Sanjaya Belatthaputta
Encyclopedia
was an Indian ascetic
teacher who lived around the 5th or 4th c. BCE, contemporaneous with Mahavira
and the Buddha.
In the Pali literature
, Sanjaya's teachings have been characterized as "evasive" or "agnostic."
Hecker (1994) contextualizes it as "a kind of dialectic
al existentialism
" in juxtaposition to the popular materialist
views of the day (for instance, typified by the ascetic teacher Ajita Kesakambalī
.) For example, in the Samannaphala Sutta
(DN
2), Sanjaya is recorded as saying:
In the Brahmajala Sutta
(DN 1), Sanjaya's views are deemed to be amaravikkhepavad, "a theory of eel-wrigglers."
Sanjaya was the first teacher of the future Buddha's future two great disciples
, Maha-Moggallana and Sariputta. These two future arahants ultimately left Sanjaya's tutelage as it did not address their unresolved desire to end ultimate suffering.
In Jaina literature, Sanjaya is identified as a Jaina sage (Skt., muni). It is believed that he was influenced by Jaina doctrine although Jaina philosophers were critical of Sanjaya.
Shramana
A shramana is a wandering monk in certain ascetic traditions of ancient India including Jainism, Buddhism, and Ājīvikism. Famous śramaṇas include Mahavira and Gautama Buddha....
teacher who lived around the 5th or 4th c. BCE, contemporaneous with Mahavira
Mahavira
Mahāvīra is the name most commonly used to refer to the Indian sage Vardhamāna who established what are today considered to be the central tenets of Jainism. According to Jain tradition, he was the 24th and the last Tirthankara. In Tamil, he is referred to as Arukaṉ or Arukadevan...
and the Buddha.
In the Pali literature
Pali literature
Pali literature is concerned mainly with Theravada Buddhism, of which Pali is the traditional language.- India :Main article: Pali CanonThe earliest and most important Pali literature constitutes the Pali Canon, the scriptures of Theravada...
, Sanjaya's teachings have been characterized as "evasive" or "agnostic."
Agnosticism
Agnosticism is the view that the truth value of certain claims—especially claims about the existence or non-existence of any deity, but also other religious and metaphysical claims—is unknown or unknowable....
Hecker (1994) contextualizes it as "a kind of dialectic
Dialectic
Dialectic is a method of argument for resolving disagreement that has been central to Indic and European philosophy since antiquity. The word dialectic originated in Ancient Greece, and was made popular by Plato in the Socratic dialogues...
al existentialism
Existentialism
Existentialism is a term applied to a school of 19th- and 20th-century philosophers who, despite profound doctrinal differences, shared the belief that philosophical thinking begins with the human subject—not merely the thinking subject, but the acting, feeling, living human individual...
" in juxtaposition to the popular materialist
Materialism
In philosophy, the theory of materialism holds that the only thing that exists is matter; that all things are composed of material and all phenomena are the result of material interactions. In other words, matter is the only substance...
views of the day (for instance, typified by the ascetic teacher Ajita Kesakambalī
Ajita Kesakambali
Ajita Kesakambali was an ancient Indian philosopher in the 6th century BC. He is considered to be the first known proponent of Indian materialism. He was probably a contemporary of Buddha and Mahavira. It has frequently been noted that the doctrines of the Lokayata school were considerably drawn...
.) For example, in the Samannaphala Sutta
Samaññaphala Sutta
The Samaññaphala Sutta is the second discourse of all 34 Digha Nikaya discourses. The title means, "The Fruit of Contemplative Life Discourse."...
(DN
Digha Nikaya
The Digha Nikaya is a Buddhist scripture, the first of the five nikayas, or collections, in the Sutta Pitaka, which is one of the "three baskets" that compose the Pali Tipitaka of Theravada Buddhism...
