Studies in the Origins of Buddhism c8.23

c8.23

Contra-Indications.—But jostling by the side of these late features there are contra-indications too. The Brahmajāla, along with the Sāmaññaphala, is one of the two suttas which are explicitly mentioned in the canonical tradition of the first council.¹⁰ It was separately translated into Chinese even before the full Dīrghāgama had been so rendered (Nanjio on 554). According to Watanabe “it (d. 554) corresponds with slight differences to the Pali Brahmajāla”.¹¹ This shows the great repute in which the sutta was held. It makes not the slightest mention of the five khandhas or the Anatta doctrine, or even the Bodhipakkhiya dhammas. Above all, it represents the Paṭiccasamuppāda, not in its standard but in one of the earlier forms.¹² Its vehemence against holding to any speculation (Diṭṭhi) is reminiscent of the four Aṭṭhakas in the Sn, as also the expression—“Taṇhāgatānaṃ paritassitavipphanditameva” (e.g. DN.I. p. 48 Nāg. ed.; cf. Sn. sutta 49.v.5 “Passāmi loke pariphandamānānaṃ pajaṃ imaṃ taṇhāgataṃ bhavesu”). Finally, many of the speculations detailed here are quite primitive and do seem to go back to very early times.