Brahmajala Sutta: The Net of Views- What The Teaching is Not .
 Posted by Buddha's Life and Teachings . |
In the Brahmajala sutta ( The Net of Views) the Buddha lists the 62 wrong views. He elaborates on how the each beliefs come to be and how they are declared. The Buddha ends with a statement about the danger of clinging to these beliefs, as they are still influenced by desire , hatred, and ignorance that its faithful followers will not end in the final liberation but still in the cycle of samsara:
"The Tathagata knows these sixty-two views. He also knows 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 the beliefs come to conclusion due to the inability to see the truth, as they are seized by craving (clinging), agitated by longing (feeling).
Buddha states that there are no possibilities of feeling without contact. Thus, according to 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 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 (Sila), Concentration (Samadhi) and Wisdom (Pańńa) which surpassed all the wrong beliefs.
The Sixty-Two Kinds Of Wrong Views:
“There are, monks, some samanas and Brahmins who are speculators about the past, having fixed views about the past, and who put forward various speculative theories about the past, in eighteen different ways. On what basis, on what grounds do they do so?”
ETERNALIST (1-4)
“There are some samanas and Brahmins who are Eternalists, who proclaim the eternity of the self and the world in four ways. On what grounds?”
1. Wrong view l “Here, monks, a certain samanas or Brahmin has by means of effort, exertion, application, earnestness and right attention attained to such a state of mental concentration that he thereby recalls past existences ……And he says: ‘The self and the world are eternal, barren like a mountain-peak, set firmly as a post. These beings rush round, circulate, pass away and re-arise, but this remains eternally. …’ ….That is the first way in which some ascetics and Brahmins proclaim the eternity of the self and the world.”
2. “And what is the second way? Here, monks, a certain samanas or Brahmin has by means of effort, exertion ... attained to such a state of mental concentration that he thereby recalls one period of contraction and expansion, two such periods, three, four, five, ten periods of contraction and expansion … ‘There my name was so-and-so. . .’ That is the second way in which some samanas and Brahmins proclaim the eternity of the self and the world.”
3. …. recalls ten, twenty, thirty, forty periods of contraction and expansion.
4 …….Here a certain samanas or Brahmin is a logician,34 a reasoner. Hammering it out by reason, following his own line of thought, he argues: ‘The self and the world are eternal, barren like a mountain-peak, set firmly as a post. ….
“These are the four ways in which these samanas and Brahmins are Eternalists, and proclaim the eternity of the self and the world on four grounds. And whatever ascetics or Brahmins are Eternalists and proclaim the eternity of the self and the world, they do so on one or other of these four grounds. There is no other way.”
“This, monks, the Tathagata understands : These viewpoints thus grasped and adhered to will lead to such-and-such destinations in another world. This the Tathagata knows, and more, but he is not attached to that knowledge. And being thus unattached he has experienced for himself perfect peace, and having truly understood the arising and passing away of feelings, their attraction and peril and the deliverance from them, the Tathagata is liberated without remainder.”
SEMI-ETERNALIST (5-8 ) : The Buddha lists 4 ways in which people arrived at the Semi-eternalist views.
“There are, monks, some samanas and Brahmins who are partly Eternalists and partly Non-Eternalists, who proclaim the partial eternity and the partial non-eternity of the self and the world in four ways. On what grounds?”
“There comes a time, monks, sooner or later after a long period, when this world contracts. At a time of contraction, beings are mostly reborn in the Abhassara Brahma world. And there they dwell, mind-made, feeding on delight, self-luminous, moving through the air, glorious - and they stay like that for a very long time.”
5. “But the time comes, sooner or later after a long period, when this world begins to expand. In this expanding world an empty palace of Brahma appears. And then one being, from exhaustion of his life-span or of his merits, falls from the Abhassara world and arises in the empty Brahma-palace. And there he dwells, mind-made, feeding on delight, self-luminous, moving through the air, glorious - and he stays like that for a very long time.”
“Then in this being who has been alone for so long there arises unrest, discontent and worry, and he thinks: ‘Oh, if only some other beings would come here!’ And other beings, from exhaustion of their life-span or of their merits, fall from the Abhassara world and arise in the Brahma palace as companions for this being. And there they dwell, mind-made, … and they stay like that for a very long time.”
