Dhamma
Posted: Wed Jan 07, 2009 9:35 pm
Hi friends,
Do Theravadans believe that dhamma existed before Gotama Buddha?
Thanks,
Drolma
Do Theravadans believe that dhamma existed before Gotama Buddha?
Thanks,
Drolma
A Buddhist discussion forum on the Dhamma of TheravÄda Buddhism
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Yes.Drolma wrote:Do Theravadans believe that dhamma existed before Gotama Buddha?
In the following sutta, the Buddha explains his discovery of the Dhamma, comparing it to the rediscovery of an lost ancient city..."Whether a Tathagata appears or not, this condition exists and is a natural fact, a natural law; that is, the principle of conditionality.
"The Tathagata, enlightened to and awakened to that principle, teaches it, shows it, formulates it, declares it, reveals it, makes it known, clarifies it and points it out, saying,
"'See here, conditioned by ignorance are volitional impulses.'
"This suchness, monks, this invariability, this irreversibility, that is to say, this law of conditionality, I call the principle of Dependent Origination." [S.II.25]
Metta,"It is just as if a man, traveling along a wilderness track, were to see an ancient path, an ancient road, traveled by people of former times. He would follow it. Following it, he would see an ancient city, an ancient capital inhabited by people of former times, complete with parks, groves, & ponds, walled, delightful. He would go to address the king or the king's minister, saying, 'Sire, you should know that while traveling along a wilderness track I saw an ancient path... I followed it... I saw an ancient city, an ancient capital... complete with parks, groves, & ponds, walled, delightful. Sire, rebuild that city!' The king or king's minister would rebuild the city, so that at a later date the city would become powerful, rich, & well-populated, fully grown & prosperous.
"In the same way I saw an ancient path, an ancient road, traveled by the Rightly Self-awakened Ones of former times. And what is that ancient path, that ancient road, traveled by the Rightly Self-awakened Ones of former times? Just this noble eightfold path: right view, right aspiration, right speech, right action, right livelihood, right effort, right mindfulness, right concentration. That is the ancient path, the ancient road, traveled by the Rightly Self-awakened Ones of former times. I followed that path. Following it, I came to direct knowledge of aging & death, direct knowledge of the origination of aging & death, direct knowledge of the cessation of aging & death, direct knowledge of the path leading to the cessation of aging & death. I followed that path. Following it, I came to direct knowledge of birth... becoming... clinging... craving... feeling... contact... the six sense media... name-&-form... consciousness, direct knowledge of the origination of consciousness, direct knowledge of the cessation of consciousness, direct knowledge of the path leading to the cessation of consciousness. I followed that path.
"Following it, I came to direct knowledge of fabrications, direct knowledge of the origination of fabrications, direct knowledge of the cessation of fabrications, direct knowledge of the path leading to the cessation of fabrications. Knowing that directly, I have revealed it to monks, nuns, male lay followers & female lay followers, so that this holy life has become powerful, rich, detailed, well-populated, wide-spread, proclaimed among celestial & human beings."
Yes, I have noticed this too.Element wrote:The word dhamma means 'that which supports, that which maintains, that which upholds'.
All Indian religions are dhamma and use the word dhamma.
Well, according to the above sutta excerpts, this statement is wrong. The Buddha made it very clear he rediscovered the Noble Eightfold Path, just as a traveler rediscovers a lost city. He also said noble ones of the past practiced precisely this N8P.Element wrote:Whilst, this natual truth always existed, it was not known or realised before the Buddha.
You are reading it correctly. There were 28 known samma-sam-buddhas before the Buddha-Gotama of our time.Dhammakid wrote: Unless I'm reading his words wrongly...
Namaste,
Dhammakid
This I do not believe. Whilst the suttas say so, I do not believe there were any Buddhas before Gotama.TheDhamma wrote:You are reading it correctly. There were 28 known samma-sam-buddhas before the Buddha-Gotama of our time.
Could be . . . The Canon mentions aeons between some samma-sam-buddhas, so it could be between the destruction and re-birth of the planet and/or world system.retrofuturist wrote: Is there any mention anywhere of whether any of these previous Buddhas were inhabitants of other planets or realms?
Space is a pretty big place.