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**xsVfF9Em** · 08-31-2011, 06:50 PM

I've seen more than just a few people (claiming to be Buddhists) asserting that the Buddha taught an Ultimate Reality, an Absolute that parallels the Advaita Vedantist notion of Nirguna Brahman

Hi Zero,
Some Buddhists do make such claims but a closer inspection of the suttas demonstrates that Buddha refused to engage in speculation and statements about 'ultimate' states. Such claims are essentially irrelevant to the teachings.

Didn't the Buddha ever refute the notion of a divine substratum to the universe? A trawl through the suttas sees Buddha having dealings with various Brahmas. As far as I know they are Form Realm Gods of the highest order but I recall Buddha admonishing one of them by recounting how he had fallen from even higher planes of existence.

That's about as near as I've ever read in the suttas to the Hindu notion of Nirguna Brahman - the "Ultimate". In a sense, Buddha never needed to refute any specific claim of an ultimate basis, as his teachings go beyond any conditioned attributes, as in this sutta:
http://www.accesstoinsight.org/tipit....008.than.html

Buddha never refuted different states, levels or realms, as in the form and formless Jhanas etc. But bear in mind that he didn't teach anything for the sake of clinging to it, rather he taught his followers to let such things go.

08-31-2011, 06:50 PM	#12
xsVfF9Em Join Date Oct 2005 Posts 439 Senior Member	I've seen more than just a few people (claiming to be Buddhists) asserting that the Buddha taught an Ultimate Reality, an Absolute that parallels the Advaita Vedantist notion of Nirguna Brahman Hi Zero, Some Buddhists do make such claims but a closer inspection of the suttas demonstrates that Buddha refused to engage in speculation and statements about 'ultimate' states. Such claims are essentially irrelevant to the teachings. Didn't the Buddha ever refute the notion of a divine substratum to the universe? A trawl through the suttas sees Buddha having dealings with various Brahmas. As far as I know they are Form Realm Gods of the highest order but I recall Buddha admonishing one of them by recounting how he had fallen from even higher planes of existence. That's about as near as I've ever read in the suttas to the Hindu notion of Nirguna Brahman - the "Ultimate". In a sense, Buddha never needed to refute any specific claim of an ultimate basis, as his teachings go beyond any conditioned attributes, as in this sutta: http://www.accesstoinsight.org/tipit....008.than.html Buddha never refuted different states, levels or realms, as in the form and formless Jhanas etc. But bear in mind that he didn't teach anything for the sake of clinging to it, rather he taught his followers to let such things go.
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