How Buddhism Began: The Conditioned Genesis of the Early Teachings Reprint of 1997 ed Edition
by Richard F. Gombrich (Author)
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This book takes a fresh look at the earliest Buddhist texts and offers various suggestions how the teachings in them had developed.
Two themes predominate; firstly, it argues that we cannot understand the Buddha unless we understand that he was debating with other religious teachers, notably Brahmins. For example, he denied the existence of a "soul"; but what exactly was he denying? Another chapter suggests that the canonical story of the Buddha's encounter with a brigand who wore a garland of his victims' fingers probably reflects an encounter with a form of ecstatic religion. The other main theme concerns metaphor, allegory and literalism.
By taking the words of the texts literally-despite the Buddha's warning not to-successive generations of his disciples created distinctions and developed doctrines far beyond his original intention. .One chapter shows how this led to a scholastic categorisation of meditation. Failure to understand a basic metaphor also gave rise to the later argument between the Mahayana and the older tradition. Perhaps most important of all, a combination of literalism with ignorance of the Buddha's allusions to Brahmanism led Buddhists to forget that the Buddha had preached that love, like Christian charity, could itself be directly salvific.
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...few indeed have attempted a critical study of the philosophical and religious ideas proffered by early Buddhists. How Buddhism Began...is an excellent small book that begins to fill this lamentable void in Buddhist studies...highly recommended for both the expert and novice in the field of Buddhist studies. --–John R. Holder, Philosophy East and West
About the Author
Prof. Gombrich is Boden Professor of Sanskrit at Oxford.
Product details
Publisher : Munshiram Manoharlal Publishers; Reprint of 1997 ed edition (February 4, 2002)
Language : English
Hardcover : 191 pages
ISBN-10 : 8121508126
ISBN-13 : 978-8121508124Best Sellers Rank: #1,967,954 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)#209,533 in Textbooks
#246,966 in History (Books)Customer Reviews:
3.7 out of 5 stars 12 ratings
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John C. Landon
5.0 out of 5 stars How Buddhism ended...?Reviewed in the United States on July 18, 2016
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The onset of buddhism is one of the mysteries of world history and the correct elucidation of genesis, development and endgame remains occulted by the apse of correct data, and more, the lack of a real spiritual history of the movement. It is very hard to write a history of this religion because our categories include only terms about consciousness, such as 'enlightenment' and not necessarily any understanding to go with them.
An alternative history such as that of Prem Nath Bazaz: The Bhagavadgita in Indian Thought raises questions about the revolutionary character of early buddhism and the way it elicited the wrath of the neo-brahmins. Its entry into Tibet after the violence of being driven from India leaves the question of its future fate encountering modernity and the dark accusations by figures such as Osho that (by then) dead buddhism entered into the fascist anti-modernism of many reactionary mindsets. That is simply a reminder of how far we are from the earliest mindset of buddhism, and the background to its emergence. Important for understanding this is the context of the Axial Age and the mechanics of world ages, and the way in which this deep sourcing influenced the form of the mysterious result. However buddhism began, its ending in a new epoch is becoming clear in the need to recast the subject in a new key. That is not the same as secular (or pseudo-secular) reductions of buddhism to an adjunct of neuroscience in the elimination of 'enlightenment', but the question remains: how can we arrive at a true understanding of the history of this movement, not only in its earliest beginnings, but in its obscure shifting of gears into the Mahayana.
For the context of the Axial Age, consider Enigma of the Axial Age (Amazon). And discussions at The Gurdjieff Con blog.
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Randall
4.0 out of 5 stars An introduction to textual criticism of Buddhist scripturesReviewed in the United States on July 5, 2014
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Dr. Gingrich does a good job performing textual criticism of the Buddhist canon of scripture. He sheds light on how historical and linguistic research can illuminate the intricacies of the development of religious dogma. I loved the essay on the conversion of Angulimala as a historical parable of Buddhism's encounter with the Tantric tradition.
