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60-713: The Brahmajāla Sutta is the first of 34 sutta in the Dīgha Nikāya (the Long Discourses of the Buddha), the first of the five nikāya , or collections, in the Sutta Pitaka , which is one of the "three baskets" that compose the Pali Tipitaka of ( Theravada ) Buddhism. The name means Raft (jāla-made.of inflatable cow or buffalo skins tied to a wooden platform used to convey people from one shore to

120-445: A monk has a latent tendency, by that is he reckoned, what he does not have a latent tendency for, by that is he not reckoned. These tendencies are ways in which the mind becomes involved in and clings to conditioned phenomena . Without them, an enlightened person cannot be "reckoned" or "named"; he or she is beyond the range of other beings, and cannot be "found" by them, even by gods, or Mara . In one passage, Sariputta states that

180-455: A pond which will be captured by a fine net no matter how much they want to escape, while those who see reality as it is are beyond the net of samsara. The sutta starts with the Buddha travelling with his disciples between the cities of Rajagaha and Nalanda . At the same time, a Brahmin called Suppiya, with his young apprentice, Brahmadatta, were also travelling in the same direction, tailing

240-710: A result of royal or government patronage (such as the Dhammayuttika Nikāya of Thailand), due to the national origin of their ordination lineage (the Siam Nikāya of Sri Lanka ), because of differences in the interpretation of the monastic code, or due to other factors (such as the Amarapura Nikāya in Sri Lanka, which emerged as a reaction to caste restrictions within the Siam Nikāya). These divisions do not rise to

300-612: A total of nine legally recognized monastic orders in Burma today under the 1990 Law Concerning Sangha Organizations. The largest of these is the Thudhamma Nikaya , which was founded in the 1800s during the Konbaung dynasty . The term Nikāya Buddhism was coined by Masatoshi Nagatomifake as a non-derogatory substitute for Hinayana , meaning the early Buddhist schools . Examples of these groups are pre-sectarian Buddhism and

360-460: Is based on logic and reflection. The people who embraced this belief concluded their faith based on their thoughts and logics as follow: "Here is what is called (atta) of eyes, nose, tongue, and our physical body, which are always changed. But, there is also atta of mind: the state of mind, awareness of 'atta', which is eternal.". All of the followers of these beliefs defended and clung to their faith and didn't believe in other faiths. The beliefs on

420-622: Is referred to as "the Āgamas" by Mahāyāna Buddhists. The Āgamas survive for the most part only in Classical Tibetan and Chinese translation. They correspond closely with the Pāḷi nikāyas. Among the Theravāda nations of Southeast Asia and Sri Lanka, nikāya is also used as the term for a monastic division or lineage; these groupings are also sometimes called "monastic fraternities" or "frateries". Nikāyas may emerge among monastic groupings as

480-527: Is right and show the fact by saying, 'Based upon this and that fact, it is indeed so; that thing does indeed exist in us, or is true about us.' Even only due to small matters, worthless, or even due to the Precepts ( Śīla ). " In the first part, the Buddha elaborates precepts that made people praise him or the Sangha as worthy of reverence. The list of the Buddha's higher precepts are categorized as follows: In

540-591: Is roughly equivalent to the English collection and is used to describe groupings of discourses according to theme, length, or other categories. For example, the Sutta Piṭaka is broken up into five nikāyas: In the other early Buddhist schools the alternate term āgama was used instead of nikāya to describe their Sutra Piṭaka s. Thus the non- Mahāyāna portion of the Sanskrit-language Sutra Piṭaka

600-615: Is the past passive participle of the verbal root gam ("go, travel"). Āgata ("come") is the past passive participle of the verb meaning "come, arrive". In this interpretation, Tathāgata means literally either "the one who has gone to suchness" or "the one who has arrived at suchness". Another interpretation, proposed by the scholar Richard Gombrich, is based on the fact that, when used as a suffix in compounds, -gata will often lose its literal meaning and signifies instead "being". Tathāgata would thus mean "one like that", with no motion in either direction. According to Fyodor Shcherbatskoy ,

