Buddhism and the Brahma concept
Ven. Bellanwila Wimalaratana Thera
The term Brahma occurs fairly frequently in Buddhist literature.
There are many terms that are prefixed with the word Brahma. Some
of the well-known are Brahma-cariya, Brahma-vihara, Brahma-kaya,
Brahma-danda, Brahma-jala, Brahma-cakka and Brahma-sara. Even the
Brahma world as well as denizens of such worlds known as
Maha-brahma, Brahma-sahampati, Brahma-sanankumara are also
mentioned.
In phrases such as ‘Brahmati matapitaro’, the term Brahma is used
to give it a special ethical connotation. What we propose here is
to examine how this pre-Buddhist word came to be used in Buddhist
literature and to discuss the changes it has undergone in this
process of adaptation.
The 6th century B. C., the period to which the Buddha belongs is
a period in which Indian religious and philosophical scene
underwent a radical change. By this time the Brahmanic religious
tradition had reached a very high stage of development. It began
with the Vedas and developed through the Brahmanas, Aranyakas and
reached its climax in the Upanishads.
It was at such a time that the Buddha appeared on the religious
scene of India. During this period there were two distinct groups
of religious thinkers: one group advocating the belief that
salvation had to be attained through Karma marga or Yajan marga, i.
e. through the path of sacrifice; and the other holding that
salvation is possible only through the path of wisdom or
Jnana-marga.
Besides these two religious paths, both put forward by the
Brahmins, there was the path to salvation through ascetic practices
put forward mainly by such groups as Ajivakas, Paribbajakas, and
Niganthas. The latter group belonged mainly to the Sramana
tradition which was opposed to the Brahmana tradition. Even the
Buddha belongs to this Sramana tradition.
The Buddha who had mastered all the religious traditions of the
time not only rejected the prevalent views on salvation, but
presented a novel philosophy of emancipation. He discarded such
views as divine creation, belief in a permanent self, determinism
and annihilationism, and presented his teaching basing it on the
fundamental doctrine of paticcasamuppada or dependent
co-origination.
This fundamental doctrine formed the foundation for his other
basic teachings such as karma, rebirth and freedom. Even the theory
and practice of Buddhist ethics is founded on this doctrine of
paticcasamuppada, which is the central philosophy of Buddhism.
The oldest scriptures that record the teachings of the Buddha
are referred to as the Tripitaka (Three Baskets) written in the
Pali language. When one examines the Tripitaka, it becomes quite
clear that the Buddha’s teaching is basically different from Vedic
and Brahmanic teachings.
Yet, it becomes also clear that in spite of this difference, the
Buddha himself had to adapt and use certain cherished beliefs,
concepts and terms that were in vogue among the Brahmins, in order
to put across his own teachings. Among such pre-Buddhistic
concepts, the Buddha adopted the concept of Brahma occupies an
important place. As mentioned before, the word Brahmao ccurs
frequently in pre-Buddhist as well as in Buddhist literature
indicating a wide variety of senses and context.
(1) The technical terms used in Buddhist literature can be
classified into three groups.
(2) The terms that are common in form as well as in meaning in both
Brahmanic and Buddhist literature.
(3) The terms that are common in form, but different in
meaning.
Terms that denote completely a Buddhist meaning.
According to this classification the term Brahma falls into the
second group. In Buddhism it is used in a sense quite different
from the sense in which it is used in Brahmanism. Both Brahma and
Brahman connote the idea of the Highest. In the earliest stages the
term Brahman meant the universe. Hence the first beginning of the
Brahma ideal could be traced to the Purusa Sukta which occurs in
the 10th Mandala of the Rgveda.
It alludes to some kind of primordial universal matter.
Gradually this idea developed and finally it came to be accepted
that the Brahman or Brahma is the source of the whole universe. In
the early Brahmana period Prajapati is considered more important
and he is considered the primordial being and Brahma occupies a
secondary place.
In the Satapatha Brahman it is clearly mentioned that Prajapati
created the Brahma. But in later Brahmana texts their positions
were reversed, Brahma superseding Prajapati, with Brahma being
considered as the foundation as well as the source of the
universe.
This idea reached its culmination in the Upanishad literature,
where reference is made to the undifferentiated unity of Brahman
and Atman, that is the Universal Soul and the Individual Soul, in
other words, the macrocosm and the microcosm.
Brahman as the Cosmic Soul is universal, permanent,
indestructible, unique; it is the primordial essence, the ultimate
ground of existence. The final goal came to be considered as the
realization of the unity between Brahman and Atman; the realization
of “oneness” between the universal soul and the individual
soul.
The attainment of this undifferentiated unity is considered in
the Upanishads as the goal and ideal of all Brahmins. It was said
that there are two paths open to this goal. One is the path of
Sacrifice (Yajna or Karma-marga) and the other the Path of
Knowledge (Jnana-marga). The latter was followed by the Upanishad
sages, the munis who practised severe ascetic practices.
The Buddha’s attitude towards this long-cherished concept of
Brahmais two-fold.
- Complete rejection of the Brahma concept.
- Giving new meanings to certain ideas connected with the Brahma
concept.