2), Sanjaya is recorded as saying:
- 'If you ask me if there exists another world [after death], if I thought that there exists another world, would I declare that to you? I don't think so. I don't think in that way. I don't think otherwise. I don't think not. I don't think not not. If you asked me if there isn't another world... both is and isn't... neither is nor isn't... if there are beings who transmigrate... if there aren't... both are and aren't... neither are nor aren't... if the Tathagata exists after death... doesn't... both... neither exists nor exists after death, would I declare that to you? I don't think so. I don't think in that way. I don't think otherwise. I don't think not. I don't think not not.'
In the Brahmajala Sutta
Brahmajala Sutta (Theravada)
The Brahmajala Sutta is the first of 34 suttas in the Digha Nikaya . The name comes from 'brahma' and 'jala'...
(DN 1), Sanjaya's views are deemed to be amaravikkhepavad, "a theory of eel-wrigglers."
Sanjaya was the first teacher of the future Buddha's future two great disciples
Sravaka
Shravaka or Śrāvaka or Sāvaka means "hearer" or, more generally, "disciple".This term is used by both Buddhists and Jains. In Jainism, a shravaka is any lay Jain...
, Maha-Moggallana and Sariputta. These two future arahants ultimately left Sanjaya's tutelage as it did not address their unresolved desire to end ultimate suffering.
In Jaina literature, Sanjaya is identified as a Jaina sage (Skt., muni). It is believed that he was influenced by Jaina doctrine although Jaina philosophers were critical of Sanjaya.
See also
- ShramanaShramanaA shramana is a wandering monk in certain ascetic traditions of ancient India including Jainism, Buddhism, and Ājīvikism. Famous śramaṇas include Mahavira and Gautama Buddha....
- Samannaphala SuttaSamaññaphala SuttaThe Samaññaphala Sutta is the second discourse of all 34 Digha Nikaya discourses. The title means, "The Fruit of Contemplative Life Discourse."...
- Brahmajala SuttaBrahmajala Sutta (Theravada)The Brahmajala Sutta is the first of 34 suttas in the Digha Nikaya . The name comes from 'brahma' and 'jala'...
Sources
- Bhaskar, Bhagchandra JainBhagchandra JainBhagchandra Jain 'Bhaskar' is an Indian scholar, renowned for his knowledge of Jainism and Buddhism, and of classical Indian languages including Pali and Sanskrit. His career has spanned more than four decades....
(1972). Jainism in Buddhist Literature. Alok Prakashan: Nagpur. Available on-line at http://jainfriends.tripod.com/books/jiblcontents.html. - Hecker, Hellmuth (1994). Maha-Moggallana (BPS Wheel 263). Available on-line at http://www.accesstoinsight.org/lib/authors/hecker/wheel263.html.
- Ñāṇamoli, Bhikkhu (trans.) and Bodhi, BhikkhuBhikkhu BodhiBhikkhu Bodhi , born Jeffrey Block, is an American Theravada Buddhist monk, ordained in Sri Lanka and currently teaching in the New York/New Jersey area...
(ed.) (2001). The Middle-Length Discourses of the Buddha: A Translation of the Majjhima Nikāya. Boston: Wisdom Publications. ISBN 0-86171-072-X. - Thanissaro BhikkhuThanissaro BhikkhuṬhānissaro Bhikkhu, also known as Ajaan Geoff, is an American Buddhist monk of the Dhammayut Order , Thai forest kammatthana tradition. He is currently the abbot of Metta Forest Monastery in San Diego County. Ṭhānissaro Bhikkhu is a notably skilled and prolific translator of the Pāli Canon...
(trans.) (1997). Samaññaphala Sutta: The Fruits of the Contemplative Life (DNDigha NikayaThe Digha Nikaya is a Buddhist scripture, the first of the five nikayas, or collections, in the Sutta Pitaka, which is one of the "three baskets" that compose the Pali Tipitaka of Theravada Buddhism...
2). Available on-line at http://www.accesstoinsight.org/tipitaka/dn/dn.02.0.than.html. - Walshe, Maurice O'Connell (trans.) (1995). The Long Discourses of the Buddha: A Translation of the Dīgha Nikāya. Somerville: Wisdom Publications. ISBN 0-86171-103-3.