Concept of Man
in Buddhism
Introduction
The concept of
man or humanism has been recently emerged in the West with the consequences of
the Renaissance in the fourteenth Century. It does not mean that prior to the
Renaissance, the concept of man was not discussed but it gives the sense that
man has been given more freedom and the human being was considered to be the
only able person who can make things possible. A political scientist Rousseau says that man is born free and
everywhere he is in chains in his Social
Contract Theory. Kant’s epistemology
brings man to the center of knowledge.
However, it is
quite clear that the concept of man was not discussed lengthily in the West in
earlier days, however it was discussed very recently soon after the Industrialization.
Soon after the industrialization, man’s potentiality has been recognized and
given due position. It was discussed in terms of material accumulation. However,
human being’s potentiality in every sphere makes a new inventory era.
Ultimately, it leads to invent outstanding things in terms of human betterment.
On the contrary, in the East, There was a same kind of revolution in terms of spiritually
took place in earlier days, since the Buddhism emerged in.
This paper fundamentally
pays its attention into the inter-religious views about the concept of humanism
at its inception phase and later those views are looked at in the light of Buddhistic
approach where the concept of humanism has been brought to the focal point.
Primarily, the materials are drawn from early discourses of the Buddha’s utterances
in order to synthesize so that a clear understanding is obtainable.
Concept of Man in Hinduism
Human being has
been given a prominent and a very high status in Hinduism. He has been not only
given the highest creature of the world but he is often equal to god. It speaks
about the immortal soul within man, it can not be destroyed nor death apart it.
In other words, there is an Ătman in
every human being. This Ătman is unborn, eternal, permanent and primeval. In
Bhagavatgitā, it says that Ătman is not slain when the body is slain. Hence man
has been regarded infinite within the finite.
However, man
travels in the Samsāra or Cycle of Birth due to ignorance (avidyā). So it is
called bondage of Samsāra. The man can not be freed from Samsāra as long as he
is ignorant. However, the Avidyā or the ignorance is not endless, it can be
achieved and won. There is a way to free from bondage. It is called Moksha or Salvation.
Every human being is capable of salvation. Man is the maker of his or her
destiny. Hinduism firmly believes that release from this cycle of birth and
rebirth is possible. Moksha is possible by adopting any of the three paths.
01. Gnāna
Mārga- Path of knowledge
02. Kāma
Mārga- Path of unattached act
03. Bhakti
Mārga- Path of devotion to god
Moskha is life
eternal in which soul becomes free from all worldly suffering and attains its
original pure spiritual nature.
Concept of Man in Islam
It is according
to Quaran that man has been created
by god from clots of blood. Man’s only job is to serve God in humble submission.
Man is possessed of no right against god. He is to serve and pray for God. Man
has no right to ask for anything from God except God’s grace and guidance. The
Man’s freedom has been restricted and whose conscience is suppressed. The God is
the almighty and he has all the powerfulness. Human freedom and responsibility
are totally neglected in Islam. Man is very insignificant to God. He will never
be perfect one as God.
Hence, unlike
other religions. Islam does not consider human potentiality. All of the Powers
rest in god’s hand. Human power is not appreciated nor commended. It restricts
freedom of speech and other human potentials.
Free will and
human responsibility are totally denied. The Man, in Islam, he has got in
relation to God a status which much inferior to that god by man in Hinduism and
Christianity.
Concept of Man in Christianity
Christianity
believes that God is the creator, sustainer, and the destroyer of the world.
Man is created by God in taking the God’s image and so potentially man is great.
God gave everything to man such as insight, intelligence, sensitivity and all
other such qualities. It says that of immortal body of human being. Death of
the body is not the death of soul. It is immortal.
God has granted
free will to man both the freedom to choose and freedom to act. It is upto the man
to utilize his freedom either for the cause of good or for that of evil. Obeying
the will of the God is working for the good and disobeying him is committing sin.
