Early Buddhist Theory of Knowledge c7.65

c7.65

(102) Though he is not a materialist, we may perhaps concede that he shows a certain partiality for materialism in that he seems to imply that the material tattvas have a greater claim to reality by the common consent of the world (loke prasiddhāni, p 1) On pragmatic grounds (vyavahāraḥ kriyate) he says that we should believe in the existence of the body, of physical objects (ghaṭādau) and of pleasure (sukha-) (p. 1) and recommends as a wise saying that the 'way of the world (laukiko margah) should be followed'. As he thus seems to recommend the materialist way of life, we may call him a pragmatic but not a metaphysical materialist.