660-466: Is very detailed, focusing on how the beliefs (faiths) come to be and the way they are described and declared. The elaboration ends with the Buddha's statement about the "danger of clinging to these beliefs", as they are still influenced by desire ( lobha ), hatred ( dosa ), and ignorance ( avijjā ) that its faithful followers will not end in the final liberation but still in the cycle of samsara . Believers of these faiths are compared to small fish in

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720-692: The Tattvasaṃgraha Tantra there are only four Buddha families, the full Diamond Realm mandala with five Buddhas first appears in the Vajrasekhara Sutra . The Vajrasekhara also mentions a sixth Buddha, Vajradhara , "a Buddha (or principle) seen as the source, in some sense, of the five Buddhas." The Five Buddhas are aspects of the dharmakaya "dharma-body", which embodies the principle of enlightenment in Buddhism . When these Buddhas are represented in mandalas, they may not always have

780-432: The skandhas (personality factors) that render citta (the mind) a bounded, measurable entity, and is instead "freed from being reckoned by" all or any of them, even in life. The aggregates of form, feeling, perception, mental formations, and cognizance that compose personal identity have been seen to be dukkha (a burden), and an enlightened individual is one with "burden dropped". The Buddha explains "that for which

840-462: The Buddhavaṃsa , twenty-one more Buddhas were added to the list of seven names in the early texts. Theravada tradition maintains that there can be up to five Buddhas in a kappa or world age and that the current kappa has had four Buddhas, with the current Buddha, Gotama, being the fourth and the future Buddha Metteyya being the fifth and final Buddha of the kappa . This would make the current aeon

900-599: The Sumangalavilasini : Monks, in the world with its devas, Mara and Brahma, in this generation with its ascetics and brahmins, devas and humans, whatever is seen, heard, sensed and cognized, attained, searched into, pondered over by the mind—all that is fully understood by the Tathagata. That is why he is called the Tathagata. ( Anguttara Nikaya 4:23) Modern scholarly opinion generally opines that Sanskrit grammar offers at least two possibilities for breaking up

960-788: The Tathagata , and by this act based on the truth that people praise and revered Tathagatha. What are those things? " Eternalism is described in the sutta as the belief which is based upon the past, and holds that the universe ( loka ) and the soul or self (attha) are eternal as a 'rock mountain or strong-fastened pole'. The world doesn't create new souls and therefore, the souls are living in an eternal cycle of death and rebirth, differing only in name, location, and time. These kind of beliefs have four origins: The abovementioned ascetics and Brahmins recalled how they had name, family, heirs, food, joy and sadness, then death and rebirth in their past lives. Based on their experience, they concluded that

1020-510: The Tripitaka namely those found in the Sutta Piṭaka . It is also used to refer to monastic lineages, where it is sometimes translated as a 'monastic fraternity'. The term Nikāya Buddhism is sometimes used in contemporary scholarship to refer to the Buddhism of the early Buddhist schools . In the Pāli Canon , particularly, the "Discourse Basket" or Sutta Piṭaka , the meaning of nikāya

1080-517: The 62 beliefs ( ditthi ) which are clung to by ascetics in India . These are divided into: 18 beliefs related to the past ( pubbantanuditthino ), and 44 beliefs about the future ( aparantakappika ). Many of these beliefs are still relevant in the modern world and thus the sutta provides Buddhist scholars with much information to ponder about the Buddha 's teachings. The elaboration of these beliefs

1140-499: The Aggi-Vacchagotta Sutta itself, it is clear that the Buddha is the subject of the metaphor, and the Buddha has already "uprooted" or "annihilated" the five aggregates. In Sn 1074, it is stated that the sage cannot be "reckoned" because he is freed from the category "name" or, more generally, concepts. The absence of this precludes the possibility of reckoning or articulating a state of affairs; "name" here refers to

1200-712: The Atta and Loka were created without a cause. They simply arise spontaneously. Why do I deem so? Because I didn't exist and now I do exist." All of the followers of these beliefs defended and clung on their faith and didn't believe in another faiths. There are ascetics who based their beliefs on the future. The proponents of one of these beliefs, adhered that: All of the followers of these beliefs defended and clung on their faith and didn't believe in another faiths. The proponent of these beliefs declared that after death, existence simply vanished (Atta vanished). These beliefs were described in seven type of authorities and basis: All of

