SARTRE'S EXISTENTIALISM AND EARLYB UDDHISM A COMPARATIVES TUDY OF SELFLESSNESTSH EORIES PhrMae dhidhammaporn (PrayoMoenr erk) • �UDDHADIWIMA I'OUN[l.4.TlON BANGKOK 11t\.l1.AA'O FirPsutb lis1h9e8d8 in BangkTohka iland SeconEdd ition 1995 Allr igh©t bsy t hAeu thor ISB�974-7890-43-7 PublisBhuedrdsh:a dhaFmomuan dation, 87{1T2e6s abSaohnlg krRodh.L ,a dY aoC,h atuchBaAkN,G KOK THAILAND Tel(.6:6 ()2 5)8 9-9012 Fax(:6 6()2 9)5 4-4791 PREFACE T hep resewnotr k air se visveedr sioofmn y doctotrhaels is entitAl eCdo mparatSitvuedo yft hNe on-egoloTgriecaatl­ mentosfC onsciouisnnS easrst rPeh'isl osaonpdhE ya rlByu d­ dhiswmh,i cwha ss ubmittaettd h eU niversoifDt eyl hIin,d iian, Septemb1e9r8 5T.h ep urpooseft hisst udiyst o compare and contrSaasrtt rdeo'cst roifnn eo n-egolwoigtyth h et heoorfys elf­ lessne(sasn atitnllE )a rl(yT heravaBduad)d hisSmi.n cIe embarkoendt hitsh esIihasv ee ntertatihnewe ids thh aitwt o uld stimulmaotreei nterients hte c omparatsitvuedo yf B uddhism ande xistentiaanldti hsammt,y theswiosu lsde rvaesa s tarting poinfto fru rthreers earch. Thitsh eswiosu ldn oth aveb eecno mpletheaddi tn otb een fotrh ec ontribuatnidao sns istoafni cnen umeraibnldei viduals. Althouaghl olf t hemc annobtea cknowledgedm yh seirnec,e re apprecifaotri otpnha eriitrsr e gistered on these pages. Iw oulldi kteoa cknowlweidtggher atimtyui dned ebted­ nessP rtoof eMsasrogr aCrheatt teDrijreeec,ot fIo nrd ian InstiotfAu dtvea ncSetdu dSyi,m lIan,d iaan,dP rofessor MaheTsihw aUrnyi,v erosfDi etlyh i,I nDdefiloahtr,ih ,en iorb le gUidaanncdie n valusaubglgee satti ovnassr tiaoguoesfps r e­ paritnhgte h esis. It akteh iosp portuonfmi atkyi fnugl l acknowolfe dgment myg ratittotu hdMeeo sVten eraPbhlraeT hammahaviranuvat, AbbootfW atR aikhNiankgh,o Prant hofmog,rr antmietn hge scholatrocs ahriorpuy tt h rise seaprrcohj ect. Iw ould altsoto h alnikkB eut dhdeh adhamma Foundation fotra kionntg h ree publiocfta htweio ornk . PhrMae dhimdmhaaporn Abbreviations A. Anguttara-Nikaya AA.. Anguttara-NAitkti'lhyaak atha Abhs.A bhidhammatthasali.gaha BN. Beinagn dN othingness BPS. BuddhiPsutb licaStoicoine ty Brh. BrhadaraDyaka ChandC.h andogya CPR. CritioqfuP eu rRee ason D. DIgha-Nikaya Dhp. Dhammapada 0"'. DhammasanganI DhsA.D hammasangAatntrh akatha Hi. Itivuttaka jPTS.J ournoaftl h Pea lTie xSto ciety KVll.K athavatthu KvuA.K ath1l.vatAtthtuh akatha M. Majjhima-Nikaya MA. Majjhima-NAitktlihyaak atha MK. MUlamadhyamakakarika Mand.M ru:u;lnkya Miln.M ilindapaf'tha Mund.M Ul:u;!aka PEW. PhilosoEpahsyat n dW est PPR. PhilosoapnhdPy h enomenoloRgeisceaalr ch !'TS. PalTie xSto ciety S. SamyuUNai-kaya SN. Suttanipata Tait. Taitirlya TE. TheT ranscendoeftn hcEeeg o Ud. Udiina Up. Upani�ad Vism.V isuddhimagga Contents PREFACE v INTRODUCTION XIII Comparpahtiilvoes ...o...p....h...y... ................................................xv.. . Philosotprhaincsal.la. t.i.o.n. ............x.v.i.i. ............................................ Thmee thodoaltotgii.tc.ua.dl.e . ............x.v.i.i.i. ...................................... Not.e.s. ........................xv.i.i.i. ................................................................ PART ONE 1 SELFELSSNESISN S ARTREE'XSI STENTIALISM I SARTRE'RSE JECTION OFT HET RANSCENDENTEAGLO 3 Natoripn'tse rproeftt haeetg .io...o ...n... ...........................................7.. Hussedrils'asg reweimtNehan tto. ..r...p... ........................................8... Thter anscetnudrenn t.al ... 9 ................................................................... Thter ansceengd.o.e... .n...t...a.....l... ...................................................1 1 Kanatn Hdu ssoenrt lhe eg o .. .. .. . .. 12 ..................................................... Immanternatn sce..n....d....e...n...c.....e... ............................................ 14 Theeg op'rso pe.r.t.i.e.s. ...............1.6. ...................................................... Transcendental-pihdeeanlo.i..m.s..e.m..n. ...o...l...o...g...i...c...a...1l...7 .. Sartrreej'esco tfti htoern a nsceengdoe .n.ta.l .. 18 ................................... Uniotfcy o nscio..u....s...n...e...s...s... ..................................................2 0 Retenatnipdor no te.n...t.....i...o...n... ..............................................2..2.. Pre-refalnredce tfilvececo tnisvcei o...u....s...n...e...s...s... ..................2. 4 Thpeh enomenorleodguic..ct...ai...lo... n... .........................................2. 6 Thrcehea ractotfcr oinsstciico.s..u. ..s...n....e....s....s.... ....................2...8 Thsee lft-hleoovrey . . . 