Sartre's Existentialism and Early Buddhism: A Comparative Study of Selflessness Theories

227 Pages·1996·2.301 MB·English

by  Phra Medhidhammaporn

SARTRE'S
EXISTENTIALISM
AND EARLYB UDDHISM
A COMPARATIVES TUDY OF SELFLESSNESTSH EORIES
PhrMae dhidhammaporn
(PrayoMoenr erk)
•
�UDDHADIWIMA I'OUN[l.4.TlON
BANGKOK 11t\.l1.AA'O
FirPsutb lis1h9e8d8
in
BangkTohka iland
SeconEdd ition
1995
Allr igh©t bsy t hAeu thor
ISB�974-7890-43-7
PublisBhuedrdsh:a dhaFmomuan dation,
87{1T2e6s abSaohnlg krRodh.L ,a dY aoC,h atuchBaAkN,G KOK
THAILAND
Tel(.6:6 ()2 5)8 9-9012
Fax(:6 6()2 9)5 4-4791
PREFACE
T
hep resewnotr k air se visveedr sioofmn y doctotrhaels is
entitAl eCdo mparatSitvuedo yft hNe on-egoloTgriecaatl­
mentosfC onsciouisnnS easrst rPeh'isl osaonpdhE ya rlByu d­
dhiswmh,i cwha ss ubmittaettd h eU niversoifDt eyl hIin,d iian,
Septemb1e9r8 5T.h ep urpooseft hisst udiyst o compare and
contrSaasrtt rdeo'cst roifnn eo n-egolwoigtyth h et heoorfys elf­
lessne(sasn atitnllE )a rl(yT heravaBduad)d hisSmi.n cIe
embarkoendt hitsh esIihasv ee ntertatihnewe ids thh aitwt o uld
stimulmaotreei nterients hte c omparatsitvuedo yf B uddhism
ande xistentiaanldti hsammt,y theswiosu lsde rvaesa s tarting
poinfto fru rthreers earch.
Thitsh eswiosu ldn oth aveb eecno mpletheaddi tn otb een
fotrh ec ontribuatnidao sns istoafni cnen umeraibnldei viduals.
Althouaghl olf t hemc annobtea cknowledgedm yh seirnec,e re
apprecifaotri otpnha eriitrsr e gistered on these pages.
Iw oulldi kteoa cknowlweidtggher atimtyui dned ebted­
nessP rtoof eMsasrogr aCrheatt teDrijreeec,ot fIo nrd ian
InstiotfAu dtvea ncSetdu dSyi,m lIan,d iaan,dP rofessor
MaheTsihw aUrnyi,v erosfDi etlyh i,I nDdefiloahtr,ih ,en iorb le
gUidaanncdie n valusaubglgee satti ovnassr tiaoguoesfps r e­
paritnhgte h esis.
It akteh iosp portuonfmi atkyi fnugl l acknowolfe dgment
myg ratittotu hdMeeo sVten eraPbhlraeT hammahaviranuvat,
AbbootfW atR aikhNiankgh,o Prant hofmog,rr antmietn hge
scholatrocs ahriorpuy tt h rise seaprrcohj ect.
Iw ould altsoto h alnikkB eut dhdeh adhamma Foundation
fotra kionntg h ree publiocfta htweio ornk .
PhrMae dhimdmhaaporn
Abbreviations
A. Anguttara-Nikaya
AA.. Anguttara-NAitkti'lhyaak atha
Abhs.A bhidhammatthasali.gaha
BN. Beinagn dN othingness
BPS. BuddhiPsutb licaStoicoine ty
Brh. BrhadaraDyaka
ChandC.h andogya
CPR. CritioqfuP eu rRee ason
D. DIgha-Nikaya
Dhp. Dhammapada
0"'. DhammasanganI
DhsA.D hammasangAatntrh akatha
Hi. Itivuttaka
jPTS.J ournoaftl h Pea lTie xSto ciety
KVll.K athavatthu
KvuA.K ath1l.vatAtthtuh akatha
M. Majjhima-Nikaya
MA. Majjhima-NAitktlihyaak atha
MK. MUlamadhyamakakarika
Mand.M ru:u;lnkya
Miln.M ilindapaf'tha
Mund.M Ul:u;!aka
PEW. PhilosoEpahsyat n dW est
PPR. PhilosoapnhdPy h enomenoloRgeisceaalr ch
!'TS. PalTie xSto ciety
S. SamyuUNai-kaya
SN. Suttanipata
Tait. Taitirlya
TE. TheT ranscendoeftn hcEeeg o
Ud. Udiina
Up. Upani�ad
Vism.V isuddhimagga
Contents
PREFACE v
INTRODUCTION XIII
Comparpahtiilvoes ...o...p....h...y... ................................................xv.. .
