Buddhism: Light of Asia: Chapter 3 - The Teachings of the Buddha, cont'd

The rest of this chapter deals mainly with three issues: the question of the existence of a soul (atta/anatta); a discussion of a stage to nirvana called arhatship; and an attempt to describe nirvana.

There appears to be disagreement about the concept of the soul. Anatta is the doctrine that there is no soul. The Upanishads teach that individuals have a soul, but it is an illusion to distinguish the individual soul from a universal soul (we are all one, or some such thing). In contrast, the Buddha taught that belief in a permanent soul is itself a delusion. Ch'en: "all that we are is but a continuous living entity which does not remain the same for any two consecutive moments..." How then could one suffer the consequences of one's actions through karma if there is essentially no "one" at all? It's not so clear to me, but the explanation goes that the force of karma recreates a new being that fulfills the karma. The new being is not the same as the old, but also not different, like a flame passed from one candle to the next. This is rather confusing and strange - sort of a mechanical picture of existence, if you ask me.

According to Ch'en there is some disagreement among scholars about anatta - to what degree that it means there is truly "no self." After all if there is no "self/soul," what is it that goes on to achieve nirvana? Further, "When directly asked, the Buddha refused to answer... the question of atta [self/soul]."

On the points of arhatship and nirvana, there is more disagreement. Theoretically there are certain fixed stages that one passes through to become an arhat (one who will no longer be reborn). But apparently it is possible to skip these stages.

Is nirvana total annihilation? "Probably not really" seems to be the best summary of the answer to this question. What it is, certainly, is impossible to describe in words. Better not to talk about it, but rather just meditate in order to get there.

I realize that I got a bit ahead of myself in saying that sexist attitudes become evident in this chapter. More evidence of that comes in a later chapter, I'll come back to it then.