Pudgalavāda Buddhist Philosophy
Introduction
- Pudgalavāda: Group of five Early Schools of Buddhism.
- Distinct doctrine concerning the self or person (pudgala), holding it as real.
- Contradicts fundamental Buddhist doctrine of non-self.
- Pudgalavādins believed they preserved true interpretation of Buddha’s teachings.
- Dominant in India, but literature largely lost after Buddhism's decline in India.
- Comprised of the Vātsīputrīya and four other derived schools; Vātsīputrīya and Saṃmitīya had large followings.
- Name comes from "pudgala", meaning person or individual.
The Problem of the Self in Buddhism
- Buddha's teaching: No self in or outside of five skandhas (material form, feeling, ideation, mental forces, consciousness).
- Buddha rejected permanent self and self destroyed at death, taught middle path of dependent origination.
- Non-Pudgalavāda schools interpret this as denial of substantial self.
- Difficulties include continuity of causal process through death/rebirth, and basis for compassion.
The Pudgalavādins’ Characterization of the Self
- Described self as inexpressible, neither same as nor different from aggregates.
- Self continues through Samsara until enlightenment is reached.
- Even in Parinirvana, self not described as non-existent.
- Nirvana regarded as real, eternal, uncaused reality.
- Self is indeterminate in relation to aggregates and Nirvana.
Reconstruction of the Pudgalavādin Conception of the Self
- Unclear conception: whether self was aggregates as a totality or distinct entity.
- Analogy: self is to aggregates as fire is to fuel.
- Pudgalavādins interpret fire as transitioning from local existence to non-local state.
- Nirvana: quiescence of person’s Samsara; eternal happiness without aggregates.
- Self and Nirvana: neither same nor different; Nirvana as something supporting self.
Pudgalavādin Arguments in Support of their Conception of the Self
- Two types of arguments: appeals to canonical texts and consistency with acknowledged fact.
- Canonical texts: Pudgalavādins emphasize passages on self's existence, opponents interpret these conventionally.
- Arguments question causal linkage between past and current aggregates and basis for personal identity.
Conclusion
- Pudgalavādins' view: self is real entity, neither same as nor different from aggregates.
- Thought only their view did justice to personal experience, karma, rebirth, and final liberation.
- Pudgalavādins' doctrine was successful in India, indicating its perceived viability.
- Debate centered on avoiding selfishness and explaining compassion without a real self.
References and Further Reading
- Extensive references including works by Aung, Rhys Davids, Bareau, Conze, and others.
Author Information
- Leonard Priestley, University of Toronto, Canada
This summary captures the core elements of the Pudgalavāda Buddhist philosophy, focusing on its distinct interpretation of the self and its historical and doctrinal context within Buddhism.