A Coexistence of the Atman-Brahman Concepts in the Pali Canon

2017 Fiscal Year Final Research Report

• Project/Area Number: 16H06919
• Research Category: Grant-in-Aid for Research Activity Start-up
• Allocation Type: Single-year Grants
• Research Field: Chinese philosophy/Indian philosophy/Buddhist studies
• Research Institution: Osaka University
• Principal Investigator: Nawa Ryuken 大阪大学, 文学研究科, 助教 (20782741)
• Project Period (FY): 2016-08-26 – 2018-03-31
• Keywords: 初期仏教 / パーリ聖典 / 梵我一如 / brahman / ブラフマー神 / 四無量心 / 慈悲喜捨 / ブラフマニズム

Outline of Final Research Achievements

There are two kinds of the concepts on the equation of Atman (self) and Brahman (the highest existence) in the Pali canon. On the one hand Brahmins insisted that they can reach the highest deity Brahman through cultivating the four Appamanas, on the other hand Buddhists took Nibbana as the highest state Brahman and insisted that they can reach Nibbana through cultivating the four Ariya-saccas. The Buddhists approved of the concept of the Brahmins and took it into the Buddhist training course. But the Buddhists claimed that the deity Brahman is nothing more than the being caught in Samsara and the Buddha clarified the way to Nibbana, namely, the state escaped from Samsara. The Buddhists thus tried to have superiority over the Brahmins without denying their concept. In this structure of the Buddhist training course, even if people train to reach the highest deity Brahman, it actually means that people proceed to the highest state Brahman of the Buddhists, namely, Nibbana.

Free Research Field

インド初期仏教文献学