It further says that sin is the main cause of suffering, by following the teaching
of God, one can get rid of suffering. Love is the basic lesson in Christianity.
Man can get the salvation by practicing lovingness to all human beings.
Concept of Man in Buddhism
Origin of man
When we examine
the origin of humanity, there are various opinions in terms of other religions
particularly Hinduism. Hinduism accepts that man was a creation made by Brahman.
Brahman divides the society into four major strata
01. Brahman
caste
02. Khastriya
caste
03. Vaishya
caste
04. Sudra
caste
The Brahman
created all these four groups using his bodily parts. Due respect and duties
were given according to their caste categories. Buddha does not accept
Brahmanical opinion of origin of humanity. A mention is made in the Agganna
Sutta of Digha Nikaya that the human being abodes in the realm of Ăbhassara
Brahma after the total destruction of this world. These human beings are in the
nature of “ tedhābonti manomayā”
“pitibhakkhā” “sayam pabā”. In the course of time, this type of human
being evolved with basic weakness in them such as craving, hatred etc.
When an
attention is paid to other world religions. It is seen that human being has
been greatly influenced by external authority perhaps not seen. The human being
has come to religion because of his great fear in him or her. However, Buddhism
is completely free from those authorities. It is accepted that some other
religions are Theocentric in which everything is based on god. Nobody can
question anything with regard to religion. But Buddhism does not give god to
rule but it is anthropocentric. At the time of the Buddha, there were many
thinkers and philosophers who denied the potentiality of human being. There
were three authorities which denied the human power. A mention is made in the
Kitthāyakana Sutta;
01. Pubbekata hetuvāda
02.Issara
nimmānavāda
03.Ahethuappaccavāda
It is said that
due to the theory of pre- destination “ pubbekatham kho pana na hoti cando va
vāyāmo idam vā karaniyam idam va akaraniyam...” Accordingly, Human effort,
encouragement was not appreciated. Human was disregarded nor given any place to
potential power in him. As same as Pubbekathahethuvada, Issaranimmanvada and
ahethuappaccaya discourage humanity and its potentiality.
Buddhism stands
out as a religion and a philosophy which from its outset was man- centered or
humanistic in many ways and in a variety of the senses that the term humanism
has acquired. The characteristics in Buddhism which make it an outstanding case
of humanism.
Theory of Ătma-
One salient
characteristic of Buddhism is the non-acceptance the theory of Permanent Ătma
or Soul. The Buddhism denies the concept of Ătma. Buddhism says that nothing
endures for more than a moment. Everything is changing and subject to change. Buddhism
says man is a combination of the physical and mental forces. The human being is
composed of five aggregates which give the rise to form a man.
A mention is
made in the Sabba Sutta, I will teach you all… it is eye, and objects, ear and
sound nose and scent, tongue and savour, body and things tangible, mind and
mental states…this is what is called the all… there is no other all. It is the
reason which Buddhism falls in between Uccedavāda and Sassathavāda. Human being
is a collection of five aggregates which
ultimately lead to the no permanent soul or existence. Buddhism accepts rebirth
and Kamma. Buddhism says that due to the performance of good or bad Kamma, his
or her next birth is decided. Buddhism says that there is no entity called man
or human being. He is a collection of things and this form of human being is a
continuous process as long as he remains in the Samsāra. He himself is the
decider of his continuous Samsāra.He has a Samvatthika Vinnana which is the evolving
consciousness. Neither the final destination is pre-decided nor is starting
point defined. However, it is a continuous process of aboding in the Samsāra
which is fueled by good and bad actions that are accumulated during his or her
stay in the Samsāra. The main cause why the man travels in the Samsāra is due
to his ignorance (avijjā) about the existence (bhava). Man is the sole
authority of taking decisions about his existence. No other power is capable of
doing so. He or she can get rid of the Samsāra which is believed to be done by using
his potential power. There is no power in the world that can obstruct the man’s
destiny. It will be done by man himself. There is no Ătman or any other entities
which are pre destined etc.