29 .......................................................................... Thter ansceegn.od... e...n....t... ............................................................3 0 Puraen idm purreef le...c...t...i....o....n... .............................................3 1 Thceo nstiotftu hteeim opni reigc.o..a. ..l.... .................................3...2... Thpeo ssiobfpi ulrirete yf le...c....t...i...o...n... ......................................3 4 Not.e...s... ........................................................................................3...6. IIT HES ARTREACNO NCEPTION OFC ONSCIOUSNESS 41 Sponta..n...e...i...t...y... .......................................................................4 2 Absolu.t...e...n.....e...s...s... .................................................................4.. 3 Self-cons...c...i...o...u...s......n....e....s....s... ......................................4...3.. Transphenboemi.e.n...ng...a ...l... ...............................................4...6... ... Twot ypoefbse i..n...g... .....................................................................4. 7 Nothin.g...n...e...s....s... .....................................................................4 8 Tempor..a...l...i...t....y... ....................................................................5...4 1.T hpea s...t... ...............................................................................5...5. 2.T hper es..e...n....t... .......................................................................... 57 3.T hfeu t.u....r...e... ...................................................................5...8... .... Theek stuantiiotcfcy o nscio...u....s...n....e...s...s... ..........................5. ..9 Freed....o...m... ....................................................................................6. 1 Cauasnemd o ti...v....e... ......................................................................6 3 Thuen detercmhion.i..e.c..d.e.. . ......................................................... 6. 5 Factiocffi rteye. .d...o...m.... ...............................................................6.. 7 A.M y Pla.c..e... ................................................................................... 68 B.M y Pas.t. ......................................6.9. ................................................. C.M y Environm..e...n...t... .................................... . ........ 70 D.M y Fellowm..e...n... ........................................................... .......... 7. 0 E.M y Deat..h... ...................................................................................7 1 Respons..i...b....i.....l...i...t...y... ............................................................7 1 Angui....s...h... ..................................................................................7...2 Bafadi t..h.... .....................................................................................7...3 Goofadi t...h... ....................................................................................7 ..6 Sartreetah.ni... c...s... .........................................................................7. 7 Desi...r...e... ......................................................................................7.. 7 A summa...r....y... .............................................................................. 79 A revioefnw o thin.g....n...e...s....s.... .............................................8... 0 Not.e...s... ...........................................................................................8 3 PARTT WO SELFLESSNIENSE SA RLYB UDDHISM IIITHEB UDDHISTR'ESJ ECTIOONF T HES ELF 91 Annihilaatniedot neirsnm.a.. .l....i...s...m... .................................9...2... . Atmainnt hUep ani.�....a...d...s... ....................................................... 93 Thsee ilsif n desc.r...i....b...a....b....l...e... ............................................. 9. 4 Yogoarm edit.a...t....i....o...n... ........................................................9 ..6.. Brahm= aAnt ma...n... .....................................................................9...7 Atmaann tdh ter ansceengd..oe... .n...t...a.....l.... ..............................9.. 8 ThBeu ddhrae'jse cotfti hpoeen r maenge..on... t... ...........................1 00 Fivaeg gre.g...a...t.....e...s... .............................................................1...0 1 Argumeangtasit nhssete . l...f.... .....................................................1 04 ThBeud dhaan Hdu me.... .................................................................1 05 ThrCheaer acte.r...i...s...t....i.....c...s..... ...........................................1.. 07 DependOernitg ina..t...i..o...n... .................................................1...0..8 AnattaDn dN irVD..lJ...a... ..............................................................1...1 2 Wisaen du nwise att...e...n..t...i..o...n... ....... ..... .. ......1.1.4. ....... Threkei ndosfd esi...r..e... .............................................................1. 