dvija varNa

[Lynken Ghose]

Indology List:

In response to L. Cousins -

I don't think that I would use the word "absurd" to categorize Gombrich's or
anyone's attempt to capture the composition of the early sangha. It is an
attempt but admittedly not one that is faultless. I'm not sure that I was
labelling it "scientific", nor does Gombrich in his study.

Thanks for the information on the Digha Nikaya as the source for the
information about previous Buddhas. I didn't know that; however, I could
have done without the "of course".

Lynken Ghose



>From: "L.S.Cousins" <selwyn at NTLWORLD.COM>
>Reply-To: Indology <INDOLOGY at LISTSERV.LIV.AC.UK>
>To: INDOLOGY at LISTSERV.LIV.AC.UK
>Subject: Re: dvija varNa
>Date: Mon, 12 Feb 2001 08:31:25 +0000
>
>Lynken Ghose comments:
>
>>In addition, where are getting the information that the immediate
>>disciples
>>and leaders of the early Buddhist communities were Brahmin?
>>According to R. Gombrich's "Theravada Buddhism" (pp. 55-56), there were
>>people of all castes in the community.
>>
>>Gombrich quotes a study done on a 5th cent. commentary to the Theragatha
>>and
>>Therigatha hymns, in which it is clear that the majority of the disciples
>>were Brahmin, but certainly far from all. Are you concluding, from this
>>study, that the most of the leaders were Brahmin? This connection is not
>>made, as far as I know, in Gombrich.
>
>The most numerous single var.na of those whose var.na identified is
>the brahmin, but we are not told the origins of many disciples.
>Obviously, those of whom nothing is said are more likely to be of a
>lower class.
>
>More to the point, this is all data from eight or nine hundred years
>later. To analyse it as 'scientific' information is absurd. Probably
>some of the information about well-known figures is correct, but as a
>whole it is likely to be part of the natural evolution of traditions.
>It cannot be used to reconstruct the social composition of early
>Buddhism.
>
>As regards Buddhas, of course, the claim that some were brahmins and
>some khattiyas is derived from the Mahaapadaana-suttanta (D II 2f.).
>
>Lance Cousins
>
>--
>HEADINGTON, UK
>
>CURRENT EMAIL ADDRESS:
>selwyn at ntlworld.com

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