The Buddhist
doctrine of momentariness is salient to Buddhism. The theory of momentariness (kshanavāda)
and the doctrine of no-soul (anātmavāda). It mentions that everything is momentary
which is very important part of Buddhist faith.[1]
Buddhism believes that nothing is permanent, nothing is endures for more than a
moment. Its theory of momentariness is based on a more comprehensive theory of
dependent origination (paticcasamuppāda) according to which everything owes its
origin to an antecedent condition which ceases after giving birth to its consequent.
Hence the world is therefore a chain of interdependent momentary events. The
soul is also not a permanent substance. It is nothing other than a stream of consciousness
(samvatthika vinnana). This theory of momentariness would help to act an
effective manner its theory of non-attachment.
In the Sabba
Sutta, a mention is made as man is being born again as not the same nor another
one.[2] In the
Anantha Lakkhana Sutta, a mention is made as things come to arise (uppāda) endure
(thiti) for sometime and dissolve (banga). Attachment with the momentary
objects of the world is the cause of suffering. Only the spiritual state of
Nibbāna is eternal and always aims at.
Free will-
A mention is
made in the Digha Nikāya, “ man is neither the product of merely material
element nor the divine creation of God”.[3] Hence human being has been granted his own
identity and he is neither second to any being nor the creation of anybody.
This idea of human independence of his own has been stated by Buddha in several
places of his doctrine. In the Dhammapada, a mention is made “ aththā hi atthano natho kohi nātho paro siyā” which means man stands as superior to him as
there is no other force in the world. A mention is made in the Majjhima Nikāya,
“human value does not depend upon the two principles namely the materialistic
and the theistic: but it is conditioned by the practice, through human effort”.[4] In the Majjhima Nikāya, a mention is made “
there is no force, in Buddhism, like a creator or preserver god, external to
man, who has power and authority over human affairs or who sits in judgment over
man”.[5] The Buddhism is governed and directed by the
self-centered will. It is said that one has to be being born as a human to
attain enlightenment.
Buddha says man
possesses a free will and effort in the field of three fold action;
-
in thought
-
in speech
-
in deed
Free inquiry is
encouraged in kālāma Sutta. Kālāma Sutta is best expressed freedom of thought,
freedom speech, freedom of action. In
the Kālāma Sutta, “mā anussavena, mā parampārāya, mā itikirāya,mā takka hetu…”.[6] C.A.F Rhys David in his book “Gotama the man”,
a mention is made that Buddha looked upon man’s wayfaring in the world as very
true thing: he did not claim to be other than a human being and attributed all
his realization, success and achievement to human endeavour and intelligence. A
mention is made in the Majjima Nikāya that Buddha, “By his example he urged man
to put forth his own energy and capabilities to attain the unattained to master
the un-mastered to realize the unrealized”.[7]
Buddha’s
teaching offers any individual or society a voluntary way of thought and practice
based upon an analysis of human morality which promotes human welfare,
wellbeing and aims at the realization of the truth of human life and finally
freedom from suffering.
Hence in this
respect, man’s position is supreme. A mention is made in the Anguttara Nikāya
as “man is his own master and there is no other being or power higher than
himself judging over his destiny; his success or failure lies in his own will,
choice and strength”.[8] Human life or more properly human conditions
are of supreme value, not only because of life itself but also because of the
fact that human welfare, material, moral and spiritual and even final emancipation
are gained from it and in it,Rejecting all claims to heavenly revelation and
all appeals to theological authority, Buddha discovered and founded his standard
of truth and his method of acquiring it through his own experimental effort on
practical principles and this method can be applied to the universal problems
of human life.
Buddhism teaches
self-help and self-reliance as the most effective means of attaining perfection.
“Aththa dipā viharatha aththa saranā na ananna saranā”. Buddha granted
unlimited free will to man to question his doctrine even at his death, one of
his disciples was asked to inquire any doubtful Dhamma that he had. “ mama
dhamma vivate virocaye” Constant inquiry was given to his disciples and made
them aware unknown.