“And then, monks, that being who first arose there thinks: “I am Brahma, the Great Brahma, the Conqueror, the Unconquered, the All-Seeing, the All-Powerful, the Lord, the Maker and Creator, Ruler, Appointer and Orderer, Father of All That Have Been and Shall Be. These beings were created by me. How so? Because I first had this thought: ‘Oh, if only some other beings would come here!’ That was my wish, and then these beings came into this existence!” But those beings who arose subsequently think: “This, friends, is Brahma, Great Brahma, the Conqueror, the Unconquered, the All-Seeing, the All-Powerful, the Lord, the Maker and Creator, Ruler, Appointer and Orderer, Father of All That Have Been and Shall Be. How so? We have seen that he was here first, and that we arose after him.”
“And this being that arose first is longer-lived, more beautiful and more powerful than they are. And it may happen that some being falls from that realm and arises in this world. Having arisen in this world, he goes forth from the household life into homelessness. Having gone forth, he by means of effort, exertion, application, earnestness and right attention attains to such a degree of mental concentration that he thereby recalls his last existence, but recalls none before that. And he thinks: ‘That Brahma, … he made us, and he is permanent, stable, eternal, not subject to change, the same for ever and ever. But we who were created by that Brahma, we are impermanent, unstable, short-lived, fated to fall away, and we have come to this world.’ This is the first case where-by some ascetics and Brahmins are partly Eternalists and partly Non-Eternalists.”
6 “And what is the second way? There are, monks, certain Devas called Corrupted by Pleasure.40 They spend an excessive amount of time addicted to merriment, play and enjoyment, so that their mindfulness is dissipated, and by the dissipation of mindfulness those beings fall from that state.”
“And it can happen that a being, having fallen from that state, arises in this world. Having arisen in this world, he goes forth from the household life into homelessness. Having gone forth, he by means of effort, exertion, recalls his last existence, but recalls none before that.”
“He thinks: ‘Those reverend Devas who are not corrupted by pleasure do not spend an excessive amount of time addicted to merriment, play and enjoyment. Thus their mindfulness is not dissipated, and so they do not fall from that state. They are permanent, stable, eternal, not subject to change, the same for ever and ever. But we, who are corrupted by pleasure, spent an excessive amount of time addicted to merriment, play and enjoyment. Thus we, by the dissipation of mindfulness, have fallen from that state, we are impermanent, unstable, short-lived, fated to fall away, and we have come to this world.’ This is the second case.”
7. “And what is the third way? There are, monks, certain Devas called Corrupted in Mind.41 They spend an excessive amount of time regarding each other with envy. By this means their minds are corrupted. On account of their corrupted minds they become weary in body and mind. And they fall from that place.”
“And it can happen that a being, having fallen from that state, arises in this world. He ... recalls his last existence, but recalls none before that.”
“He thinks: ‘Those reverend Devas who are not corrupted in mind do not spend an excessive amount of time regarding each other with envy ... They do not become corrupted in mind, or weary in body and mind, and so they do not fall from that state. They are permanent, stable, eternal ... But we, who are corrupted in mind, … are impermanent, unstable, short-lived, fated to fall away, and we have come to this world.’ This is the third case.”
8. “And what is the fourth way? Here, a certain samana or Brahmin is a logician, a reasoner. Hammering it out by reason, following his own line of thought, he argues: ‘Whatever is called eye or ear or nose or tongue or body, that is impermanent, unstable, non-eternal, liable to change. But what is called thought,42 or mind or consciousness, that is a self that is permanent, stable, eternal, not subject to change, the same for ever and ever!’ This is the fourth case.”
“These are the four ways in which these samanas and Brahmins are partly Eternalists and partly Non-Eternalists ... Whatever ascetics and Brahmins ... proclaim the partial eternity and the partial non-eternity of the self and the world, they do so on one or other of these four grounds. There is no other way.”
“This, monks, the Tathagata understands : These viewpoints thus grasped and adhered to will lead to such-and-such destinations in another world. This the Tathagata knows, and more, but he is not attached to that knowledge. And being thus unattached he has experienced for himself perfect peace, and having truly understood the arising and passing away of feelings, their attraction and peril and the deliverance from them, the Tathagata is liberated without remainder.
FINITIST & INFINITIST : 4 Ways in which people arrive at the Finitist view
“There are, monks, some samanas and Brahmins who are Finitists and Infinitists and who proclaim the finitude and infinitude of the world on four grounds. What are they?”
9 “Here a certain samana or Brahmin has by means of effort ... attained to such a state of concentration that he dwells perceiving the world as finite. He thinks: ‘This world is finite and bounded by a circle. How so? Because I have ... attained to such a state of concentration that I dwell perceiving the world as finite. Therefore I know that this world is finite and bounded by a circle.’ This is the first case.”