1260-669: The Bhagava had delivered this discourse, the Venerable Ananda addressed him thus: "Marvellous indeed, Venerable Sir! Extraordinary indeed, Venerable Sir! What is the name of this exposition of the dhamma?" "Ananda!" said the Bhagava, "Bear in mind that this exposition of the dhamma is called Atthajala, the Net of Essence, as well as Dhammajala, the Net of the Dhamma, as well as Brahmajala, the Net of Perfect Wisdom, as well as Ditthijala,

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1320-618: The Brahma being thought, "I am Brahma , Mahābrahmā , the Almighty, Omniscient, the Lord of All, Creator, Master of all creatures. I am the source of all life, Father to everything which exists and will come to exist. These creatures are my creations. How can I conclude this? Because, just as I was thinking, "Let it be that another being may come here and accompany me", then my wish made that being come into existence." Beings that came after thought

1380-466: The Brahmajala sutta. When hearing Buddhist teachings, the Buddha claims that people would react with four forms of ambiguous evasion: In other words, when a person would hear the dharma , they would respond, "I don't know. Maybe it is true. Maybe it is not true. I can't say it's true because I don't know and I can't deny it's true because I don't know." The idea is that the person isn't considering

1440-462: The Buddha asks him in which direction a fire goes when it has gone out. Vaccha replies that the question "does not fit the case ... For the fire that depended on fuel ... when that fuel has all gone, and it can get no other, being thus without nutriment, it is said to be extinct." The Buddha then explains: "In exactly the same way ..., all form by which one could predicate the existence of the saint, all that form has been abandoned, uprooted, pulled out of

1500-517: The Dhamma, and the Sangha, then you should state which is wrong and point out the mistake by explaining that because of this proof and that, then that is not true, or it is not like that, that kind of thing is not us, or occurring in us. " " But if someone praises me, the Dhamma, or the Sangha; don't let this thing make you feel proud, joyful, and happy. If you act like that, then it will become an obstacle in your efforts to achieve your own final liberation. If someone speaks like that, you should state which

1560-722: The Five Great Buddhas, and the Five Jinas ( Sanskrit for "conqueror" or "victor"), are emanations and representations of the five qualities of the Adi-Buddha or "first Buddha" Vairocana or Vajradhara , which is associated with the Dharmakāya . The Five Wisdom Buddhas are a development of the Buddhist Tantras, and later became associated with the trikaya or "three body" theory of Buddhahood . While in

1620-500: The Manopadosika gods. These were the gods who always envied the other gods. This illness of mind caused their death. In the same cycle, they were reborn as ascetic Manopadosika gods, achieved the ability to remember their past life, and came to the conclusion, "Had we not been envious, we would have stayed strong and intelligent. We would never have died or fallen forever from the realm of gods.". The fourth semi-eternalistic belief

1680-724: The Net of Views, as well as Anuttarasangama Vijaya, the Incomparable Victory in Battle." Thus said the Bhagavad. Translations Nik%C4%81ya Nikāya ( निकाय ) is a Pāli word meaning "volume". It is often used like the Sanskrit word āgama ( आगम ) to mean "collection", "assemblage", "class" or "group" in both Pāḷi and Sanskrit. It is most commonly used in reference to the Pali Buddhist texts of

1740-439: The ability to remember their past life, they came to a conclusion analogous to the 'Fall from Grace': "If only we were not so greedy and overzealous in our previous life, if only we had been able to control ourselves, we would not have suffered death. Now that we had made this error, we have to suffer this mortal life". Here, they concluded that the gods were eternal, and others were not. The third semi-eternalistic belief came from

1800-496: The arahant, both before and after parinirvana , lies beyond the domain where the descriptive powers of ordinary language are at home; that is, the world of the skandhas and the greed, hatred, and delusion that are "blown out" with nirvana. In the Aggi-Vacchagotta Sutta , an ascetic named Vaccha questions the Buddha on a variety of metaphysical issues. When Vaccha asks about the status of a tathagata after death,

