Tagged: Asceticism
Pages with this tag
Bronkhorst - Did the Buddha Believe in Karma and Rebirth (2021)
1Johannes Bronkhorst argues that the historical Buddha did believe in karma and rebirth, but that his crucial innovation was to redefine karma not as physical or mental activity, but as the psychological element of intention and desire (*tṛṣṇā*). This unique understanding explains why the Buddhist path to liberation is fundamentally psychological, focusing on mindfulness and insight, rather than relying on the physical asceticism or doctrines of an inactive Self found in contemporary traditions like Jainism. Bronkhorst critiques scholarly attempts to locate the "original" teaching in passages that resemble Vedic or Jaina ideas, suggesting these are more likely later borrowings or misunderstandings by followers who struggled to grasp the Buddha's distinct psychological focus.
Shults - A Note on Śramaṇa in Vedic Texts (2016)
2This article refutes Christopher Beckwith's claim that the term *śramaṇa* exclusively meant "Buddhist practitioner" in antiquity by demonstrating its pre-Buddhist origins and broader semantic range within the Vedic tradition. Citing evidence from texts such as the *Taittirīya Āraṇyaka*, *Jaiminīya Brāhmaṇa*, and the *Rgveda Saṃhitā*, the author shows that *śramaṇa* was used to mean "one who toils," "weary," or "unwearying" in contexts describing Vedic seers, sacrificial rituals, cattle, and even stones, all unrelated to Buddhism. The author supports and expands upon Patrick Olivelle's "development model," which traces the word's etymology to the Vedic root *√śram* (to toil, become weary), arguing that its various meanings developed organically within Brahmanical circles, thus providing the pre-existing conceptual framework for the term to be later applied to the Buddha and other ascetics.