10 “And what is the second way? Here a certain samana or Brahmin has attained to such a state of concentration that he dwells perceiving the world as infinite. He thinks: ‘This world is infinite and unbounded. Those ascetics and Brahmins who say it is finite and bounded are wrong. How so? Because I have attained to such a state of concentration that I dwell perceiving the world as infinite. Therefore I know that this world is infinite and unbounded.’ This is the second case.”
11 “And what is the third way? Here a certain samana or Brahmin has attained to such a state of consciousness that he dwells perceiving the world as finite up-and-down, and infinite across. He thinks: ‘The world is finite and infinite. Those ascetics and Brahmins who say it is finite are wrong, and those who say it is infinite are wrong. How so? Because I have attained to such a state of concentration that I dwell perceiving the world as finite up-and-down, and infinite across. Therefore I know that the world is both finite and infinite.’ This is the third case.”
12 “And what is the fourth case? Here a certain samana or Brahmin is a logician, a reasoner. Hammering it out by reason, he argues: ‘This world is neither finite nor infinite. Those who say it is finite are wrong, and so are those who say it is infinite, and those who say it is finite and infinite. This world is neither finite nor infinite.’ This is the fourth case.”
EEL- WRIGGLERS :
“There are, monks, some samanas and Brahmins who are Eel-Wrigglers. When asked about this or that matter, they resort to evasive statements, and they wriggle like eels on four grounds. What are they?”
13 “In this case there is an samana or Brahmin who does not in truth know whether a thing is good or bad. He thinks : ‘I do not in truth know whether this is good or whether it is bad. Not knowing which is right, I might declare : “That is good”, or “'That is bad”, and that might be a lie, and that would distress me. And if I were distressed, that would be a hindrance to me.’ 46 Thus fearing to lie, abhorring to lie,47 he does not declare a thing to be good or bad, but when asked about this or that matter, he resorts to evasive statements and wriggles like an eel : ‘I don't say this, I don't say that. I don't say it is otherwise. I don't say it is not. I don't not say it is not.’ This is the first case.”
14 “What is the second way? Here an samana or Brahmin does not in truth know whether a thing is good or bad. He thinks : “I might declare : 'That is good’, or ‘That is bad’, and I might feel desire or lust or hatred or aversion. If I felt desire, lust, hatred or aversion, that would be attachment on my part. If I felt attachment, that would distress me, and if I were distressed, that would be a hindrance to me.” Thus, fearing attachment, abhorring attachment, he resorts to evasive statements ... This is the second case.”
15 “What is the third way? Here an samana or Brahmin does not in truth know whether a thing is good or bad. He thinks : “I might declare : ‘That is good’, or ‘That is bad’, but there are ascetics and Brahmins who are wise, skilful, practised debaters, like archers who can split hairs, who go around destroying others' views with their wisdom, and they might cross-examine me, demanding my reasons and arguing. And I might not be able to reply. Not being able to reply would distress me, and if I were distressed, that would be a hindrance to me.’ Thus, fearing debate, abhorring debate, he resorts to evasive statements. This is the third case.”
16 “What is the fourth way? Here, an samana or Brahmin is dull and stupid. Because of his dullness and stupidity, when he is questioned he resorts to evasive statements and wriggles like an eel : “If you ask me whether there is another world - if I thought so, I would say there is another world. But I don't say so. And I don't say otherwise. And I don't say it is not, and I don't not say it is not.” ‘Is there no other world? ...’ “ Is there both another world and no other world? . . .” ‘Is there neither another world nor no other world? …’48 “Are there spontaneously-born beings? …” ‘Are there not... ?’ “Both ... ?” ‘Neither ... ?’ “Does the Tathagata exist after death? Does he not exist after death? Does he both exist and not exist after death? Does he neither exist nor not exist after death? …” ‘If I thought so, I would say so … I don't say it is not.’ This is the fourth case.”
CHANCE-ORIGINATIONISTS :
“There are, monks, some samanas and Brahmins who are Chance-Originationists, and who proclaim the chance origin of the self and the world on two grounds. What are they?”