Both as religion and philosophy, Buddhism is based on the “no
soul” view. Therefore, the Buddhist attitude to the Upanishadic
view of reality needs no examination. In the Vasettha-sutta of the
Dighanikaya, the attempt to reach the Brahma that no one has seen
is compared to the effort of a line of blind men. The Buddhist
teaching that everything is impermanent rejects the belief in a
permanent substance that underlines everything in the universe.
The Buddhist theory of causality shows that if there is a
Brahma, he cannot be uncaused and similarly cannot be eternal.
According to the Buddhist doctrine of paticasamuppada the universe
is not the creation of a personal God or impersonal Godhead, but
the outcome of causes and conditions.
Though the Buddha rejected this Brahma concept which was
prevalent in pre-Buddhistc times, it is clearly seen that he used
some aspects of this concept to put across his own philosophy.
Buddhism does not deny the existence of Brahma. It speaks of
Brahma-lokas, refers to Maha Brahama as the Lord of the
Brahama-lokas. In many suttas this supreme Brahma is referred to as
Sahampati. He is represented as one who has cultivated his mind and
as one who honours and pays reverence to the Buddha.
This shows that Buddhahood is higher than Brahmahood. The
Buddhist texts also refer to many instances when Brahma came to
meet the Buddha. Among these Brahmas are Sanamkumara, Ghatikara,
Narada.
Reference is also made to the path leading to the Brahma World.
The Tevijja Sutta says that the path to the Brahma World is through
the development of jhanas pertaining to the five material spheres.
The Brahma Worlds are known as Suddhavasas, the Pure Abodes.
It is said that the attainment of the First jhana leads to the
Brahma Worlds called “Brahama-parisajja”, “Brahma-purohita” and
“Maha Brahma”; the Second Jhana to Parittabha, Appamanabha and
Abhassara; the Third Jhana to Parittasubha, Appamanasubha and
Subhakinna.
The Fourth Jhana is said to lead the non-Anagamins to Vehapphala
and Asannasatta Brahma-lokas and the Anagamns to Aviha, Atappa,
Sudassi and Akanittha Brahma-loka. This shows that Buddhism too has
a parallel concept of the attainment of companionship with Brahma.
But this, however, does not mean that Buddhism, like Brahmanism,
admits the possibility of eternal companionship with Brahma.
What is meant by this jhanic attainment is the experiencing of a
very high level of mental development through the jhanic
process.
The teaching on the four Brahma-Viharas (four Sublimes States)
is another instance which shows how the Buddha adopted another
important aspect of the pre-Buddhist Brahma concept. Many scholars
are of the opinion that the teaching on Brahma-Vihara is purely
Buddhist. Perhaps this is more likely to be an adaptation of a
pre-Buddhist concept to suit the Buddhist point of view. This
becomes clear from Buddhaghosa’s definition of Brahma-vihara:
“Why are these called Brahma-viharas? It is because they are
supreme and faultless. These states constitute the best mode of
conduct towards others. The Brahmas live with their minds freed of
the five hindrances. The Yogins who are endowed with these states
also live with faultless minds like the Brahmas”.
As the parents have these mental attitudes towards their
children, they too can be called Brahmas. In fact in comparing the
parents to the Brahmas, the Buddha appears to have added a new
dimension to the Brahma concept.
The Buddhist path leading to Nibbana is called the
“Brahma-faring” (Brahmacariya). The Buddha addressing the first
disciples who grasped his teaching said, “Come O! monk, the
doctrine is well taught. Practise this Brahma faring for the
perfect ending of suffering”.
The five ascetics who were the first disciples of the Buddha
were already following some kind of a restrained noble life. By
inviting them to lead “Brahmacariya” a new Buddha seems to have
made clear that his interpretation of the Brahma faring meant
something different from what they were already engaged in. The
Varnasrama dharma followed by the Brahmins divides the life into
four stages.
These four stages are studentship (brahamacriya), householder
(grhastha), forest entry (vanaprastha) and renunciation (sannyasi).
Here, Brahmacariya meant merely the studentship, limited to the
student days of one’s life. But Brahmacariya in Buddhism is not
limited to any particular period of life. It is valid for all
stages of life and can be commenced by renunciation of the worldly
life.
It is somewhat parallel to the sannyasi stage in the “varnasrama
dharma” of the Brahmins. From this it becomes clear that the
Brahmacariya in Buddhism, which developed from a pre-Buddhist idea,
was identified as the path leading to the ending of defilement
resulting in the destruction of suffering.
In general the term Brahma is used in the sense of Supreme,
Noble, Highest, Holy and so on. This shows how important the idea
of Brahma had been to the Brahmins and how much influence it
exerted on Buddhism. It is also seen that in the canonical texts,
the two terms Brahma and Dhamma are at time used
co-terminously.
Terms such as Brahma-cakka, Dhamma-cakka, Brahma-bhuta,
Dhamma-bhuta, Brahma-kaya, Dhamma-kaya, illustrate such synonymity
of the two terms. This clearly shows that the Buddha used the
pre-Buddhistic Brahma concept to give a new dimension to certain
important Buddhist concepts.
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