Potentiality of human being
A mention is
made in the Anguttara Nikāya that several other sects prevalent at the Buddha’s
time is of the opinion “ natthi atthakaro naththi purisakaro naththi balam
naththi viriyam”.[9] But Buddha comments upon that the effort and
potentiality latent in man him self or her self not in others.
A mention is
made in the Anguttara Nikāya that the man possesses an element of initial effort
(ārabbhadhātu), personal action (purisa karo), and own action (aththakaro) and
there are in man the element of exertion (nikkhamadhātu), of endeavour (parakkhamadhātu),
of strength (thamadhātu), of perseverance(titidhātu) and of enterprise (upakkamadhātu)
which make him act of his own accord in various ways.
Buddha further
says that one should prevent the arising of evil things that have not arisen,
eliminate those which have already arisen, make arise good things which have
not arisen and preserve, increase,fully develop, cultivate and perfect those
which have not arisen. In the Dhammapada, a mention is made “akkhātaro
tathagatho” Buddha is there to guide the human, it is up to the human to
utilize his potential power and free from worldly sufferings.
A mention is
made in the Anguttara Nikāya that mere wish, hope or even idle prayer, one can
in no way attain what one wishes and hopes for: but only by exercising one’s
own energy actualizing one’s own potentiality and applying one self to what is
desired one can attain what one wishes.
“Nā cinta yanto
puriso visesa madigaccati” Person who does not think, does not attain any
higher status. It is to encourage human being to adopt his potential power and
utilize it properly so that any one can attain what one wishes.
It is mentioned
in the Anguttara Nikāya, that how highly the Buddha evaluated human potentiality
and effort may be deduced from the following statement. “Gladly would I be
reduced to skin and sinews and bones and let my body’s flesh and blood dry up;
as long as that which can be reached by human strength, by human energy and
human striving has not been reached, so long there will be no resting place for
human energy” It clearly shows that potential
power of human and Buddha says that human has been considered as superior and
inferior not his birth but action he prefers. “ Kammana Vasala hoti
kammana brahmano hoti”
Suffering and Samsāra
The Buddha sees
the world as suffering. He implies it to humanity. Dukkha or suffering is an
outcome of impermanence (anicca). “yada aniccam tam dukkham”. The ignorance of
human being(avijjā) which leads to suffering in the Samsāra. Buddha understands
that man’s greed leaves him perpetually unsatisfied and deprives his life of
meaning.
In the Samyutta
Nikāya, a mention is made as“ bhara hāra” which carries the sense of “carrying the burden”. It gives the sense that the human being
carries his physical body all through the Samsāra by filling defilements. What
Buddha says is that he has to get rid of this burden from the Samsāra “Bhara
Nikkhepa”. What human being has to do is that he has to dissolve the five
aggregates and then he should come to the final emancipation. This final
emancipation or Nibbāna is termed as “sitibhuta” or complete coolness. The man
has freed from burden and come to the complete coolness.
Paticca Samuppāda
Buddhism admits
that the things exist in the world is subject to causal process or it says that
things arise and destroy according to a system of cause and effect. The arising
and destruction of human thoughts always due to causes and effects. There is no
independent entity in the world which exists in isolation. But every minute
particle depends on some thing. It is the same case to humanism. Human
existence depends on various reasons and causes.
It is in this
world, all sorts of issues come to arise due to the influence of other factors
which might be sometimes hidden. Buddhism really expresses that the behaviour
of human takes place according to some reasons and results. Even the five
aggregates have been formed as a result of certain reasons and results. The
collection of five aggregates comes together and separates isolately due to
certain results and reasons. Some time all five aggregates depend on each other
in the same way.
