Indian Philosophy v1.c15.26

v1.c15.26

Mrs. Rhys Davids summarises her views on this question thus: "(1) So far as we can trace it, the earliest teaching we call Buddhist did not deny the *very man, or self*. To see this, we must shed our own standpoint of the eighteenth century in force still with us; we must imagine the power of the word *ātman*, *attan* for an educated Indian of the seventh century B.C., when invited by a religious teacher that he would do well to ‘seek the *attan*.’ Almost it was tantamount to bidding him ‘seek God,’ or, ‘seek the Holy Spirit within yourselves.’ This is said to have been one of the earliest addresses of the founder of Buddhism. Vinaya, i. 23 (*Mahāvagga*, i. 14); *Buddhist Psychology*, pp. 28 ff. It is historically of deep significance. And it is supported by many passages in the four chief books (Nikayas) and the Dhammapada, where the subject is man's communing with and knowing himself—ways, too, of wording which are not maintained in later teaching.