Tipitaka Studies 7: The Brahmajala Sutta — Decoding the 62 Views and the Path to True Freedom
Introduction: Echoes of Praise and Blame on the Journey In Buddhist history, the origins of profound teachings often stem from ordinary situations. Such was the case during a journey from Rajagaha to Nalanda, where the Buddha and the Sangha encountered a starkly contrasting dialogue between a teacher and his student. Suppiya the Wanderer spoke in dispraise of the Triple Gem, while his student, Brahmadatta, spoke constantly in its praise.
This verbal conflict became the catalyst for the Buddha to deliver the Brahmajala Sutta (The Net of Brahma or The Net of Views). This discourse is more than just a lesson on how to handle criticism and flattery; it is a profound decoding of the entire structure of human belief systems (Ditthi), pointing the way toward true liberation from the cycle of suffering (Samsara).
1. Mental Balance: Immunity Against Worldly Winds The Buddha established a “Golden Rule” for mental management when dealing with the “Worldly Winds” (Lokadhamma) of praise and blame:
- When Criticized: One should restrain resentment or malice. Anger blocks wisdom and hinders spiritual attainment. Instead, one should clarify the situation with facts to correct misunderstandings.
- When Praised: One should restrain elation or delight. Elation can become an obstacle to spiritual progress. Instead, one should acknowledge the truth of the praise and confirm it based on reality.
2. The Standard of Morality: Basic Virtues Seen by the World The Buddha pointed out that the praise offered by ordinary people (Puthujjana) is often limited to the matter of “Sila” (Morality), which constitutes only the preliminary virtues. He categorized these into three levels:
- Cula-Sila (Minor Morality): Refraining from basic physical misconduct, such as killing, stealing, or lying, and maintaining a simple, ethical lifestyle.
- Majjhima-Sila (Middle Morality): Refraining from behaviors that undermine merit, such as damaging plant life, hoarding requisites, gambling, or indulging in frivolous entertainment.
- Maha-Sila (Major Morality): Refraining from “base arts” (Tiracchana-vijja) or occult practices, such as fortune-telling, exorcism, or astrology, which contradict the laws of cause and effect (Kamma).
3. The 62 Views: The Net that Traps All Beings The most significant part of the Brahmajala Sutta is the classification of the 62 wrong views (Ditthi) held by various religious teachers of that era. The Buddha compared these beliefs to a “Net” that encompasses all human speculation, divided into two main categories:
A. Speculations About the Past (Pubbantakappanika) – 18 Views: Beliefs attempting to explain the origins of the world and the self, such as:
- Eternalism (Sassataditthi): The belief that the world and the soul are eternal and unchanging.
- Partial Eternalism (Ekaccasassataditthi): The belief that some things are eternal (such as a Creator God) while others are not.
- Fortuitous Origination (Adhiccasamuppannikaditthi): The belief that the world and the self arise by chance without any cause.
B. Speculations About the Future (Aparantakappanika) – 44 Views: Beliefs regarding the fate of the soul after death, such as:
- Doctrine of Percipience (Sanyiditthi): The belief that the soul is conscious after death.
- Annihilationism (Ucchedaditthi): The belief that the soul is destroyed and ceases to exist after death.
- Nirvana Here and Now (Ditthadhammanirvanaditthi): The misconception that ultimate liberation is found in current sensual pleasures or various levels of meditative absorption (Jhana).
4. Supreme Knowledge: Freedom Beyond the Net The Buddha concluded that all 62 views arise from the same root: “Contact” (Phassa) via the senses. This contact gives rise to feeling, which leads to craving and eventually to clinging (Upadana).
The Tathagata, being fully enlightened regarding these causes, is not trapped within any of these views. By understanding the process of the mind and “not clinging” to that knowledge, his mind is liberated from the bonds of Mara and the cycle of rebirth entirely.
Conclusion The Brahmajala Sutta serves as a complete spiritual map. It demonstrates that as long as humans cling to theories or beliefs—no matter how extreme—they remain trapped in the “Net” of existence. The only way out is to develop the wisdom to recognize the mental conditioning process and let go of all attachments.