Philosotprhaincsal.la. t.i.o.n. ............x.v.i.i. ............................................
Thmee thodoaltotgii.tc.ua.dl.e . ............x.v.i.i.i. ......................................
Not.e.s. ........................xv.i.i.i. ................................................................
PART ONE 1
SELFELSSNESISN S ARTREE'XSI STENTIALISM
I SARTRE'RSE JECTION
OFT HET RANSCENDENTEAGLO 3
Natoripn'tse rproeftt haeetg .io...o ...n... ...........................................7..
Hussedrils'asg reweimtNehan tto. ..r...p... ........................................8...
Thter anscetnudrenn t.al ... 9
...................................................................
Thter ansceengd.o.e... .n...t...a.....l... ...................................................1 1
Kanatn Hdu ssoenrt lhe eg o .. .. .. . .. 12
.....................................................
Immanternatn sce..n....d....e...n...c.....e... ............................................ 14
Theeg op'rso pe.r.t.i.e.s. ...............1.6. ......................................................
Transcendental-pihdeeanlo.i..m.s..e.m..n. ...o...l...o...g...i...c...a...1l...7 ..
Sartrreej'esco tfti htoern a nsceengdoe .n.ta.l .. 18
...................................
Uniotfcy o nscio..u....s...n...e...s...s... ..................................................2 0
Retenatnipdor no te.n...t.....i...o...n... ..............................................2..2..
Pre-refalnredce tfilvececo tnisvcei o...u....s...n...e...s...s... ..................2. 4
Thpeh enomenorleodguic..ct...ai...lo... n... .........................................2. 6
Thrcehea ractotfcr oinsstciico.s..u. ..s...n....e....s....s.... ....................2...8
Thsee lft-hleoovrey . . . 29
..........................................................................
Thter ansceegn.od... e...n....t... ............................................................3 0
Puraen idm purreef le...c...t...i....o....n... .............................................3 1
Thceo nstiotftu hteeim opni reigc.o..a. ..l.... .................................3...2...
Thpeo ssiobfpi ulrirete yf le...c....t...i...o...n... ......................................3 4
Not.e...s... ........................................................................................3...6.
IIT HES ARTREACNO NCEPTION
OFC ONSCIOUSNESS 41
Sponta..n...e...i...t...y... .......................................................................4 2
Absolu.t...e...n.....e...s...s... .................................................................4.. 3
Self-cons...c...i...o...u...s......n....e....s....s... ......................................4...3..
Transphenboemi.e.n...ng...a ...l... ...............................................4...6... ...
Twot ypoefbse i..n...g... .....................................................................4. 7
Nothin.g...n...e...s....s... .....................................................................4 8
Tempor..a...l...i...t....y... ....................................................................5...4
1.T hpea s...t... ...............................................................................5...5.
2.T hper es..e...n....t... .......................................................................... 57
3.T hfeu t.u....r...e... ...................................................................5...8... ....
Theek stuantiiotcfcy o nscio...u....s...n....e...s...s... ..........................5. ..9
Freed....o...m... ....................................................................................6. 1
Cauasnemd o ti...v....e... ......................................................................6 3
Thuen detercmhion.i..e.c..d.e.. . ......................................................... 6. 5
Factiocffi rteye. .d...o...m.... ...............................................................6.. 7
A.M y Pla.c..e... ................................................................................... 68
B.M y Pas.t. ......................................6.9. .................................................
C.M y Environm..e...n...t... .................................... . ........ 70
D.M y Fellowm..e...n... ........................................................... .......... 7. 0
E.M y Deat..h... ...................................................................................7 1
Respons..i...b....i.....l...i...t...y... ............................................................7 1
Angui....s...h... ..................................................................................7...2
Bafadi t..h.... .....................................................................................7...3
Goofadi t...h... ....................................................................................7 ..6
Sartreetah.ni... c...s... .........................................................................7. 7
Desi...r...e... ......................................................................................7.. 7
A summa...r....y... .............................................................................. 79
A revioefnw o thin.g....n...e...s....s.... .............................................8... 0
Not.e...s... ...........................................................................................8 3
PARTT WO
SELFLESSNIENSE SA RLYB UDDHISM
IIITHEB UDDHISTR'ESJ ECTIOONF T HES ELF 91
Annihilaatniedot neirsnm.a.. .l....i...s...m... .................................9...2... .
Atmainnt hUep ani.�....a...d...s... ....................................................... 93
Thsee ilsif n desc.r...i....b...a....b....l...e... ............................................. 9. 4
Yogoarm edit.a...t....i....o...n... ........................................................9 ..6..
