Did the Buddha Teach to Be Called ‘Buddha’?―Focusing on the Meaning of <i>Brāhmaṇa</i> and How Buddhist Authors (re)Formulated His Words to Praise Him―
The attainment of enlightenment by Gautama Buddha is the very beginning of Buddhism as a religious phenomenon. Because of his attainment of enlightenment, he has been remembered as Buddha for centuries, even though it is uncertain whether <i>buddha</i> was the preferred title to remember...
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| Format: | Article |
| Language: | English |
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MDPI AG
2024-10-01
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| Series: | Religions |
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| Online Access: | https://www.mdpi.com/2077-1444/15/11/1315 |
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| Summary: | The attainment of enlightenment by Gautama Buddha is the very beginning of Buddhism as a religious phenomenon. Because of his attainment of enlightenment, he has been remembered as Buddha for centuries, even though it is uncertain whether <i>buddha</i> was the preferred title to remember him by from the earliest times. Previous scholarship has demonstrated that the term <i>buddha</i> was a common noun in the Indian religious context, and it was also employed to refer to his higher disciples. The verses of the <i>Suttanipāta</i> represent a complex corpus rich in many fundamental concepts common to Jain religious thought. Many epithets were introduced by Buddhists to praise their monastic founder as Jains do. Among them, <i>buddha</i> does not seem to be the preferred one among them. Contrarily, by redefining <i>brāhmaṇa</i>, Buddhists participate in the ascetic discourse of praising their master as the one who deserves to be regarded as that ideal. This paper argues that Buddhists advocated their master as a <i>brāhmaṇa</i>, a title that is not only consistent with the teachings of Jains but also one that may have preceded the popularity of Buddha as his most memorable title. |
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| ISSN: | 2077-1444 |