Concept Of Matter In Lee Buddhism

Here's a comprehensive summary of the provided Jain text, "The Concept of Matter in Early Buddhism," by Prof. Angraj Chaudhary, focusing on its key arguments and perspectives:

Core Argument: Ethical Purpose Driving the Analysis of Matter

The central thesis of the text is that in Early Buddhism, the analysis of matter (known as rūpa) was driven by a profound ethical purpose: to help individuals overcome suffering. This suffering is rooted in taṇhā (craving or desire), which arises from attachment to the objects of the world. The Buddha's philosophy is presented as practical, aiming to liberate individuals from the cycle of suffering by understanding and ultimately disengaging from the impermanent and ultimately unsatisfactory nature of worldly phenomena, including matter.

The Nature of Matter (Rūpa) in Early Buddhism

• Impermanence and Flux: A key characteristic of rūpa is its constant state of flux, change, and dissolution. Although it appears stable, this is an illusion. The text quotes Buddha's advice to abandon desire and passion for rūpa because attachment to it inevitably leads to unrest and sorrow.
• Source of Fetters (Samyojana): Matter itself is not a fetter, but it creates fetters. It is samyojaniya (that which creates fetters). Greed and passion for material objects bind beings to the cycle of rebirth (saṃsāra).
• Ignorance of True Nature: Attachment to matter stems from ignorance (ajānam) of its real nature. The Buddha emphasizes that one cannot achieve the cessation of suffering (dukkha) without understanding and realizing the true nature of rūpa.
• Descriptive Characteristics: Rūpa is described through various terms that highlight its negative or impermanent aspects, such as:
  • Paṭiccasamuppanna (dependently arisen)
  • Saṃkhāta (conditioned)
  • Aññatha bhāvi (subject to change)
  • Khayadhammā (subject to decay)
  • Nirodha dhamma (subject to cessation)
  • Māra (death)
  • Roga (disease)
  • Gaṇḍa (boils)
  • Salya (arrows)
  • Ogha (flood)
  • Āditta (burning)
  • Suñña (empty)
  • Tuccha (vain)
  • Ritta (empty)
  • Āsāra (without essence)
  • Compared to a phenapinda (bubble) to illustrate its fleeting nature.

Pragmatic vs. Metaphysical Approach

The Early Buddhists are characterized as focusing on the pragmatic aspect of matter that contributes to worldly existence and suffering, rather than a purely metaphysical exploration. They don't deny the existence of the external world, nor do they believe it is solely mind-made (like Berkeley's idealism). They assert that matter exists independently of the mind. The interaction between the individual and this external world leads to attachment and aversion, creating suffering.

The Five Aggregates (Khandhas) and the Role of Matter

Human personality is composed of the five aggregates: rūpa (matter), vedanā (feeling), saññā (perception), saṃkhāra (mental formations), and viññāṇa (consciousness). The latter four are mental, and rūpa is material. The text uses the analogy of a lame man on the shoulders of a blind man to describe the interdependent relationship between the mental and material aspects of personality.

The Four Primary Elements (Mahābhūtas)

Buddhist philosophy identifies four primary elements, or mahābhūtas, which are the fundamental constituents of matter:

1. Paṭhavī (Earth): Characterized by hardness (kakkhalatā) and rigidity (khariṅgatā). Examples include hair, nails, teeth, flesh, and skin.
2. Āpo (Water): Characterized by cohesion and binding properties (rūpassa bandhanatta), fluidity (paggharana), and streaming (nissandabhāva). Examples include blood, bile, and phlegm. It binds matter together.
3. Tejo (Fire): Represents heat or warmth (uṇha). Even cold (sīta) is considered a relative absence of heat. Examples include bodily heat.
4. Vāyo (Air/Wind): Represents movement and dynamism. Examples include breath and winds.

Key Characteristics of Mahābhūtas:

• Inseparability: None of the mahābhūtas can exist in isolation. They are sahajāta (born together) and sahabhū (existing together). Their origination, existence, and dissolution are synchronized.
• Tetrabhautic Nature: Every instance of matter contains all four primary elements. All material aggregates are thus "tetrabhautic" (composed of four elements).
• Distinction from Other Philosophies:
  • Unlike Sāṃkhya, where mahābhūtas evolve from tanmātrās and ultimately from Prakṛti, Early Buddhists assign them a more primary position.
  • Unlike Vedānta, which sees mahābhūtas as gross and evolving from subtle elements, Buddhist mahābhūtas are not derived from subtler entities in the same way.
  • The text notes that Jain philosophy considers paramāṇus (ultimate indivisible particles) as the constituents of pudgala (matter), giving paramāṇu a primary position, whereas Nyāya-Vaiśeṣika postulates atoms corresponding to the four elements.

Twenty-Four Secondary Elements (Upādā Rūpas)

Beyond the four primary elements, there are twenty-four secondary forms of matter (upādā rūpas) that depend on the mahābhūtas. These include:

• Five Sense Organs: Eye (cakkhu), ear (sota), nose (ghana), tongue (jivha), and body (kāya). These are described as subtle and sensitive, requiring the mind to perceive them.
• Four Sense Objects: Visible form (rūpa), sound (sadda), smell (gandha), and taste (rasa). The tangible (phoṭṭhabba) is also mentioned but not enumerated as a separate object in this context.
• Two Faculties of Sex: Masculinity (purisindriya) and femininity (itthindriya), responsible for distinguishing sexes and their characteristics.
• Faculty of Life (Jīvitindriya): Stabilizes and sustains matter that arises from kamma.
• Nutritive Matter (Kabaḷikāra āhāra): Matter that aids growth.
• Physical Basis of Mind (Hadaya vatthu): A post-canonical development, considered the physical basis for mind and mind-consciousness.
• Two Modes of Self-Expression (Viññati rūpa): Bodily expression (kāyaviññati) and vocal expression (vaciviññati), which communicate thoughts.
• Three Characteristics of Matter: Lightness (lahutā), softness (mudutā), and pliability (kammaññatā). These represent a healthy state of matter.
• Four Phases of Matter: Growth (upacaya), continuity (saṃtati), decay (jaratā), and impermanence (aniccatā).
• Element of Space (Ākāsa): Bounded space that allows for movement.

Conclusion: The Purpose of Analysis

The text reiterates that the detailed analysis of matter, both primary and secondary, serves the overarching goal of preventing attachment and, consequently, reducing suffering. The inherent impermanence and unsatisfactory nature of these material constituents mean that they cannot provide lasting happiness. Therefore, by understanding the true nature of rūpa, individuals are encouraged to abandon passionate attachment and seek liberation through the cessation of craving. The text concludes by emphasizing that this understanding should lead to the cultivation of a beneficial life by negating the desire-driven attachment to matter.