Question about the Brahmajala sutta

Exploring the Dhamma, as understood from the perspective of the ancient Pali commentaries.
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Individual
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Question about the Brahmajala sutta

Post by Individual »

In the list of wrong views in the Brahmajala Sutta, I notice that certain views are not mentioned. That is, in the pattern, "view X", "negation of view X", "both view X and its negation", and "neither", in this pattern, "neither" tends to be associated with logic and reasoning, while the other three logical possibilities are associated with concentration.

Based on this pattern, could we deduce that, if one determines such a "neither" view based on concentration (as it seems the Buddha might have), then it is insight?

More specifically... If one meditates and determines wrong views #4 (self is eternal), #8 (body is impermanent, but the mind is eternal), #12 (the world is neither finite nor infinite), #18 (the self and world arises spontaneously, randomly, due to chance), would this be regarded as a wrong view?

Its lack of a particular enumeration suggests one of two things: Either it is not a wrong view, or it is not regarded as a "possible" view.
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retrofuturist
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Re: Question about the Brahmajala sutta

Post by retrofuturist »

Greetings Individual,

For you or anyone else interested, the following text is available for US$8 at http://www.bps.lk/translationsfrompali.asp" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;
The Discourse on The All-Embracing Net of Views - The Brahmajala Sutta and Its Commentaries
Translated by Bhikkhu Bodhi

The Brahmajala, one of the Buddha's most important discourses, weaves a net of sixty-two cases capturing all the speculative views on the self and the world. The massive commentary and subcommentary allow for a close in-depth study of the work. The book contains a lengthy treatise on the Theravada conception of the Bodhisattva ideal. The long introduction is itself a modern philosophical commentary on the sutta.

2007, 370 pp, 22 cm BP 209S
Metta,
Retro. :)
"Whatever is true, whatever is noble, whatever is right, whatever is pure, whatever is lovely, whatever is admirable—if anything is excellent or praiseworthy—think about such things."
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cooran
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Re: Question about the Brahmajala sutta

Post by cooran »

Hello Individual, Retro, all,

Thanks for putting up a reference to Bhikkhu Bodhi's work - I really think Individual would benefit from buying and studying that.

Individual,

Bhikkhu Bodhi's work examines the Brahmajala Sutta in this way:

Speculations about the Past:
-Eternalism
-Partial-Eternalism
-Doctrines of the Finitude and Infinity of the World
-Doctrines of Endless Equivocation
-Doctrines of Fortuitous Origination

Speculations about the Future:
-Doctrines of Percipient Immortality
-Doctrines of Non-percipient Immortality
-Doctrines of Neither Percipient nor Non-percipient Immortality
-Annihilationism
-Doctrines of Nibbana Here and Now

I think an in-depth study of Bhikkhu Bodhi's publication is the necessary base-line before attempting to see if any mixture of views doesn't fit in the Buddha's teaching.
Perhaps when Ajahn has recovered (may it be soon :bow: ) we can take a more in-depth look at this Sutta?

I would be enthusiastic about doing that. :smile:

metta
Chris
---The trouble is that you think you have time---
---Worry is the Interest, paid in advance, on a debt you may never owe---
---It's not what happens to you in life that is important ~ it's what you do with it ---
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