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**tofRobbroolve** · 09-19-2011, 01:20 PM

You have given up already!

It's on my "To do" list.

I sense there is more to the similes. Most likely. I suspect they're allusions to memes contemporary to the Buddha's time and location, though. I'm not sure how to go about recovering that information, though, and I don't see the value in speculating without something solid to go on. On the other hand, it could be a very important message that's been obscured. I don't want to discourage your interest in it.

Sure.

But if the Buddha was just exhorting non-attachment, he already taught about not attaching to the five aggregates, to the six sense bases, etc

I suppose my inquiry is why did the Buddha decide to make a special teaching out of these four things and called them 'nutriment'?

Maybe just a rephrasing it in a way that would have more impact on that particular audience? It seems he used certain allusions when speaking to Brahmins, others when speaking to householders, fellow mendicants, renunciates and so forth. Maybe it's just another approach in his repertoire?

09-19-2011, 01:20 PM	#12
tofRobbroolve Join Date Oct 2005 Posts 470 Senior Member	You have given up already! It's on my "To do" list. I sense there is more to the similes. Most likely. I suspect they're allusions to memes contemporary to the Buddha's time and location, though. I'm not sure how to go about recovering that information, though, and I don't see the value in speculating without something solid to go on. On the other hand, it could be a very important message that's been obscured. I don't want to discourage your interest in it. Sure. But if the Buddha was just exhorting non-attachment, he already taught about not attaching to the five aggregates, to the six sense bases, etc I suppose my inquiry is why did the Buddha decide to make a special teaching out of these four things and called them 'nutriment'? Maybe just a rephrasing it in a way that would have more impact on that particular audience? It seems he used certain allusions when speaking to Brahmins, others when speaking to householders, fellow mendicants, renunciates and so forth. Maybe it's just another approach in his repertoire?
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