The Role of Gods in Buddhism
The attitude of early Buddhism to the spirit world is a peculiar one.
Their existence is assumed, but the truths of religion are not dependent on them, and attempts to use their influence by sacrifices and oracles are deprecated as vulgar practices similar to juggling.
Later Buddhism became infected with mythology and the critical change occurs when deities, instead of being merely protectors of the church, take an active part in the work of salvation.
When the Hindu gods developed into personalities who could appeal to religious and philosophic minds as cosmic forces, as revealers of the truth and guides to bliss, the example was too attractive to be neglected and a pantheon of Bodhisattvas arose.
But it is clear that when the Buddha preached in Kosala and Magadha, the local deities had not attained any such position.
The systems of philosophy then in vogue were mostly not theistic, and, strange as the words may sound, religion had little to do with the gods.
Often as the Devas figure in early Buddhist stories, the significance of their appearance nearly always lies in their relations with the Buddha or his disciples.
Of mere mythology, such as the dealings of Brahmâ and Indra with other gods, there is little.
In fact the gods, though freely invoked as accessories, are not taken seriously, and there are some extremely curious passages in which the Buddha seems to laugh at them, much as the sceptics of the eighteenth century laughed at Jehovah.
Thus in the Kevaddha sutta he relates how a monk who was puzzled by a metaphysical problem applied to various gods and finally accosted Brahmâ himself in the presence of all his retinue.
After hearing the question, which was Where do the elements cease and leave no trace behind? Brahmâ replies, "I am the Great Brahmâ, the Supreme, the Mighty, the All-seeing, the Ruler, the Lord of all, the Controller, the Creator, the Chief of all, appointing to each his place, the Ancient of days, the Father of all that are and are to be.
" "But," said the monk, "I did not ask you, friend, whether you were indeed all you now say, but I ask you where the four elements cease and leave no trace.
" Then the Great Brahmâ took him by the arm and led him aside and said, "These gods think I know and understand everything.
Therefore I gave no answer in their presence.
But I do not know the answer to your question and you had better go and ask the Buddha.
"
Their existence is assumed, but the truths of religion are not dependent on them, and attempts to use their influence by sacrifices and oracles are deprecated as vulgar practices similar to juggling.
Later Buddhism became infected with mythology and the critical change occurs when deities, instead of being merely protectors of the church, take an active part in the work of salvation.
When the Hindu gods developed into personalities who could appeal to religious and philosophic minds as cosmic forces, as revealers of the truth and guides to bliss, the example was too attractive to be neglected and a pantheon of Bodhisattvas arose.
But it is clear that when the Buddha preached in Kosala and Magadha, the local deities had not attained any such position.
The systems of philosophy then in vogue were mostly not theistic, and, strange as the words may sound, religion had little to do with the gods.
Often as the Devas figure in early Buddhist stories, the significance of their appearance nearly always lies in their relations with the Buddha or his disciples.
Of mere mythology, such as the dealings of Brahmâ and Indra with other gods, there is little.
In fact the gods, though freely invoked as accessories, are not taken seriously, and there are some extremely curious passages in which the Buddha seems to laugh at them, much as the sceptics of the eighteenth century laughed at Jehovah.
Thus in the Kevaddha sutta he relates how a monk who was puzzled by a metaphysical problem applied to various gods and finally accosted Brahmâ himself in the presence of all his retinue.
After hearing the question, which was Where do the elements cease and leave no trace behind? Brahmâ replies, "I am the Great Brahmâ, the Supreme, the Mighty, the All-seeing, the Ruler, the Lord of all, the Controller, the Creator, the Chief of all, appointing to each his place, the Ancient of days, the Father of all that are and are to be.
" "But," said the monk, "I did not ask you, friend, whether you were indeed all you now say, but I ask you where the four elements cease and leave no trace.
" Then the Great Brahmâ took him by the arm and led him aside and said, "These gods think I know and understand everything.
Therefore I gave no answer in their presence.
But I do not know the answer to your question and you had better go and ask the Buddha.
"