1860-680: The arguments presented (see Kalama Sutta ), but stubbornly adhering to irrational agnosticism out of feelings of fear or hatred. The Non-causality beliefs stated that the Universe and the Souls happened coincidentally. The proponents of these beliefs claimed that there was/were no reason/s behind the creation of Universe and the Identity/Self. These beliefs were expressed because of two possibilities: Here, they concluded upon their past life that, "Before this, there were no Atta and Loka. So,

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1920-616: The beliefs come to conclusion due to the inability to see the truth, as they are seized by craving (clinging), agitated by longing (feeling). The Buddha further explains that the beliefs are originated from Contact (Phassa) as the cause. The contact is a phenomenon when the perception recognised an object beyond our Self. Then, from this brief event (like lightning in the sky, in the comparison drawn by Nagasena in Milinda Panha ), rise up feelings. Buddha states that there are no possibilities of feeling without contact. Thus, according to

1980-539: The compound word: either tathā and āgata (via a sandhi rule ā + ā → ā), or tathā and gata. Tathā means "thus" in Sanskrit and Pali, and Buddhist thought takes this to refer to what is called "reality as-it-is" ( yathābhūta ). This reality is also referred to as "thusness" or "suchness" ( tathatā ), indicating simply that it (reality) is what it is. Tathāgata is defined as someone who "knows and sees reality as-it-is" ( yathā bhūta ñāna dassana ). Gata ("gone")

2040-493: The concepts or apperceptions that make propositions possible. Nagarjuna expressed this understanding in the nirvana chapter of his Mulamadhyamakakarika : "It is not assumed that the Blessed One exists after death. Neither is it assumed that he does not exist, or both, or neither. It is not assumed that even a living Blessed One exists. Neither is it assumed that he does not exist, or both, or neither." Speaking within

2100-606: The context of Mahayana Buddhism (specifically the Perfection of Wisdom sutras), Edward Conze writes that the term 'tathagata' denotes inherent true selfhood within the human being: Just as tathata designates true reality in general, so the word which developed into "Tathagata" designated the true self, the true reality within man. In Vajrayana Buddhism, the Five Tathāgatas ( pañcatathāgata ) or Five Wisdom Tathāgatas ( Chinese : 五智如来 ; pinyin : Wǔzhì Rúlái ),

2160-542: The convoy of the sangha . Suppiya uttered some insulting words about the Buddha, his teachings, and his disciples. However, Brahmadatta praised and revered the Buddha, Dhamma , and Sangha. The two continued debating until they arrived at the King's resting place in Ambalatthika. Hearing this conversation, some monks discussed the nature of conflicting students and teachers the next morning. They wondered how marvellous it

2220-608: The current kappa (kalpa) and three are from past ones. One sutta called Cakkavatti-Sīhanāda Sutta from an early Buddhist text called the Dĩgha Nikãya also mentions that following the Seven Buddhas of Antiquity, a Buddha named Metteyya (Maitreya) is predicted to arise in the world. However, according to a text in the Theravada Buddhist tradition from a later strata (between the 1st and 2nd century BCE) called

2280-506: The dhamma which surpasses them. Knowing that dhamma, he does not view it in the wrong way. Since he does not view it in the wrong way, he realizes by himself the extinction of defilements (i.e., greed, anger, and ignorance of the Four Ariya Truths) . Buddha finally concludes the exposition of these 'wrong' beliefs by stating that these (62) beliefs, if they are believed, will certainly cause agitations and cravings. It implies that

2340-550: The early Buddhist schools. Some scholars exclude pre-sectarian Buddhism when using the term. The term Theravada refers to Buddhist practices based on these early teachings, as preserved in the Pāli Canon . Tathagata The Buddha is quoted on numerous occasions in the Pali Canon as referring to himself as the Tathāgata instead of using the pronouns me , I or myself . This may be meant to emphasize by implication that