Brahm= aAnt ma...n... .....................................................................9...7
Atmaann tdh ter ansceengd..oe... .n...t...a.....l.... ..............................9.. 8
ThBeu ddhrae'jse cotfti hpoeen r maenge..on... t... ...........................1 00
Fivaeg gre.g...a...t.....e...s... .............................................................1...0 1
Argumeangtasit nhssete . l...f.... .....................................................1 04
ThBeud dhaan Hdu me.... .................................................................1 05
ThrCheaer acte.r...i...s...t....i.....c...s..... ...........................................1.. 07
DependOernitg ina..t...i..o...n... .................................................1...0..8
AnattaDn dN irVD..lJ...a... ..............................................................1...1 2
Wisaen du nwise att...e...n..t...i..o...n... ....... ..... .. ......1.1.4. .......
Threkei ndosfd esi...r..e... .............................................................1. 15
TheB uddhaasa ne xperien..t..i...a...l..i...s...t.. .............................1...1 6
Two formmesd oifta .t..i...o...n.. ....................................................1.. 17
VipassatnhBaeu: ddhimsetd ita.t...i..o...n... ...............................1...1..9.
Proble..m...s... ................................................................................1. 21
Note..s.. .........................................................................................1 21
IVTHEB UDDHISCTO NCEPTION
OFC ONSCIOUSNESS 126
FIfty-ptswyoc hfaicct or...s... .........................................................1 27
Contenotfcs o nsciou.s...n..e...s...s.. ............................................1...2 9
Self-consc.i...o..u...s...n..e...s...s.. ...................................................1. 29
Them ateroibajle. .c...t... ............................................................1..3..0...
Thep henomenal. ...w..o...r...l..d... ............................................1..3...1.. ..
Momentari.n...e...s..s... ..............................................................1...3. 3
Theu nitoyfc onsciou..s..n...e...s..s... ........................................1..3..4... .
Thep ersoindaeln t..i..t...y... .....................................................1..3..5... ..
Thec ausraell at..i...o...n.. .........................................................1...3..7..
WilliJaamm eosn t hset reoafmc onsciou..s' n.e.s..s.. ..................1..3.8.
Subconscio..u..s...n..e..s...s... .......................................................1...4. 0
Subconscioaunsdtn hetesr sa nscendeegno...t ..a...l... ....................1 43
Rebirotfch o nsciou..s..n...e..s...s... ...................................1...4...4. ......
Thed octroifkan rem a .........................................................1 46
Freedoofmc onsciou.s....n..e...s...s.. ..........................................1...4..9...
Fousrp heroefcs o nsciou..s...n..e...s...s.. ....................................1...5..1...
Tempora.l...i...t..y... .....................................................................1..5.. 3
Thec onceopfNt i rvl1.f...W... .....................................................1..5...5.. ..
Theo ntologsitcaatolufN s i rvtf.f...l..a... .......................................1..5. 8
Ufldeterqmuiensetdi ...o..n...s.. .....................................................1..6 0
A summar..y... ................................... .......... ..... ............1..6..1.. ...
Sufiiiaatnadn othing.n...e...s..s... .. .. .....................1.6.2. ....
Note..s.. ...................................................................................1...6..5
PARTT HREE
REFLECTIOANNSD COMPARISONS
V REFLECTIONS
AND COMPARISONS 171
Atman atnhdte r anscendeegn.o..t ...a..l... .....................................1. 72
Purposienrs e jectthien g.s ..e...l...f... ............................................1...7 2
Theem pirsiec.l..a.f..l. ... ................................................................1...7 4
Thpeh enomenodleosgcirciaapnltvd ii opna s..s...a...n...tl... .............1. 74
Empti.n...e...s...s... .............................................................................1 76
Self-cons..c....i....o...u...s...n...e...s...s... ...........................................1...7 7
Thbee ionfg otbhje.e.. .c...t... ........................................................1...8.. 0
NOfhinagnnsdeu sfisfi .a....t...tl... ..............................................1...8...1.
Momentar...i...n...e...s.....s.... .......................................................1...8...1
Thuen iotfcy o nscio..u...s...n...e...s...s..... ...................................1...8...2
Tempor..a...l...i...t...y... .....................................................................1. 84
Subconsci...o.....u...s...n...e...s...s... ........................................1...8..4... ....
Karmaan rde bi...r...t...h... ...........................................................1...8..5.
Freed...o...m... ...............................................................................1...8. 8
Freefrdoommd es.i....r...e... ...........................................................1...8. 9
Freedformos mu ffe...r...i....n...g.... ............................................1...9...1..
ThBeu ddhains5dta rtreetah.in..c. ....s... .....................................1...9. 2
Threa diccoanlv er....s...i...o...n... ................................................1...9...4
COIlc/..u...s....i...o....n... ...............................................................1.. 96
Not.e...s... ......................................................................................1. 96
INDEX 199