However, the historical Buddha apparently arrived at his awakening after (if not necessarily because of) the pursuit and practice of methods that were part of an already long-existing enlightenment/moksha tradition. The Upanishads were already written and discussed among practitioners and seekers when Buddha was teaching his take on what realization was. The enlightenment tradition didn't spring, full-blown from Buddha, but was articulated and renewed by him.
[From a Wikipedia entry discussing the meaning and entomology of "Tathagata" which was Buddha's preferred personal appelation.] ... Interpretations Since the word tathāgata is a compound of two parts, different interpretations arise depending on which two parts one separates the word into. For example, if one takes tathāgata to be composed of Tat and āgata one may conclude the following: Tat (lit. 'that') has from time immemorial in India meant the absolute (in orthodox Hinduism called Brahman), as in the famous Upanishadic dictum: "That thou art" (Tat tvam asi) from the Chandogya Upanishad, a widely discussed spiritual document in the time of the Buddha. "That" here refers to which the muni, or sage, has reached at the pinnacle of his having fulfilled wisdom's perfection in the attainment of final liberation. This interpretation, however, is not in accord with Sanskrit grammar, which clearly offers two possibilities for breaking up the compound: either Tathā and āgata or Tathā and gata. Tathā means 'thus' in Sanskrit and Pali, and Buddhist thought takes this to refer to what is called 'reality as-it-is' (Yathā-bhūta). This reality is also referred to as 'thusness' or 'suchness' (tathatā) indicating simply that it (reality) is what it is. A Buddha or Arhat is defined as someone who 'knows and sees reality as- it-is' (yathā bhūta ñāna dassana). Gata is the past passive participle of the verbal root gam (going, traveling). Āgata adds the verbal prefix Ā which gives the meaning "come, arrival, gone-unto". Thus in this interpretation Tathāgata means literally either "(The one who has) gone to suchness" or "(The one who has) arrived at suchness." Tathāgata is therefore a personal appellation of that very rare someone who has realized by experiential wisdom the nature of things just as they are. ... If awakening is the realization of "things just as they are" then it seems likely that many individuals from all over the world may have come to that "aha, aah" realization whether or not they were active seekers or practitioners within the South Asia enlightenment tradition. ** --- In FairfieldLife@yahoogroups.com, "Richard J. Williams" <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> wrote: > > > > There is only one enlightenment tradition, > > > > > This can't be true? > > > Well, it depends on how you define the > 'enlightenment tradition'. > > The historical Buddha (circa 463 B.C) was the > founder of the enlightenment tradition in India. > He taught yoga, what Eliade terms introspective > 'enstasis'. Yoga was later systematized by > Patanjali (circa 200 B.C.). This all explained > in Eliade's definitive book on yoga cited below. > According to Eliade, the yoga system is unique > to South Asia. > > However, you should not confuse the early > 'Gnostic' sects with the South Asian > Enlightenment Tradition which was founded by > the Shakya, nor with the 'Age of Enlightenment' > in European history. > > Nor, according to Eliade, should you confuse > 'shamanism' with the Yoga Tradition of South > Asia. Eliade has a rather different definition > of shamanism. Eliade was an authority on > the Yoga Tradition and Shamanism. > > The key element here is the definition of > enlightenment: > > Shakya the Muni defined 'enlightenment' as the > dispelling of the illusion of the individual > soul-monad. Patanjali pretty much agrees with > this; Patanjali taught *isolation* of the > Purusha from the prakriti by yogic means. > > Gaudapada and Shankara (circa 700 A.D.) adopted > the yoga system and many Buddhist doctrines to > explain 'moksha', that is, liberation from > dualism. Shankara composed an important > commentary on Vyasa's commentary on Patanjali's > Yoga Sutras. > > > > Work cited: > > > > > > 'Yoga : Immortality and Freedom' > > > by Mircea Eliade > > > Princeton University Press, 1970 > > > > > > Other titles of interst: > > > > > > 'Shamanism: Archaic Techniques of Ecstasy' > > > by Mircea Eliade > > > Princeton University Press; 2004 > > > > > > 'The Yoga Tradition: Its History, Literature, > > > Philosophy and Practice' > > > by Georg Feuerstein, Ken Wilbur > > > Hohm Press, 2001 >
