The Criticism of Theism in the Sravakabhumi of the Yogacarabhumi
According to some Indian theists, Isvara or Brahman is the absolute and the creator of the world, an idea that was criticized by Buddhists from the earliest times. This paper considers how Buddhists, particularly the Yogacara school, refute the existence of God as a creator in connection with practi...
| Main Author: | |
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| Format: | Electronic Article |
| Language: | English |
| Check availability: | HBZ Gateway |
| Journals Online & Print: | Drawer...
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| Fernleihe: | Fernleihe für die Fachinformationsdienste |
| Published: |
Equinox
2021
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| In: |
Religions of South Asia
Year: 2021, Volume: 15, Issue: 1, Pages: 32-47 |
| Standardized Subjects / Keyword chains: | B
Yogācārabhūmi. Śravakabhūmi
/ Theism
/ Rejection of
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| IxTheo Classification: | BL Buddhism |
| Further subjects: | B
Buddhism
B Śrāvakabhūmi B Yogācāra B Yogācārabhūmi B Creator B Īśvara |
| Online Access: |
Volltext (lizenzpflichtig) Volltext (lizenzpflichtig) |
| Summary: | According to some Indian theists, Isvara or Brahman is the absolute and the creator of the world, an idea that was criticized by Buddhists from the earliest times. This paper considers how Buddhists, particularly the Yogacara school, refute the existence of God as a creator in connection with practice. It seems that all Buddhist sects prove that no universal creator exists, using logical arguments against non-Buddhists. Previous studies have elucidated the proof of the non-existence of Isvara in the Savitarkasavicaradibhumi section of the Yogacarabhumi, the main Yogacara text. However, little attention has been paid to another section, the Sravakabhumi, in which a yoga practitioner uses logical reasoning (anumana) to deal with the denial of Isvara in the course of his or her practice of impermanence (anitya). The Sravakabhumi, probably completed at the earliest stage of compilation of the Yogacarabhumi, describes the practice that could lead to liberation according to the teaching of the Sravakayana. I demonstrate that the Sravakabhumi treats the denial of Isvara as a part of practice, not just as an intellectual exercise aimed at refuting non-Buddhists, and shows the place of discussion of this topic in Buddhist practice. |
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| ISSN: | 1751-2697 |
| Contains: | Enthalten in: Religions of South Asia
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| Persistent identifiers: | DOI: 10.1558/rosa.20907 |