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Early Monastic Buddhism v1.c8.s7: Ucchedavāda

Early Monastic Buddhism v1.c8.s7

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Ucchedavāda

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IX. Seven kinds of *Ucchedavāda* (*Natthattavādins*² = Annihilationists). The following are the seven different conceptions of soul held by the Annihilationists in a gradual ascending order but the soul, in every case, is believed to become extinct after death:

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² *Samyutta*, IV, p. 401.

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(a) The soul has form (*rūpavā*) and is made of the four elements, and is like the body born of father and mother. In short, its composition is similar to that of the human being.

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(b) The soul is heavenly³ and has form. It remains in the Kāmāvacara sphere and is nourished by material food.

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³ *Sum. Vil.*, I, p. 120: Dibbo to devaloke sambhūto (by heavenly we mean that it is produced in one of the spheres of Kāmāvacara gods).

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(c) The soul is heavenly, has form and is of the same substance as mind (*manomaya*). It possesses all the parts of the physical body, major and minor, as also the organs of sense (*indriyas*).¹

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¹ Sum Vil., I, p. 120. It is similar to the Rūpāvacara gods.

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(d) The soul is of the same substance as beings of the *ākāsānañcāyatana*² i.e. like these beings, it has neither *rūpasaññā* (perception of material objects) nor *paṭighasaññā* (perception of obstructing objects) and is indifferent to the distinctions made between one thing and another identifying itself with infinite space (*anantākāsa*).

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² i.e. similar to the 4th class of Arūpāvacara gods.

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(e) The soul is of the same nature as beings of the *viññāṇañcāyatana*.³ Like these beings it can remain beyond the sphere of the *Ākāsānañcāyatanapaga* gods and identifies itself with ‘infinite consciousness’ (*anantaṃ viññāṇaṃ*).

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³ i.e similar to the 3rd class of Arūpāvacara gods.

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(f) The soul is like the beings of the *ākiñcaññāyatana*.⁴ Like these beings, it can stay outside the sphere of the *Viññāṇañcāyatanapaga* gods.

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⁴ i.e. similar to the 2nd class of Arūpāvacara gods.

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(g) The soul is similar to the beings of the *nevasaññā-nāsaññāyatana*,⁵ and hence superior to the *Ākiñcaññāyatanapaga* gods. This state of the soul is considered as the best (*paṇīta*) and the most tranquil (*santa*). It also becomes extinct after death.

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⁵ i.e. similar to the 1st class of Arūpāvacara gods.

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The seven conceptions of the soul are apparently based on the Buddhistic classification of beings as shown below, namely, two classes of the Kāmāvacaras, one class of the Rūpāvacaras and four classes of Arūpāvacaras.¹ The underlying idea of these conceptions is that the soul is made of elements that constitute one or other of the above-mentioned categories of beings. In short, these theories amount almost to the identification of the soul with the body (tam jīvam tam sarīram), a theory not accepted by any of the Buddhist philosophers.²

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¹ The subdivisions of the Kāmāvacara beings are as follows:—
(a) Beings of Niraya, Tiracchānayoni, Petaloka, Asurabhavana and Manussaloka.
(b) The gods of Cātummahārājikadevaloka, Tāvatiṃsabhavana, Nimmāṇaratidevaloka and Paranimmitavasattidevaloka. Those of the Rūpāvacara gods are: Brahmapārisajjadevas, Brahmapurohitadevas etc. up to Akaniṭṭhadevas. Those of the Arūpāvacara gods are: (a) Ākāsānañcāyatana, (b) Viññāṇanañcāyatana, (c) Ākiñcaññāyatana and (d) Nevasaññānāsaññāyatana. For further details see McGovern, Manual of Buddhist Philosophy, pp. 49-50, 60-70; Abhidharmakośa, ch. III, cf. also ‘Satta Viññāṇatthitiyo’ in Dīgha, II, p. 68-69. For Nāgārjuna’s refutation of the Asāśvatavāda (=Ucchedavāda), see ante, p. 57.

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² See Dīgha, I, p. 157.

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If we critically examine the views under the head ‘Ucchedavāda’, we find nothing but the Buddhist conception of the seven classes of beings (viññāṇaṭṭhitis). First, the soul is identified with the body, and then it is shown that as the body of beings may be of seven different varieties, so also is the soul. The soul may also be interpreted as something separate from the body but of the same nature as the body.

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