A comparative study of the teachings of the Upanisads and those of the Buddha.

1. The Essence of Spiritual
Development as Taught by
The Upanisads and the Buddha –
A Comparative Study
Prof. P. L. Dhar
I.I.T. Delhi

2. Comparison based on “Theory”
• Varied interpretations of Upanisads &
Buddha’s Teachings
• They are the same--highlighting the
similarities : law of karma, rebirth,
transitory nature of individual existence
• There are irreconcilable differences: GOD,
Atman, Nature of world, Enlightened Being
after death etc.
• Not of much importance from a “practical”
point of view

3. The Upanisadic Path
• Cause of Suffering : “avidyadosena
vidyamanasya atmanah tiraskaranat” ---
Sankaracharya
– denial of everpresent Atman through spiritual
blindness
• Spiritual development: realizing that we are
not the body-mind complex but the eternal
Atman
• How to do so ?

4. The Upanisadic Path
• (b) Satyena labhyastapasa hyesa atma
Samyagjnanena brahmacaryena nityam;
• Antah sarire jyotirmayo hi subhro Yam pasyanti
yatayah ksinadosah – Mundudaka Upanisad
(III.1.5)
• This Atman can be realized by the constant
practice of truth, self-control, true knowledge and
chastity. The self controlled ones, freed from sin,
realize Him, the luminous and the pure One,
within their own being.

5. The Upanisadic Path
• (d) Drsyate tvgryaya buddhya suksmaya
suksmadarsibhih – Katha Upanisad (III.12)
– “The Atman is certainly realized by the
one-pointed minds of those who are
capable of seeing subtle truths, by minds
which have been trained to grasp subtler
and subtler facts.”

6. The Upanisadic Path
• (g) Yacchet vak manasi prajnah, tat yacchet
jnana atmani; Jananam atmani mahati
myacchet, tat yacchet santa atmani – (Katha
Up III. 13)
• “Let the wise man merge the speech in the
manas, and the manas in the buddhi; let him
merge the buddhi in the great self (mahat),
and that great self, again, in the Self of
peace (the Atman or Purusa)
• Consolidation by Patanjali , Bhagwad Gita

7. The Upanisadic Path
:Patanjali’s Yoga
• 1. Yama (i.e. abstention from injury (ahimsa),
untruth (satya), stealing (asteya), incontinence
(abrahmacarya) and acquisitiveness (aparigraha)
• 2. Niyama (observances like cleanliness (sauca),
contentment (santusa), austerity (tapah), self-study
(swadhyaya) and surrender to God
(iswarpranidhana)
• 3. Asana (posture)
• 4. Pranayama (regulation of breath)

8. The Upanisadic Path
:Patanjali’s Yoga
5.Pratyahara (withdrawal of senses from
their respective objects)
6.Dharana (contemplation)
7.Dhyana (one-pointed attention)
8.Samadhi (absorption/concentration)

9. The Upanisadic Path
• Object of Meditation : Numerous
suggestions , visualization, verbalization,
mystic syllable OM
• Bhagwad Gita– Yukta asita matparah :“the
thought of God” ; atmasamstham manah
kritwa, i.e. mind firmly fixed on the Self
• Deep Absorption leads to purification of
mind and eventually to merger with “Self”

10. • Cause of suffering : Avidya or ignorance
• Avidya: ignorance giving rise to tanha due to
instinctive reactions to the bodily feelings, the
sensations , which are mostly below the
threshold of our normal awareness
• Tanha makes the mind impure which leads
to suffering
• Complete eradication of tanha by following
the Noble Eight-fold Path
The Buddha’s Path

11. • The Practice of Eightfold Noble Path
• Sila : samma vaca , samma kammanta,
samma ajivo
• Samadhi : samma vayamo , samma sati
, samma samadhi
– emphasis of samma sati : fourfold => kaya..,
vedana.., citta..., dhamma….anupassana
• Pannya: samma sankappo, samma dithi
The Buddha’s Path

12. • Samma dithi is the Liberating insight yam kinci
vedyati dukkhasmim
• This can arise only though practice of samma
sati --especially the non-reactive observation of
the sensations yatha bhuta-nana-darsanam
• This leads to purification of the mind by slowly
changing our deep rooted habit pattern of
instinctual response to sensations and eradicating
tanha
The Buddha’s Path

13. • Two types of Meditation : . samatha-
bhavana and vipassana-bhavana :
(Development of ) Tranquility and Insight
• Samatha :Tranquility due to increased
concentration : 40 objects of meditation
including one’s own respiration (Anapana)
– doesn’t lead to complete extinction of suffering
since some anusaya kilesa buried in deep
unconscious mind , do not get eradicated
The Buddha’s Path

14. • Vipassana, or insight meditation also begins
with concentration exercises…….but after
mind is relatively free from distractions we
begin to examine with full awareness all
that is happening in the body-mind complex
,which thereby reveal their basic
characteristics of impermanence (anicca)
and impersonality (anatta).
• Detailed Instruction in Mahasatipatthana
suttam
The Buddha’s Path

15. • Complete purification of the mind prepares the
ground for the final leap into Nibbana , the
transcendental Reality
• This naturally leads to transmutation of the
consciousness as old habit patterns are
extinguished completely, without any residue.
• Pure mind has innate characteristics of
metta, karuna, mudita and uppekkha
The Buddha’s Path

16. Comparative Analysis
• Similar preparatory steps : yama panc-sila
• Need for calming and gaining mastery over the
mind to become Avrattcaksuh
• Suggest different objects to increase the
concentration power of the mind
• Final step :
– Upanisadic : meditation on “self” , OM
– The Buddha : satipatthana leads to Nibbana
• The main distinction : no observation of somatic
sensations/feelings in Upanisadic path

17. Concluding Remarks
• The essence of spiritual development :
Purification of the mind
• Final steps differ …… but not contradictory
,any one can verify the claims !!
• “Practical” result of the practice : metta ,
karuna, mudita , upekkha
• Any path leading to such qualities should be
welcome!!

18. Thank
you !!
Bhavatu sabba Mangalam!