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Samuel F.
5.0 out of 5 stars A Refreshing Look At BuddhismReviewed in the United States on October 7, 2012
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I have to agree with the other reviewers that "How Buddhism Began" is a very high quality work, even if here and there one might quibble with Gombrich's views. I can all but guarantee that if you read this investigation of early Buddhism, the understanding of Buddha's message you come out with will be very different from the one you went in with. For specifics see my full review of the paperback version of the second edition of this book.
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Elizabeth A. Gibson
5.0 out of 5 stars Excellent interpretation from a master scholarReviewed in the United States on August 10, 2014
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First-rate exegesis. Gombrich is my favorite scholar of Theravadan Buddhism. His interpretations are careful and clear and well-supported. Interesting and very highly recommended.
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wt
4.0 out of 5 stars At times refreshing, at times frustratingReviewed in the United States on August 7, 2013
This book consists of 5 public lectures delivered by Prof Gombrich at SOAS in 1994, and as a whole they attempt to chart a more rigorous and historically accurate approach to Early Buddhism by taking into consideration how the extant religious contexts of the Buddha's time and the Buddha's way of engaging with them, as well as such processes as oral and textual transmission and cultural diffusion have shaped the texts which have come down to us in the Pali Sutta Pitaka, as well as other canons that represent the earliest strata of Buddhism.
In the first chapter, Gombrich compares the Buddha's approach to reality and its definition with the nominalist approach identified by Karl Popper as the philosophy of knowledge underpinning such disciplines as modern science, and contrasts this with the essentialist approach of the Brahmanic-Upanishadic traditions with which, Gombrich stresses, the Buddha was actively engaging. He also takes a shot at the comparative study of religion, whose quest for "correct definitions" of religion or of Buddhism is basically essentialist. Gombrich is arguing here for a nominalist approach to the study of Early Buddhism, one that mirrors the nominalist approach of the Buddha himself as reflected in the early Buddhist texts. A nominalist approach understands that definitions are labels or 'working definitions", it does not seek for the "correct definition" or essence of things. To convey a soteriology based on a nominalist understanding of reality to people who were used to an essentialist understanding of reality, the Buddha - Gombrich notes - employed skill in means, taking on the language and concepts of his verbal interlocutors, and then changed them to convey his own unique vision and message. Gombrich points out that the principles identified by the Buddha-dhamma - the recognition of impermanence and change, the conditioned nature of things - must also apply to the Buddha-dhamma itself, and so must apply to the study of the Buddha-dhamma. Buddhism thus provides, he says, the best tools for its own exegesis, one that makes for good historiography.
In the second chapter, Gombrich tries to contextualize Buddhism against the background of Brahmanical-Upanishadic philosophy in greater detail, with mixed success. He wants to understand Buddhism through the Upanishads, but he also doesn't want to accept that Buddhism is entirely similar to the Upanishadic background tradition. So he ends up first arguing against those Buddhist scholars who ignore the Upanishads, and then those scholars who reduce all of Buddhism to the Upanishads. I found this chapter the most problematic in the book - there were areas of logic that were faulty, unspecified references at key areas, awkward and confusing lines of argumentation, key assumptions that were unwarranted, and points raised that were left hanging and unexplored. For example, on page 32-33, Gombrich first argued that because the Buddha taught that life is impermanent, unsatisfactory and not-self, this means that the Buddha accepted the Upanishadic theory of the Atman as the logically deduced opposite to dukkha - unchanging bliss. He then qualifies this statement saying that the Buddha accepted "the Upanishadic dichotomy bewteen the changing, unsatisfactory world of phenomena and its logically deduced opposite. However, after accepting the dichotomy he denies that the latter half of it existed - as a thing." Gombrich repeatedly stresses that the Buddha was against any attempt to construct an ontology, but by saying that the Buddha accepted the concept of the Atman, Gombrich sneaks back in ontological concepts that he ascribes to the Buddha with confidence, and this leads to an impression of contradiction and confusion. I think Gombrich might be echoing here an argument that Peter Harvey makes in "The Selfless Mind", that the Self of early Buddhism, if it exists, is a hypothetical ideal that is itself dropped or burnt away in the attainment of Nibaana, which does away with every basis for an "I". But if so, he is not doing it as well as he could and his choice of words are potentially confusing.
