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Fragments of Empedocles in Buddhism and Jainism
By Ms.
Isha Gamlath
Senior Lecturer Deptt. of Western Classics, University of Kelaniya, Sri Lanka
Abstract - Two fragments of Empedocles can be
compared with Buddhist and Jain teachings. This paper is devoted to this
comparison.
Empedocles the pre-Socratic (495 BC - 435 BC) is one of the earliest of Greek
philosophers to have put across the belief in the transmigration of souls. The
teachings embodied in his Purifications presents the reincarnation of an
inhabitant of the mythical Golden Age. The Golden Age was one in which its
inhabitants spent a life of genuine simplicity, unity, friendship, peace,
non-violence. It was an age devoid of any slaughter - both human and animal
Animals in particular were not slaughtered either for food or sacrifice.
'Their altar was not steeped in the pure blood of bulls rather it was this the
greatest abomination among men to tear out the life from goodly limbs and eat
them' (Fr. 128)
These inhabitants worshipped Kupris or love. She is a goddess who represents all
the virtues characteristic of the inhabitants of the Golden Age:
The beauty of this age is completely destroyed when one of the inhabitants, a
daemon, committed the sin of bloodshed and consumed animal flesh. The punishment
inflicted on him is fearful In Fr. 115,
"There is an oracle of Necessity an ancient decree of the gods, eternal
sealed with broad oaths that when any one of the daemons whose lot is long life
sinfully stains his dear limbs with slaughter and following Hate has sworn a
false oath these must wander thrice ten thousand seasons far from the blessed
being born throughout the time in to all the forms of mortal creations which
exchange one grievous way of life for another?." While being so direly
punished this daemon suffers endlessly by being reincarnated in a number of
animate and inanimate bodies until he finally resumes his divine existence.
Empedocles' horror of the consumption of animal flesh is brought out in a moving
fragment:
"Father lifts up his own dear son his form changed and praying seizes him
witless fool; and the people are distracted as they sacrifice the imploring
victim and he deaf to its cries slays it and marks ready in his halls an evil
feast. And likewise son seizes father and children their mother and tearing out
the life, eat the flesh of their dear ones." (Fr.137;)
Sextus Empiricus, Advanced Mathematics
(ix. 129)
It is known that both Jain and Buddhist teachings prohibited himsa or violence
to living beings. While it is conspicuously stressed in Jainism the Sanskrit
Buddhist texts too specify it. The Lankavatara Sutta first translated into
Chinese in 443AD. Next in 513 AD and finally in 200 AD and published by the
modern Chinese scholar Bunyin - Nangio translates the lines, which correspond
with fr117 of Empedocles. Accordingly Buddha said:
"O Great wise man! In this beginningless world the living having been
wandering, there is not a single creature, which had not been sometimes mother,
father, brother, sister, son, daughter or any other relative. The same adopting
many re-births are born as deer or other animal, bird etc. which are really our
relatives. How can a follower of Buddhism, a saint or a disciple who sees all
the creatures as his brethren cut the flesh of all these creatures?"
Two aspects of these lines correspond to Empedocles. One is that there is a
possibility that all living beings are related to each other and that a kinship
exists among fathers, mothers and son and also that every time one kills an
animal there is a possibility of causing violence to one's own kin. The latter
tallies with the following fragment of Empedocles as well 'Will you not see that
you are devouring each other in the ignorance of your minds'? (Fr. 136. Sex tus
Empiricus advanced Mathemation ix 129)
The second is that one could be reborn as deer, bird, etc. This corresponds to
Empedocles fragment which describes that be a 'boy, girl, dumb sea fish, bush
and bird' (Fr. 117)
According to the teachings of Jain saint Samayasara -
'Bondage of karma will be caused by intention of injury whether the creatures
maybe killed or not. This is the brief of bondage for the souls from the correct
stand point?
This Jain teaching corresponds to the Buddhist and Empedoclean belief in
reincarnation, which causes the cyclic journey of samsara or rebirth. The soul
of the daimon in Empedocles wanders, ' thrice ten thousand seasons' (Fr. 115).
Similarly the Jain soul wanders in the four condition of life celestial,
hellish, sub - human and human. Among the Jain sub human and human conditions
are those that correspond with the births of Empedocles as mentioned in fr.117.
The similarities between the above fragments of Empedocles and the Buddhist and
Jain teachings are, therefore many.
BIBLIOGRAPHY
Prashad, B. S. A Comparative study of Jainism and Buddhism Sri Sathguru
Publications, Delhi, 1982
Freeman, K. Ancilla to the Pre - Socratic philosophers, Basil Blackwell, Oxford,
1971
Nangio,B Lankavatara Sutta Kyoto, Japan, 1922.
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Courtesy : Isha Gamlath (Senior Lecturer), Dept. of Classics, University of Kelaniya, Sri Lanka.
Email:
isha@kln.ac.lk
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Mail
to : Ahimsa Foundation
www.jainsamaj.org
R17102
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