15 TheB uddhaasa ne xperien..t..i...a...l..i...s...t.. .............................1...1 6 Two formmesd oifta .t..i...o...n.. ....................................................1.. 17 VipassatnhBaeu: ddhimsetd ita.t...i..o...n... ...............................1...1..9. Proble..m...s... ................................................................................1. 21 Note..s.. .........................................................................................1 21 IVTHEB UDDHISCTO NCEPTION OFC ONSCIOUSNESS 126 FIfty-ptswyoc hfaicct or...s... .........................................................1 27 Contenotfcs o nsciou.s...n..e...s...s.. ............................................1...2 9 Self-consc.i...o..u...s...n..e...s...s.. ...................................................1. 29 Them ateroibajle. .c...t... ............................................................1..3..0... Thep henomenal. ...w..o...r...l..d... ............................................1..3...1.. .. Momentari.n...e...s..s... ..............................................................1...3. 3 Theu nitoyfc onsciou..s..n...e...s..s... ........................................1..3..4... . Thep ersoindaeln t..i..t...y... .....................................................1..3..5... .. Thec ausraell at..i...o...n.. .........................................................1...3..7.. WilliJaamm eosn t hset reoafmc onsciou..s' n.e.s..s.. ..................1..3.8. Subconscio..u..s...n..e..s...s... .......................................................1...4. 0 Subconscioaunsdtn hetesr sa nscendeegno...t ..a...l... ....................1 43 Rebirotfch o nsciou..s..n...e..s...s... ...................................1...4...4. ...... Thed octroifkan rem a .........................................................1 46 Freedoofmc onsciou.s....n..e...s...s.. ..........................................1...4..9... Fousrp heroefcs o nsciou..s...n..e...s...s.. ....................................1...5..1... Tempora.l...i...t..y... .....................................................................1..5.. 3 Thec onceopfNt i rvl1.f...W... .....................................................1..5...5.. .. Theo ntologsitcaatolufN s i rvtf.f...l..a... .......................................1..5. 8 Ufldeterqmuiensetdi ...o..n...s.. .....................................................1..6 0 A summar..y... ................................... .......... ..... ............1..6..1.. ... Sufiiiaatnadn othing.n...e...s..s... .. .. .....................1.6.2. .... Note..s.. ...................................................................................1...6..5 PARTT HREE REFLECTIOANNSD COMPARISONS V REFLECTIONS AND COMPARISONS 171 Atman atnhdte r anscendeegn.o..t ...a..l... .....................................1. 72 Purposienrs e jectthien g.s ..e...l...f... ............................................1...7 2 Theem pirsiec.l..a.f..l. ... ................................................................1...7 4 Thpeh enomenodleosgcirciaapnltvd ii opna s..s...a...n...tl... .............1. 74 Empti.n...e...s...s... .............................................................................1 76 Self-cons..c....i....o...u...s...n...e...s...s... ...........................................1...7 7 Thbee ionfg otbhje.e.. .c...t... ........................................................1...8.. 0 NOfhinagnnsdeu sfisfi .a....t...tl... ..............................................1...8...1. Momentar...i...n...e...s.....s.... .......................................................1...8...1 Thuen iotfcy o nscio..u...s...n...e...s...s..... ...................................1...8...2 Tempor..a...l...i...t...y... .....................................................................1. 84 Subconsci...o.....u...s...n...e...s...s... ........................................1...8..4... .... Karmaan rde bi...r...t...h... ...........................................................1...8..5. Freed...o...m... ...............................................................................1...8. 8 Freefrdoommd es.i....r...e... ...........................................................1...8. 9 Freedformos mu ffe...r...i....n...g.... ............................................1...9...1.. ThBeu ddhains5dta rtreetah.in..c. ....s... .....................................1...9. 2 Threa diccoanlv er....s...i...o...n... ................................................1...9...4 COIlc/..u...s....i...o....n... ...............................................................1.. 96 Not.e...s... ......................................................................................1. 96 INDEX 199