Gombrich usually brings a refreshingly common-sensical approach to the interpretation of the sutta pitaka, but strangely, at some places where a common-sensical reading would suffice, Gombrich's common sense deserts him, and he either ends up making an unwarranted reading of the sutta, or admits that he is at a loss how to interpret it. For eg, Gombrich seizes on to one passage in the Maha-nidana sutta (DN sutta xv) of Buddha telling Ananda that the doctrine of paticca-samupadda is "far from clear" to say that the doctrine is unclear and not well propounded. Again, I find this reading unwarranted. Taken in context, wasn't the Buddha simply telling Ananda not to dismiss the profoundness of paticca-samupada, and that most beings cannot SEE the links (in the gnostic sense), and are therefore embroiled in samsara? In the second chapter, Gombrich devotes a lot of time to the theory of kamma, arguing for its centrality in Buddhist soteriology, and how Buddha redefined the Upanishdic notion of kamma as action to kamma as intention, a redefinition that turned Brahmin ideology on its head and ethicized the universe. Gombrich seems to be laying down an argument here that leads to the prioritization of loving-kindness in Buddhist soteriology. To prioritize loving-kindness as THE central practice of Buddhist soteriology though, would be a reductionistic, weak and selective reading of the Buddha's teaching.
Just as I am wondering where Nibbana figures in his analysis, Gombrich begins (at last) to consider it in the 3rd chapter. He argues that Nibhāna is part of an extended metaphorical structure which embraces Enlightenment and its opposite. What has to be blown out is the set of 3 fires passion, hatred delusion. This set of 3 fires he identifies as an allegory to the 3 fires maintained by the Brahmin. An extended discussion of fire symbolism follows.
In the 4th chapter, Gombrich looks at the routes to enlightenment and deduces that historically, insight replaced calmness in soteriological importance, but that originally, there were three routes - faith, insight and calmness - which were equal in effectiveness and status. One major problem I have with his analysis in this chapter is that he utterly fails to consider that the Buddha taught that there are 4 levels of enlightenment - stream-entry, once-returner, non-returner and arahant. This failure to account for a very basic doctrinal point leads him to some glaring oversights. For example, he analyzes the Susima sutta in which the Buddha tells Susima (after leading him to enlightenment through wisdom alone) that he has committed a serious crime in entering the Sanga under false pretences, but that he can make further progress now that he has confessed. Gombrich remarks "But if he were already Enlightened, what progress could he still make?" How did Prof. Gombrich, a leading authority on Early Buddhism, managed to overlook the 4 stages of enlightenment, I wonder?
The final chapter is on Angulimala, the mass-murderer turned arahant, whom Gombrich identifies as a worshipper of Siva-sakti. His interpretation of the Angulimala Sutta, based on the identification and correction of possible textual corruption, is convincing.
All in all, I find this book at times refreshing and insightful, and at times frustrating and off the mark. The analysis helped to clarify the possible original meaning of certain suttas, but not all the time. Sometimes the possible meanings of certain suttas were obscured instead. In addition, there were key lines of argumentation that were confusing. As such, the 5 lectures-cum-chapters succeed in their quest to clarify the texts of early Buddhism to varying degrees. One can certainly learn from the spirit of the enquiry: the call to contextualize the Buddha's teaching, the call to take into account textual corruption and change - all this is very important. Ultimately though, one shouldn't get so bogged down by such matters as to lose the point of the Buddha's teaching, which is Nibaana, Enlightenment, and the Path to Enlightenment. For practitioners intent on Enlightenment, it is the spirit of practice, not mere scholarship alone, that is neccessary. Ultimately, it is the insight given by practice, not mere scholarship alone, that will help us to grasp the true meaning of the Buddha's words.
