enslaved to the Brahma.
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2. Maya is beginningless but not infinite. The beginning of existence of Maya is not known. In spite of
its having no beginning, Maya is not infinite because it is obstructed from the knowledge of the Brahma. If
Maya were infinite, it would not be likely to be obstructed.
3. Maya is the natural power of the Brahma through which it produces the false world with name and
form.
4. Maya is perceptible, that is to say it is not sheer beyond perception. Since it is the cause of the
world, its perceptibility is proved.
5. Maya is paradoxical and indescribable.
6. Maya is an appearance only and it has empirical reality.
7. Maya has two powers – Concealment and Projection. Concealment means to cover, to hide and
Projection means to impose other thing on it. Maya hides the unity of Brahma through its concealing power or
covers its real form, and through the projection powr it makes the false world supersede the Brahma and
makes us feel it otherwise.