Tagged: Inclusivism
Pages with this tag
Anālayo - Brahmā's Invitation (2011)
1In early Buddhist texts, the god Brahmā is incorporated through "inclusivism," being either satirized as a deluded creator or depicted as a subordinate protector of the Dharma. The most prominent example of this protector role is the story from the Pāli Ariyapariyesanā-sutta where Brahmā persuades the hesitant, newly-awakened Buddha to teach. This article highlights that this famous episode is completely absent from a parallel version of the discourse in the Chinese Madhyama-āgama. By comparing these texts and noting a similar pattern of absence in other parallel accounts, the analysis concludes that the story of Brahmā's intervention is likely a later addition to the tradition, rather than an original element that was subsequently lost. Therefore, this pivotal narrative, widely found in later texts and art, may not have been part of the earliest autobiographical account of the Buddha's awakening.
Anālayo - Teaching the Abhidharma in the Heaven of the Thirty-three, The Buddha and his Mother (2012)
2This paper analyzes the story of the Buddha's rainy season retreat in the Heaven of the Thirty-three to teach his mother, using a translation from the Samyukta-āgama as its basis. The author argues that the tale serves several functions, primarily as an act of "inclusivism" that elevates the Buddha's status above traditional Indian deities like Śakra, who are depicted as subservient. By comparing various textual versions and early aniconic art, the paper suggests that the famous motif of the three stairs for the Buddha's descent likely originated as an artistic necessity in aniconic depictions and was later absorbed into textual narratives, indicating that versions without it, such as the Samyukta-āgama account, may be earlier. The narrative also highlights the theme of filial piety, a significant concept in Indian Buddhism. Finally, the paper contends that the Theravāda tradition's unique claim that the Buddha taught the Abhidharma in heaven, rather than the general Dharma as other schools maintain, was a later innovation to provide celestial authentication and superior status for the Abhidharma canon.