[Buddha-l] Nirvana Sutra Chapter 19

[Erik Hoogcarspel]

I remember hearing at a Sankrit conference long ago a Jain defending self starvation with the argument that the self had died already when the décision was made. I suppose the same argument applies here. An arahat has no self, so what can be killed?

Erik

"L.S. Cousins" <selwyn at ntlworld.com> schreef:

>On 13/05/2013 08:09, Dan Lusthaus wrote:
>> According to the mythos of the Pali texts, the Buddha himself, soon 
>> after his Awakening, considered that he had done what needed to be 
>> done, and was ready to kill himself to pass into nirvana. It was 
>> Brahma who talks him out of it, telling him that he needs to teach 
>> others. The argument is not that killing himself would be morally 
>> wrong. After all, he's just achieved Awakening -- he should know
>right 
>> and wrong, yes?
>>
>> Jatakas also extol the bodhisattvas who sacrifice their own lives, 
>> assisted suicide if you will (the starving tigress with cubs, etc.).
>I 
>> could go on.
>>
>> You are right that the codified position eventually wraps it with the
>
>> notion of ahimsa, but the early Pali texts are much more complicated.
>
>> The Mahayana attitudes even moreso.
>>
>There is not even a hint of the Buddha committing suicide in the story 
>of the Request of Brahmā. He was simply considering not teaching.
>
>Sacrifice is hardly the same thing as suicide.
>
>Lance
>_______________________________________________
>buddha-l mailing list
>buddha-l at mailman.swcp.com
>http://mailman.swcp.com/mailman/listinfo/buddha-l

-- 
Verzonden van mijn Android telefoon met K-9 Mail.