브라만·사마나에 대한 『숫따니빠따』의 불교적 관점

초록

Around the time of Buddhism's birth, there existed the brāhmaṇa tradition and the new samaṇa tradition in India. While sharing the common ground of the Vedic tradition, these traditions show the appearance of the ideological complex, characterized by conflict and opposition. It can be said that Buddhism was born and developed amidst a multilayered relationship of acceptance and critique of older traditions. In the Suttanipāta, one of the representative early Buddhist scriptures, it could be seen the complexity of these relationships through Buddha’s dialogues with the brāhmaṇa and the samaṇa. The dialogues with the brāhmaṇas in the Suttanipāta reveal that the Buddha did not consistently adopt an adversarial stance toward them. Criticizing the brāhmaṇas or their rituals was far from denying their existence itself. At the very least, the brāhmaṇas of the past are not portrayed negatively. It appears that a traditional concept of an ideal practitioner, such as a “saint” (muni), was shared. In this regard, it is necessary to reexamine the context and intent of the Buddha's critique of brāhmaṇa in his question, “What is brāhmaṇa?” In his dialogues with the samaṇas, the Buddha demonstrates an affinity with them. He emphasizes the virtues of ascetic practices, such as alms-gathering, non-possession, and meditation, and even directly addresses by saying, “Learn what the samaṇas do.” However, he was not friendly toward the dogmatic samaṇas, who insisted, “This is the truth.” We can find Buddha's teachings warning against arguments and disputes arising from dogmatic views in many places. Through these processes of acceptance and criticism, continuity and discontinuity in the relationship with the brāhmaṇas and the samaṇas, Buddhism seems to have forged its own unique identity. By focusing on these dialogues with them, it is necessary to situate the Buddha's teachings within the historical background and specific context.

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