Ven.

BH Pannasara
Discuss the Buddhist attitude towards the worldly origin and evolution of society.
Buddhism appeared in India in the 6
th
century BC. Prior Buddhism there was many
religions such as Vedicism, Brahmanism and Jainism. Each of them had their own
teaching and concepts on society. he main religious was Brahmanism or Hinduism and
in addition to that there were se!eral other religious such as Jainism and "aterialism.
#ccording to the SAmaGGaphala sutta of dIghanikaya there ha!e $een si%
famous religious !iews regarding the nature of the world and the $esting of the man.
hey are &'( Purana)asspa &*( "o))ligosala &+( #,ita )esa)am$ala &-( Pa)udha
)accayana &.( /an,aya $ettatthiputta &6( 0iganta nathaputta. #ccording to the
Brahma,alasutta of 1ighani)aya there ha!e $een 6* wrong !iews held $y !iews religious
people in India.
#ccording to Buddhism all the religious !iews and practices pre!alence at that time can
$e classified into two main groups &'( Eternalism /assada !ada &*( 0ihilism 2ccheda
!ada. /assada!ada $elie!es in the theory of soul, re$irth and )arma. 2ccheda!ada
$elie!es that the world including human $eings and other things are composed $y great
elements and fi!e elements. hey did not $elie!e in re$irth and )arma $ut only soul.
herefore, according to them there is no re$irth after death. Buddhism considered these
two categories as e%tremist !iews and to $e a!oided. he Buddhist path of deli!erance
preached $y the Buddha is called the middle path $ecause it )eeps away from the two
e%treme !iews and the religious practices mentioned a$o!e.
#ccording to Brahmanism the world, human $eing including society and e!erything that
e%ist in the world are created $y the /upreme Being or the Creator 3od. 0ot only that
they also $elie!ed that the society was di!ided into four main classes $y Brahmins. hey
are &'( Brahamana &*( 4satriya &+( Vaisya and &-( /udra. he Brahmins religious
acti!ities were conducted $y Brahmin and the political affairs were conducted $y
4satriya. he trading, farming etc. $elonged to the Vaisya. #nd the last /udra ser!ed as
the sla!e of the other three classes of people. he women were not gi!en freedom or a
suita$le place in the society.
#part from these, some religious $elie!es that the world and e!erything in the world
came into $eing $y faith. It is no need to do merit or demerit owing to this !iew. /ome
says that there is no cause and condition, which human $eings ha!e to e%ist. #ccording to
Jainism, all the things in the world are e%isted $y )arma. It will e%ist last long until the
world disappears. #ccording to modern world, they remar) that the world and e!erything
in the world e%ist due to the gradual e!olution. hey do not $elie!e in 3od and 4arma
he Buddhist e%planation regarding the origin and e!olution of society is completely
different from the !iew of Brahmins. hus, according to the Buddha, the origin and
e!olution of society and the world is the result of the process of cause and effect. he
Buddha e%plained that owing to the cyclic process of in!olution &sam!atta( and
re!olution &!i!atta(, which ta)es place at the end of the world disappeared &)alpa(. #t the
end of one world period, the world dissol!es and then once again it gradually e!ol!es.
his is !ery !i!idly descri$ed in the #gganna /utta of 1igha 0i)aya that at the $eginning
of the world was a ne$ulous mass with gradual turned into li5uid form, the top of the
layer of which turns into a crust, which $ecomes the earth.
here are $eings who died from &#$hasara de!alo)a( comes to life on earth as humans
were made up of mind. hey fed on rapture, self6luminous, tra!ersed in the air and
$eautiful. #fter sometime the surface of the earth appeared to them as a scum of $oiled
mil)y rice with an enchanting colour and odour. /ome of greedy $eings tasted the
delicious scum. Cra!ing entered into their heart of these $eings, they tasted more and
more. #s a result of cra!ing the luminous of them disappeared and then the sun, moon
and star appeared and night and day also.
In this way, they lost their original form and character. #fter the disappeared of the earth
scum, they $egan to feed on mushroom, creeping plants, rice ripening one after another.
7hen the greedy $eing gathered food for morning and e!ening in one time the other
$eing gathered food for one or two days. hey $ecame to do li)e this for so long time.
1ue to eating solid food, their $odies too $ecame more and more solid and their physical
changes se% differences appears. hey gradually mo!ed from the food gathering to the
state of food producing $y partitioning and culti!ating lands. hey put up $oundaries
o!er their fields of culti!ation and di!ide the land which $ecame the common property of
all. His pri!ate ownership $rings a$out a tendency to accumulate more and more.
Hence some $eing appropriated the property of others. his leads to social conflicts. It is
this that necessitates a person to protect the field and punish the wrong doers. his mar)s
the $eginning of )ingship or the state. he people themsel!es are completely to elect $y
common consent a particular person who was handsome and the most pleasant and
capa$le as their head. hen he was called "ahasamata the great elect. hey entrust him
the tas) of punishing the wrong doers and in return he is gi!en a share of their product.
Being impartial, he punished those who transgressed the custom and traditions of the
community of the country. herefore he could $e considered an authority of law and
,ustice. hus the social organi8ation appeared among human $eing li)e this.
Hence, "ahasamata was elected $y the people for the people not $y creator god li)e
other religions. 9ater on, the cope of the institution e%panded the "ahasamata was then
called 4hattiya or lord of the field. #fterward, as his power of authority was gradually
e%pended $eyond the original assignment he was called :a,a or 4ing. He was delighted
$y the people for upholding the law and ,ustice. #ccording to Buddhism Brahmana is
defined as a person who has a!oided e!il deeds such as stealing, scolding, lying etc.
while those who resorted to meditation were )nown as Jhaya)as. hose who ga!e up
meditation and engaged in composing $oo)s and teaching from them were )nown as
#,,haya)as Vessa or the trade6 fol). #nd the /uddas were supposed to $e the people who
li!ed $y hunting and such other lower pursuits.
#ccording to the short statement a$o!e, it is clear that the origin and e!olution of society
is not created $y Brahmin $ut $y human $eing.