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Ignatz97
5.0 out of 5 stars Brilliant scholarshipReviewed in the United States on October 12, 2009
I read this because I try to get to the bones of the Buddha's teaching--beneath all the sectarian biases and centuries of inevitable corruption of the texts. I have no interest in whether Mahayana or Theravada (or any sect) is more "correct" in its approach, I just want to get as close to the original source, the Buddha's own intention, as possible. And this book is a great resource. His specialty is Theravada, so his focus is necessarily the Pali Canon. But he uncovers how portions of the Canon were interpreted by those who came after, and how the loss of understanding of the Buddha's milieu caused misinterpretation. It brings the genius of the Buddha's thought into greater focus, an invaluable service. Highly recommended.
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Enrico Billi
5.0 out of 5 stars uno sguardo obiettivo sul contesto sociale del BuddhaReviewed in Italy on May 14, 2014
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Ho letto questo libro dopo "What the Buddha thought" dello stesso Gombrich. Mi aspettavo qualche ripetizione ma sono rimasto stupito della profondità con la quale l'autore tratta medesimi concetti da differenti punti di vista. L'approccio è rigorosamente scientifico e inquadra in maniera chiara e netta il contesto storico, sociale e religioso nel quale insegnò il Buddha. Il libro è stato composto a partire da una serie di discorsi tenuti da Gombrich in diverse occasioni, rielaborati fino ad assumere la forma di capitoli con numerosi rimandi interni per agevolare la lettura. I concetti filologicamente più complessi vengono definiti cercando di cogliere i significati più pertinenti e appropriati al tema di cui si sta trattando: non ci sono "sbrodolature" accademiche e il linguaggio è semplice ma denso nei concetti che esprime; è un libro che ha richiesto una lettura calma e lenta - almeno per me che non sono un asso dell'inglese. L'insegnamento del Buddha e la sua persona vengono sviscerati in maniera intelligente, fuori da ogni dogmatismo e senza la pretesa di dare una parola definitiva su certe tematiche oggetto di dibattito in ambiente accademico. La caratteristica più bella del libro è che più che essere un saggio illustrativo dell'origine, dello sviluppo e del contesto in cui sono nati e si sono evoluti gli insegnamenti del Buddha è piuttosto una palestra di pensiero filologico che, a partire da pochi dati filologici e storici certi (o quasi) aiuta a riflettere in maniera aperta e non dogmatica su panorami interpretativi del canone Pali inusuali e che personalmente ho trovato illuminanti. Esempi: l'analisi della dependent origination come risposta alla tradizione vedica; il letteratismo con cui spesso l'insegnamento è stato codificato e trasformato in speculazione scolastica (vedi il capitolo sulla meditazione); la possibile interpretazione di Angulimala come un rappresentante del culto di Siva dedito a rituali particolari da cui sarebbe derivata la sua immagine di assassino "collezionista" delle dita delle sue vittime; il valore morale del kamma come reazione alla ritualità brahminica e come molti passaggi del Canone siano comprensibili sono tenendo presente l'ironia con cui il Buddha stava rispondendo ai suoi interlocutori (vedi il sermone del fuoco); l'uso della metafora e del linguaggio da parte del Buddha e come le sue parole, prese alla lettera, abbiano dato origine alle diverse scuole di Buddhismo tuttora esistenti. Un libro alla portata di tutti, in certi passaggi un po' tecnico nell'analisi filologica di alcuni termini ma assolutamente godibile nel complesso. Da consigliare a chiunque voglia guardare l'insegnamento del Buddha da angolazioni diverse per avvicinarsi il più possibile al suo pensiero "originale".
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