| Summary: | 碩士 === 華梵大學 === 東方人文思想研究所 === 95 === This topic is A Study on the Backsliding of Arhat: Focusing on Agamas and Treaties of Sabbatthivdins. In the stage of early Buddhism, arhat had been regarded as one who attained the full accomplishment of liberation. The Buddha was one of the arhats. According to the sutras, after the Buddha’s first turning of the wheel of the dharma, Ajnata-kaundinya and his other four brothers became arhats too as being stated in the Sutra on the Causes and Effects of the Past and Present, “From then on, there are six arhats: the Buddha is the Buddha treasure, the four-noble truth is the Dharma treasure, and the five arhats are the Sangha treasure. Thus, three treasures are completed in the world.” But by the time of Sectarian Buddhism, some sects’ interpretations of arhat had been changed from the state of perfection to backsliding due to his greedily attachment of the three realms. The statement of the sect of Sabbatthivdins was the most authoritative and systematic among these sects, which had twelve treaties discussing this issue. Some well-known treaties, such as Jnanaprasthana sastra, Mahavibhasa, Abhidharmakosa-bhasya, and Abhidharma-Nyayanusara sastra, were included in the twelve treaties.
From the viewpoint of Sabbatthivdins, there were six kinds of arhats distinguished by their dharma level of backsliding, recalling, protecting, abiding, promoting, or immovability. These six kinds of arhats could be divided into two categories: the five preceding ones were possible to backslide, and the last one was never turning-back. Meanwhile, the practitioners of Sabbatthivdins reinforced their assertion by quoting from sutras related to this subject. For example, there were nine kinds of arhats mentioned in the Sutra on Field of Merit in Madhyamagama, which encompassed the above six arhats. And, in Samyuktāgama, a Venerable, Godhika, who once again attained arhatship after having been backsliding for six times. For fearing backsliding again, he committed suicide and entered into nirvāṇa. Thirdly, in the 149th’s sutra collected in Aguttaranikāya III, vol. 5, also referred the backsliding of arhats because of their indulgence of running business, meaningless argument or debating, and long distance journey, and being troubled by constant illness.
The purpose of this thesis is to analyze the affirmation of Sabbatthivdins regarding to the backsliding of arhat from the standpoint of Agamas for realizing this affirmation is in accordance with the thoughts of Agamas or merely the innovation of Sabbatthivdins. Four critical questions are discussed for fulfilling the above purpose. Firstly, in Agamas, whether arhats were fully attained the accomplishment of liberation or not? If they did, it was impossible for any arhat to backslide. Secondly, is the Sutra on Field of Merit , which indicated the possibility of arhat’s backsliding as being mentioned in Mahāvibhā•ā, apocryphal? Thirdly, did Ven. Godhika attain arhatship before committing suicide as being depicted in Samyuktāgama? Fourthly, was the content of the 149th’s sutra in Aguttaranikāya III, vol. 5 misinterpreted by the interpreter who assumed the five causes bringing forth the backsliding of arhats? The detailed answers of these questions are explicated in the body of this thesis.
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