2400-479: The elaboration of the "Ten Precepts" ( Cula-sila ) and the "Middle Precepts" ( Majjhima-sila ). Cula-sila deals with the Ten Precepts to be practiced by devout Buddhists, while Majjhima-sila gives a detailed description of the practice of the sixth, seventh, eighth, and ninth precepts, together with a further delineation of virtuous practices and abstentions. The second and third parts of the sutta discuss

2460-418: The followers of these beliefs defended and clung on their faith and didn't believe in another faiths. The proponents of these faiths proposed that Nibbana's state of bliss could be attained in the current life. They based their faith because: All of the followers of these beliefs defended and clung on their faith and didn't believe in another faiths. " The Tathagata knows these sixty-two views. He also knows

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2520-429: The former appear outwardly superior to the latter, simply because they are allowed to remain impassible, whereas the latter must in some sense appear to rediscover "a way" or at least recapitulate it, so that others, too, may "go that way," hence tathā-gata . A number of passages affirm that a Tathāgata is "immeasurable", "inscrutable", "hard to fathom", and "not apprehended". A tathāgata has abandoned that clinging to

2580-446: The ground like a palmyra-tree, and become non-existent and not liable to spring up again in the future. The saint ... who has been released from what is styled form is deep, immeasurable, unfathomable, like the mighty ocean." The same is then said of the other aggregates. A variety of similar passages make it clear that the metaphor "gone out, he cannot be defined" ( atthangato so na pamanam eti ) refers equally to liberation in life. In

2640-595: The higher realm called the Brahma realm and lived alone in the palace there. From living alone for so long a time, this being grew distressed and longed for a companion. He then uttered, "O, let it be that another being may come here and accompany me." At the same time as the utterance, a being in the Abhassara realm died (due to the exhaustion of his good karma) and was reborn in the Brahma realm as his follower, but in many ways, similar to his feature. Seeing this happen,

2700-436: The kammic causal process (kamma bhava); the kammic causal process gives rise to rebirth; and rebirth gives rise to ageing, death, grief, lamentation, pain, distress and despair. The Buddha states that Monks who have realized and understood the origin of contact of the six senses, and escaped the round of sufferings, would see Dhamma (Truth) of Precepts ( Śīla ), Concentration ( Samadhi ) and Wisdom ( Pańńa ) which surpassed all

2760-491: The law of Twelve Related Chain of Cause and Effects ( Pratitya-samutpada ), the people who believe in one of many of these sixty-two beliefs, will end up in round cycle of sufferings; as they have not found the truth on the cease of sufferings. Due to their faith, they will experience feelings as a result of repeated contact through the six sense bases. In them feeling gives rise to craving; craving gives rise to clinging; clinging gives rise to current existence (upapatti bhava) and

2820-488: The level of forming separate sects within the Theravāda tradition, because they do not typically follow different doctrines or monastic codes, nor do these divisions extend to the laity. In Burma , nikaya monastic orders have emerged in response to the relative conservativeness with which the Vinayas are interpreted, and the hierarchical structure within the nikaya. Since 1980, no new nikayas have been allowed, and there are

2880-445: The mind of the Buddha cannot be "encompassed" even by him. The Buddha and Sariputta, in similar passages, when confronted with speculation as to the status of an arahant after death, bring their interlocutors to admit that they cannot even apprehend an arahant that is alive. As Sariputta puts it, his questioner Yamaka "can't pin down the Tathagata as a truth or reality even in the present life." These passages imply that condition of

2940-462: The other beliefs: The Buddha told a story about a time when the Earth was not yet formed. The sentient beings in this time normally lived in the realm of Abhassara , in radiant light and nourished by celestial joy. Then came a time when the Earth was in the process of forming yet still uninhabitable. One of these beings in the Abhassara realm died (due to the exhaustion of his karma ) and was reborn in

3000-581: The other) of Brahmā. The sutta is also called Atthajala (Raft of Essence), Dhammajala , (Raft of the Dhamma), Ditthijala (Raft of Views), Anuttarasangama Vijaya (Incomparable Victory in Battle). The word "net" is a mistranslation. The words of the Revered Buddha are clear when he describes the Dhamma as teachings that take one to the safe shore (of eternity) The sutta discusses two main topics:

3060-502: The power to remember his one past life. As he recalled it, he came to the conclusion that creatures, including himself, are not eternal, had limited age, were vulnerable to change, but that Brahma is eternal, ageless, and changeless. The second semi-eternalistic belief came from ascetics who were once Khiddapadosika gods, celestial beings that were too busy experiencing desire-based joy and fun and forgot to take their nutriments and therefore, died. As they were reborn as ascetics and achieved

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3120-506: The same colour or be related to the same directions. In particular, Akshobhya and Vairocana may be switched. When represented in a Vairocana mandala, the Buddhas are arranged like this: In the earliest strata of Pali Buddhist texts , especially in the first four Nikāyas , only the following seven Buddhas, the Seven Buddhas of Antiquity ( Sattatathāgata , or "The Seven Tathāgatas"), are explicitly mentioned and named. Of these, four are from

3180-458: The same thing. They worshipped and revered the Brahma because, "He was here even before I existed! Surely he is the Lord and Creator of All." In the Brahma realm, the first being had longer and more powerful features than the latter coming beings. So, a probability existed that the latter being died in the Brahma realm, and then was reborn as a human. This human abandoned worldly affairs and became an ascetic, then by his devotion and practice, achieved

3240-462: The second part, the Buddha explains the major beliefs of ascetics in India. He begins by saying, " Monks, there are other things which are very deep (profound), very hard to understand, very difficult to perceive, so holy and sacred, unreached by means of mind, so subtle, that they are only to be understood and experienced by the wise. These things were perceived clearly, seen clearly and were discarded by

3300-476: The teaching is uttered by one who has transcended the human condition, one beyond the otherwise endless cycle of rebirth and death , i.e. beyond dukkha . The word's original significance is not known and there has been speculation about it since at least the time of Buddhaghosa , who gives eight interpretations of the word, each with different etymological support, in his commentary on the Digha Nikaya ,

3360-687: The term has a non-Buddhist origin, and is best understood when compared to its usage in non-Buddhist works such as the Mahabharata . Shcherbatskoy gives the following example from the Mahabharata ( Shantiparva , 181.22): "Just as the footprints of birds (flying) in the sky and fish (swimming) in water cannot be seen, Thus ( tātha ) is going ( gati ) of those who have realized the Truth." The French author René Guénon , in an essay distinguishing between Pratyēka-Buddhas and Bodhisattvas , writes that

3420-547: The universe and the soul must be eternal. The Buddha said that there are 18 types of eternalistic belief, all based on one of these four origins. All of the followers of these beliefs defended and clung to their faith and did not give credence to other faiths. The semi-eternalistic belief is described as belief that is based on the past, where the dualistic notion is asserted that there are things which are eternal and things which are not eternal. There are four ways these beliefs come to be faith, where one believer never acknowledged

3480-408: The universe is based on the speculation about the infinite or the limited nature of the universe. There are four ways these beliefs were expressed: The source of these beliefs came from two reasons: All of the followers of these beliefs defended and clung to their faith and didn't believe in other faiths. The concept of ambiguous evasion or eel-wriggling (Pali: Amaravikkhepa ) is introduced in

3540-442: The wrong beliefs. The Buddha then makes an analogy of a fisherman using a fine-meshed net to catch the fish in the pond. The fish represent the ascetics who cling to their beliefs. They will rise and sink in the pond, but in the end will unavoidably be caught in the net. Whereas the Buddha, who stand outside the net has found the truth and has transcended the cycle of suffering. The Brahmajala Sutta ends with this quotation: " When

3600-547: Was that the Buddha knew the various kinds of views to be found in people. The Buddha arrived and asked what they were discussing. As a monk finished telling him, the Buddha responded, " Monks, if anyone spoke words which insult me, the Dhamma, and the Sangha, don't let this thing prompt you to hate, take revenge, and turn against them. If, because of this, you become angry or annoyed, then it will become an obstacle in your quest to liberate yourself, and cause you upset. However, if someone speaks insulting or false accusations about me,

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