17 . “There are, monks, certain Devas called Unconscious.49 As soon as a perception arises in them, those Devas fall from that realm. And it may happen that a being falls from that realm and arises in this world. He ... recalls his last existence, but none before that. He thinks : ‘The self and the world have arisen by chance. How so? Before this I did not exist. Now from not-being I have been brought to being.’ This is the first case,”
18 . “What is the second case? Here, an ascetic or Brahmin is a logician, a reasoner. He hammers out his own opinion and declares : ‘The self and the world have arisen by chance.’ This is the second case.”
“These are the two ways in which those samanas and Brahmins who are Chance-Originists proclaim the chance origin of the self and the world. There is no other way.”
“And these, monks, are the eighteen ways in which these samanas and Brahmins are speculators about the past ... T'here is no other way.”
SPECULATIONS ABOUT THE FUTURE ( 44) :
“There are, monks, some samanas and Brahmins who are speculators about the future, having fixed views about the future, and who put forward various speculative theories about the future in forty-four different ways. On what basis, on what grounds do they do so?”
CONSCIOUS POST MORTEM SURVIVAL ( 15)
“There are, monks, some samanas and Brahmins who proclaim a doctrine of Conscious Post-Mortem Survival, and do so in sixteen different ways. On what basis?
19 - 34 “They declare that the self after death is healthy and conscious and
(1) material, (2) immaterial, (3) both material and immaterial, (4) neither material nor immaterial, (5) finite, (6) infinite, (7) both, ( 8 ) neither, (9) of uniform perception, (10) of varied perception, (l1) of limited perception, (12) of unlimited perception, (13) wholly happy, (14) wholly miserable, (15) both, (16) neither.”
“These are the sixteen ways in which these samanas and Brahmins proclaim a doctrine of conscious post-mortem survival. There is no other way.”
UNCONSCIOUS POST MORTEM SURVIVAL (8 )
“There are, monks, some samanas and Brahmins who proclaim a doctrine of Unconscious Post-Mortem Survival, and they do so in eight ways. On what basis?”
35 - 42 “They declare that the self after death is healthy and unconscious and (1) material, (2) immaterial, (3) both, (4) neither, (5) finite, (6) infinite, (7) both, ( 8 )neither.” 52
“These are the eight ways in which these ascetics and Brahmins proclaim a doctrine of Unconscious Post-Mortem Survival. There is no other way.”
NEITHER-CONSCIOUS-NOR-UNCONSCIOUS POST-MORTEM SURVIVAL ( 8 )
“There are some samanas and Brahmins who declare a doctrine of Neither-Conscious- nor-Unconscious Post-Mortem Survival, and they do so in eight ways. On what basis?”
43 - 50 “They declare that the self after death is healthy and neither conscious nor unconscious and (1) material, (2) immaterial, (3) both, (4) neither, (5) finite, (6) infinite, (7) both, ( 8 ) neither .”
“These are the eight ways in which these ascetics and Brahmins proclaim a doctrine of Neither-Conscious-Nor-Unconscious Post-Mortem Survival. There is no other way.”
ANNIHILATIONISTS (7)
“There are, monks, some samanas and Brahmins who are Annihilationists, who proclaim the annihilation, destruction and non-existence of beings, and they do so in seven ways. On what basis?”
51 . “Here a certain samana or Brahmin declares and holds the view: ‘Since this self is material, composed of the four great elements,54 the product of mother and father,55 at the breaking up of the body is annihilated and perishes, and does not exist after death. This is the way in which this self is annihilated.’ That is how some proclaim the annihilation, destruction and non-existence of beings.”
52. Another says to him : ‘Sir, there is such a self as you say. I don't deny it. But that self is not wholly annihilated. For there is another self, divine,56 material, belonging to the sense-sphere,57 fed on real food.58 You don't know it or see it, but I do. It is this self that at the breaking-up of the body perishes ...” 59
53. Another says to him : "Sir, there is such a self as you say. I don't deny it. But that self is not wholly annihilated. For there is another self, divine, material, mind made,60 complete with all its parts, not defective in any sense organ ... It is this self that at the breaking-up of the body perishes. ...”
54 . Another says to him : “Sir, there is such a self as you say ... There is another self which, by passing entirely beyond bodily sensations, by the disappearance of all sense of resistance and by non-attraction to the perception of diversity, seeing that space is infinite, has realised the Sphere of Infinite Space.61 It is this self that at the breaking up of the body perishes . . .”
55. Another says to him : “There is another self which, by passing entirely beyond the Sphere of Infinite Space, seeing that consciousness is infinite, has realised the Sphere of Infinite Consciousness. It is this self that at the breaking-up of the body perishes ...”