The theory of
causation is implied to man in nature. It says that ‘ asmim sati idam bhavati”
depending on the cause anything originates. In the Ananthalakkhana Sutta, it
takes everything in the world as come into arise “uppāda” and it endures for sometime
“tithi” and eventually it comes to dissolution “banga”. These three stages
clearly show that everything is merely momentary linked all that is conditional,
dependent and relative. Hence every object is thus necessarily relative,
arising out of an antecedent condition and giving rise to its turn to a consequent.
Nothing, therefore endures for more than
just a moment. It arises and goes away.
Thus in Buddhism,
this theory of eternal momenatariness avoids the two extremes of externalism and
nihilism. Much emphasis is laid upon the middle path which subsequently can be
implied to every aspect of life. Eventually, the understanding of ignorance of
dependent origination and practice of middle path lead to the final
emancipation.
Ethical importance and its direction to
ultimate emancipation
The ultimate destiny
of human being, according to Buddhism, is Nibbāna which is a state free from
all worldly attachments. Hence, Buddhism taught a set of ethical principles
which ultimately lead to the realization of final goal. Buddhism greatly
encourages to practice good ethical values which was advised to follow from
simple stage to complex level. Since Buddhism teaches to get rid of the Samsāra
and attain bliss of Nirvāna. It encourages human to go in the Middle Path (Majjhima
Patipadā) by giving the emphasis to Noble Eightfold Path (ariya attangika
magga) which believed to be the correct path lead to the Nibbāna. Noble
Eightfold Path is a set of ethical values which begin very simple way. So this
set of principles is called Sila,Samādhi,Pannā which are good conduct, good
concentration and good wisdom. Hence Buddhism has introduced various sets of
conducts which enable to practice every human suit to their capacity of brain.
Human
understanding has been key in Buddhism. Buddhism has been paying the attention
to bring out the potentiality of man and put it in correct manner so that it
will lead to the betterment of humanity. As it earlier mentioned, Buddhism has
progressive stages which is a salient feature of Buddhism. Buddhism has brought
many paths which are ultimately met in one place. It is simply as many paths
which are leading to the final goal. It has Samatha and Vidassanā method which
are involved in developing the knowledge of human.
The ethical principles
of Buddhism are also a clear indication of the humanistic outlook of Buddhism.
Buddha preached codes of conduct for both laymen as well as for the Bhikkhus. Sigalovāda
Sutta, and Vyaggapajja Sutta make mention a success of life by effort and achievement.
The terms “Purisa bala” “purisa kama ” are
given in terms of creating correct human potentials to lead to the final
emancipation.
Concept of man in Buddhism in comparison
other religions
Man has been given a very high status in
almost all the religions. However, other religions basically are based upon the
God or these are centered around the God. But Buddhism distinguishes from other
religions that it does not accept any creator or the concept of god. Buddhism
has many salient characteristics from all other religions in terms of its
theories and code of conduct.
Hinduism and
Islam restrict the freedom of human by giving caste division and all mighty one
god. However, Buddhism encourages the free expression of ideas and the Kālama
Sutta is the best expression of the freedom of thought.
When it comes to
moral conduct, Islam is not seen going beyond Sila level, Christianity also is
not seen any progressive stages since it has taught Adam’s tree of knowledge. However,
Buddhism has many progressive stages. It goes Sila, Samadhi, Panna or Samatha
and Vidassanā levels. It is seen that for knowledge, there is no place in other
religions than Buddhism.
Conclusion
Buddhism stands
out as a religion and philosophy which from its inception was humanistic in
many ways and in a variety of the senses that the term humanism has acquired.
In comparison to
other religions, Buddhism is wholly human centered religion on which no
external authority entered in creating anything. In some way, Buddhism distinguishes
from other religion due to its proximity to humanity rather than goes away from
man.
However, as
Ananda Kausalya says Buddhism teaches right relationship between man and man in
all spheres of life. It is out out a humanistic religion which cares human from
inception to end.
As in Dhammapada,
it correctly expresses Buddhism is a religion and a philosophy which values
life particularly human life and sees human life as possessing great potential.
The Buddha advises the individual to after himself and his interests through
efforts and achievements.
