Early Monastic Buddhism v2.c29.s3: Austerities made optional
Early Monastic Buddhism v2.c29.s3
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Austerities made optional
v2.c29.s3.1
From his personal experiences Buddha recommended to his disciples the middle path which eschewed austerities as a means of attaining the goal. Buddha himself led a life of severe austerity and he was convinced that such austerities could never fulfil his mission.¹ For this reason one is expected that austere practices should not figure in his disciplinary code and this is actually a fact,² but there are ample evidences to show that Buddha praised those ascetics who took to the dhūta precepts.³ Buddha yielded to the strong tendency of those disciples who believed in the efficacy of austerities and could not be satisfied with a religion barren of such practices. Mahākassapa, one of his most favourite disciples, was an advocate of austerities, and it was difficult for the Teacher not to comply with the wishes of disciples like him. The system of living a forest-life, therefore, came into vogue in the early days of Buddhism and so there are in the Vinaya special rules for the āraññakas. The āraññakas were required to attend the fortnightly Pātimokkha assemblies, but they were exempted from many formalities.
v2.c29.s3.2
¹ Majjhima, I, p. 17.
v2.c29.s3.3
² Vinaya, V, 131, 193.
v2.c29.s3.4
³ Aṅguttara, III, p. 344f.
Linked texts (3)
- Bhayabheravasutta — Pāli
- Nāgitasutta — Pāli
- Vinayapiṭaka — Pāli