56 . Another says to him : “There is another self which, by passing entirely beyond the Sphere of Infinite Consciousness, seeing that there is no thing, has realised the Sphere of No-Thingness. It is this self that at the breaking-up of the body perishes ...”
57. Another says to him : “Sir, there is such a self as you say. I don't deny it. But that self is not wholly annihilated. For there is another self which, by passing entirely beyond the Sphere of No-Thingness and seeing : This is peaceful, this is sublime, has realised the Sphere of Neither Perception-Nor-Non-Perception. You don't know it or see it, but I do. It is this self that at the breaking-up of the body is annihilated and perishes, and does not exist after death. This is the way in which the self is completely annihilated.” That is how some proclaim the annihilation, destruction and non-existence of beings.
“These are the seven ways in which these ascetics and Brahmins proclaim a doctrine of annihilation, destruction and non-existence of beings ... There is no other way.”
NIBBANA ( JHANAS ALONE WITHOUT WISDOM DOES NOT REALLY LEAD TO NIBBANA)
“There are, monks, some samanas and Brahmins who are proclaimers of Nibbana Here and Now, and who proclaim Nibbana here and now for an existent being in five ways. On what grounds?”
58 “Here a certain samana or Brahmin declares and holds the view : In as far as this self, being furnished and endowed with the fivefold sense-pleasures, indulges in them, then that is when the self realises the highest Nibbana here and now. So some proclaim it.”
59 Another says to him : “Sir, there is such a self as you say. I don't deny it. But that is not where the self realises the highest Nibbana here and now. Why so? Because, Sir, sense-desires are impermanent, painful and subject to change, and from their change and transformation there arise sorrow, lamentation, pain, grief and distress. But when this self, detached from sense-desires, detached from unwholesome states, enters and abides in the first jhana which is accompanied by thinking and pondering,64 and the delight, and happiness born of detachment, that is when the self realises the highest Nibbana here and now.”
60 Another says to him : “Sir, there is such a self as you say. But that is not when the self attains Nibbana. How so? Because on account of thinking and pondering, that state is considered gross. But when the self by the subsiding of thinking and pondering enters and abides in the second jhana, with inner tranquility and oneness of mind, which is free from thinking and pondering and is born of concentration, and accompanied by delight and joy, that is when the self realizes the highest Nibbana here and now.”
61. Another says to him : “Sir, there is such a self as you say. But that is not when the self attains Nibbana. How so? Because on account of the presence of delight there is mental exhilaration, and that state is considered gross. But when the self, with the waning of delight, dwells in equanimity, mindful and clearly aware, experiencing in his own body that joy of which the Noble Ones say: “Happy dwells one who has equanimity and mindfulness, and so enters and abides in the third jhana, that is when the self realises the highest Nibbana here and now.”
62 Another says to him : “Sir, there is such a self as you say. I don't deny it. But that is not where the self experiences the highest Nibbana here and now. Why so? Because the mind contains the idea of joy, and that state is considered gross. But when, with the abandonment of pleasure and pain, with the disappearance of previous joy and grief, one enters and abides in a state beyond pleasure and pain in the fourth jhana, which is purified by equanimity and mindfulness, that is where the self realises the highest Nibbana here and now.” That is how some proclaim the highest Nibbana here and now for an existent being.
“These are the five ways in which these samanas and Brahmins proclaim a doctrine of Nibbana here and now. There is no other way.”
“These are the forty-four ways in which those samanas and Brahmins who are speculators about the future, having fixed ideas about the future, put forward various speculative views about the future. There is no other way.”
“These are the sixty-two ways in which those samanas and Brahmins who are speculators about the past, the future, or both, put forward views about these. There is no other way. “
ABOUT ALL THE 62 VIEWS :
“T'his, monks, the Tathagata understands : These view-points thus grasped and adhered to will lead to such-and-such destination in another world. This the Tathagata knows, and more, but he is not attached to that knowledge. And being thus unattached he has experienced for himself perfect peace, and having truly understood the arising and passing away of feelings, their attraction and peril and the deliverance from them, the Tathagata is liberated without remainder.”END=NAM MO SAKYA MUNI BUDDHA.( 3 TIMES ).WORLD VIETNAMESE BUDDHIST ORDER=VIETNAMESE BUDDHIST NUN=GOLDEN LOTUS MONASTERY=AUSTRALIA,SYDNEY.2/5/2014.THICH CHAN TANH.THE MIND OF ENLIGHTMENT.
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