Tevijja Sutta Budha says his path leads to union with Brahma

shays860

http://www.dhammaweb.net/Tipitaka/read.php?id=13

What am I misunderstanding here? I thought Buddha specifically avoided the subject of a higher power yet here he says his path leads to union with a higher power...

caz

“So, Vasettha, not one of these Brahmins learned in the Three Vedas has seen Brahrna face to face, nor has one of their teachers, or teacher's teachers, nor even the ancestor seven generations back of one of their teachers. Nor could any of the early sages say : “We know and see when, how and where Brahma appears.” So what these Brahmins learned in the Three Vedas are saying is : “We teach this path to union with Brahma that we do not know or see, this is the only straight path ... leading to union with Brahma.” “What do you think, Vasettha? Such being the case, does not what these Brahmins declare turn out to be ill-founded?” “Yes indeed, Reverend Gotama.”

“Well, Vasettha, when these Brahmins learned in the Three Vedas teach a path that they do not know or see, saying : “This is the only straight path …,” this cannot possibly be right. Just as a file of blind men go on, clinging to each other, and the first one sees nothing, the middle one sees nothing, and the last one sees nothing - so it is with the talk of these Brahmins learned in the Three Vedas : the first one sees nothing, the middle one sees nothing, the last one sees nothing. The talk of these Brahmins learned in the Three Vedas turns out to be laughable, mere words, empty and vain.”

NOTES TO DIGHA NIKAYA 13

1 Union with Brahma was the ultimate goal for the Brahmins.

2 The alternative reading, adopted by RD, is Bavharija, but RD notes : “If we adopt the other reading [i.e. Brahmacariya, as he omits to say] for the last in the list, then those priests who relied on liturgy, sacrifice or chant would be contrasted with those who had “gone forth” as religieux, either as Tapasas or as Bhikshus.”

3 The ten rishi authors of the Vedic mantras.

4 Saparigaha. The PED gives both “married” and “encumbered”. Both are implied.

5Vasavatti lit. “powerful”, but here meaning having power, or control, over oneself.

6 These (pre-Buddhist) 'Divine Abidings' (Brahmavihara) are also called the Boundless States (appamanna).

7 Pamana katam according to Da denotes the sensuous sphere (kamaloka). DA says : "Like the mighty ocean, flodding a little creek, he even reaches up to Brahma."

8 DA says Vasettha's first taking refuge was after the preaching of the Vasettha Sutta, and this was the second occasion. He 'went forth' and, after the preaching of Agganna Sutta, he received the higher ordination and attained Arahantship.

RD's comment : "It should be recollected that the argument here is only argumentum ad hominem. If you want union with Brahma - which you had much better not want - this is the way to attain it," ignores the outcome as reported by DA. The Buddha's words wre indeed, as in other cases, ad hominem, and had, as in other cases, the result of leading the enquirer beyond his original premises.

xabir

What is called "union with Brahma" simply means "rebirth in the mundane Brahma realm". This is not the ultimate goal in Buddhism, however the Buddha taught the way to those interested.

Brahma in Buddhism is simply a worldy being who lives in a high (but worldly) plane, and does not have power over our karmic force - there is no creator in Buddhism, not even Brahma is a creator (though he may be deluded to think that he is). So I don't see how any being fits under the category of 'higher power' if by 'higher power' you mean someone who has power over your life, your destiny, being the creator of the world, etc.

shays860

Ok. Thanks... Apparently i need to research the role of divinity and the supernatural in Buddhism...