Why did Buddha say that he was not a human being?

A discussion on all aspects of Theravāda Buddhism
chownah
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Re: Why did Buddha say that he was not a human being?

Post by chownah »

binocular,
Key word here: contents.
It is the contents that matters, not just having it.
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manas
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Re: Why did Buddha say that he was not a human being?

Post by manas »

Hey chownah,
this is on phone, so briefly, I was sincerely just trying to clarify things, sorry if I came across too bossily - I am just learning here too, all of us...
manas :anjali:
To the Buddha-refuge i go; to the Dhamma-refuge i go; to the Sangha-refuge i go.
binocular
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Re: Why did Buddha say that he was not a human being?

Post by binocular »

chownah wrote:Key word here: contents.
It is the contents that matters, not just having it.
What contents?
Is there a Buddha liver? A Buddha kidney?
Hic Rhodus, hic salta!
chownah
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Re: Why did Buddha say that he was not a human being?

Post by chownah »

binocular,
The contents of the DNA is what matters.....not the mere fact that DNA is present.
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binocular
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Re: Why did Buddha say that he was not a human being?

Post by binocular »

You mean guanine, adenine, thymine, and cytosine? Then there's no difference between an ape and the ... uh, I can't even use those two words in the same sentence ...
Hic Rhodus, hic salta!
chownah
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Re: Why did Buddha say that he was not a human being?

Post by chownah »

I said that no one knows the contents of the buddha's DNA. This is a pretty simple statement. If you do not understand this then I suggest you go do some reading about how DNA and the genetic machinery work before attempting to discuss this....
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Ceisiwr
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Re: Why did Buddha say that he was not a human being?

Post by Ceisiwr »

Because to be human is to identify with that which does (the 5 aggregates)


Since he no longer identified with them, he was no longer "human"

The body, thoughts and feelings etc were there but they were empty of "I"
“Knowing that this body is just like foam,
understanding it has the nature of a mirage,
cutting off Māra’s flower-tipped arrows,
one should go beyond the King of Death’s sight.”
binocular
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Re: Why did Buddha say that he was not a human being?

Post by binocular »

chownah wrote:I said that no one knows the contents of the buddha's DNA. This is a pretty simple statement. If you do not understand this then I suggest you go do some reading about how DNA and the genetic machinery work before attempting to discuss this....
If your line of reasoning is that it is DNA that defines a being, then that's just nihilistic reasoning that reduces a being to mere aggregates.
Hic Rhodus, hic salta!
chownah
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Re: Why did Buddha say that he was not a human being?

Post by chownah »

binocular wrote:
chownah wrote:I said that no one knows the contents of the buddha's DNA. This is a pretty simple statement. If you do not understand this then I suggest you go do some reading about how DNA and the genetic machinery work before attempting to discuss this....
If your line of reasoning is that it is DNA that defines a being, then that's just nihilistic reasoning that reduces a being to mere aggregates.
That is not my line of reasoning but even if it was I don't see how it is necessarily nihilistic.
Also, didn't the Buddha in a certain sense reduce all beings to aggregates?........namely the concept of self reduced to the clinging aggregates?
chownah
binocular
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Re: Why did Buddha say that he was not a human being?

Post by binocular »

There is already at least one no-self / not-self thread that discusses just this.
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SarathW
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Re: Why did Buddha say that he was not a human being?

Post by SarathW »

Another good thread relevant to this OP:

http://www.dhammawheel.com/viewtopic.php?f=24&t=20745
“As the lamp consumes oil, the path realises Nibbana”
Ananda26
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Re: Why did Buddha say that he was not a human being?

Post by Ananda26 »

SarathW wrote:Above question raised as a result of a previous posting

http://www.dhammawheel.com/viewtopic.ph ... 56#p272914
Based on that can I say:

A) Though you have a human body, you could be an Arahant, Deva or even an animal.
B) Can a animal with its animal body could be an Arahant, human or Deva? If not why?
C) Does that mean Arahant also some thing like Deva or human?


When answering above please also consider the fact that a person is questioned to verify that he/she is a human when s/he is ordained as a monk.
:juggling:
There is an error in this particular translation that was cited here. The question Buddha was specifically asked about was will he be such and such beings in the future. Currently he was a human being, but since he was free from rebirth he would not become any such beings after death.

Humans can attain Arahantship. There is a Brahma named Tudu who attained Never Returner. In the realm of the Never Returners beings eventually attain Nibbana.

Animals are not a fortunate rebirth. They are impaired from attaining Arahantship.

An Arahant is a person who has attained Nibbana.
SarathW
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Re: Why did Buddha say that he was not a human being?

Post by SarathW »

Another related topic:
Was Buddha a human being or something more?

http://www.dhammawheel.com/viewtopic.php?f=24&t=20745
“As the lamp consumes oil, the path realises Nibbana”
Ananda26
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Re: Why did Buddha say that he was not a human being?

Post by Ananda26 »

SarathW wrote:Another related topic:
Was Buddha a human being or something more?

http://www.dhammawheel.com/viewtopic.php?f=24&t=20745
Buddha was a human being, and a very special human being. He was a Samma Sambuddha.
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