________________
Attitude of Buddha towards Metaphysics
15 problem of eleminating sufferings in life and hence to the attainment of Nirvāṇa He tried to keep his disciples away from whiling away their time in such speculations and to divert the attention io working in all earnestness for their Nirvana. But the method of analysis which Buddha took recourse to for exhibiting the non-substantiality of individual, which his disciples carried to its extreme in constructing the doctrine of elements, recoiled to bring in again the question of substantiality of elements. The Sarvāstivādins accepted ihe ele. ments as reals and this generated much heat in the Buddhist community and gave filip to the development of Buddhist thought and philosophical schools. The Buddha's attitude towards metalphysical speculations changed in favour of speculative philosophy in Early Buddhism and later in Mahāyāna.
Notes
1 Majjhima Nikāya (Roman ed.). pp. 427-18: Cūla Malunkya Sutta, 2 “The Avyākstas or Indeterminables" in The Nava Nalanda Mahavihara
Research Publication Volume II (Nalanda, 1960), pp. 142-43. 3 The Psychological Attitude of Early Buddhist Philosophy 2nd imp.,
(London, 1970). p. 40. Digha Nikāya (Roman ed.), pp. 16-17; The Dialogues of the Buddha,
trans. T. W. Rhys Davids, Reprint, (London, 1956), pp. 29-30. 5 Samyutta Nikāya (Roman ed.), II, pp. 178, 187 sq. : Anamataggoyam
bhikkhave saṁsāro. Pubbākoti na paññāyati avijjānivaraņānam sattānam
tanhāsamyojanādam sandhāvatam saṁsaratam. 6 Majjhima Nika ya, I, pp. 1, 4; Idha bhikkhave assutavā puthujjano...
pathavim pathavito sañjānāti, pathavim pathavito sañjānatva pathavim maññati. Yo pi so bhikkhave bhikkhu arham khiņāsavo pathavim pathavito abhijānāti, pathavim pathavito abhiññāya pathavim na
maññati'ti. 7 Khuddaka Nikaya (Deva Nagari ed), I, pp. 143-45. 8 Digha Nikaya, II, p. 157: Aniccā vata sapkhārā uppādavayadhammino
uppajjitvā nirujjhanti tesam upasamo sukho'ti.
9 Samyutta Nikāya, IV, p. 1: Yadanicca m tam dukkham, yam dukkham
tadanattā, yadanattā tam netam mama nesohamasmií, na me so atta'ti.
Jain Education International
For Private & Personal Use Only
www.jainelibrary.org
