A Study Of The Convergence Of Liberation Thought On Primitive Buddhism And The Classical Sāmkhya

A deep awareness of the existence of suffering in the world and the pursuit of happiness are the keynote of most Indian religious philosophies,especially in primitive Buddhism and the Classical Samkhya,whose entire theoretical systems are centred around the central point.Both primitive Buddhism and the Classical Sāmkhya believe that people live in impermanent,painful circumstances and that their own confusion in the world gives rise to all kinds of worries and sufferings.The Buddha took his theory of karma as a starting point and gave a rich connotation to the doctrine of no-self,which he deepened into the doctrine of monasticism,gradually eliminating the impurity of the mind and understanding the Four Noble Truths through the three disciplines of abstinence,meditation and wisdom,thus giving rise to wisdom and liberating the mind from its troubles.The school of the Classical Sāmkhya,on the other hand,believes that the reason for man’s deep and endless troubles is the failure to make a dichotomy between spirit,which is subjectivity,and matter,which is external.Therefore,by dichotomising matter and spirit,the philosophy of the Classical Sāmkhya constructs a purely spiritual subject,which,by rejecting the immersion of primordial matter,ultimately achieves the sole existence of the inner divine self and a state of liberation in which worries are extinguished.Since primitive Buddhism and the Classical Sāmkhya share similar religious ideals and both aim to achieve happiness as the ultimate goal of their theories,what are the similarities and differences between the specific theories of the two religions?and in particular,what are the similarities and differences in the idea of liberation,which is the ultimate point of their theories?This paper uses a comparative study and a canonical interpretation approach to explore the similarities and differences between primitive Buddhism and the Classical Sāmkhya in the context of Indian philosophy,and to explore the value of the truth contained therein.The first chapter focuses on the socio-historical and ideological contexts in which primitive Buddhism and classical the Classical Sāmkhya emerged.In terms of the socio-historical background,the development of both ideas benefited from the rapid development of social productivity at the time.In terms of the ideological background,primitive Buddhism and the Classical Sāmkhya share a common source of thought as well as mutual influences between them.Chapter 2 focuses on the theoretical foundations and convergence between primitive Buddhism and the Classical Sāmkhya on liberation.At the level of causality,they both use reason to generalise universal principles from the complex phenomena of life,and to grasp the relationship between cause and effect in the world in order to find the path to liberation.On the ontological level,they differ in their view of the subject,but they both share the same path in terms of ultimate righteousness.At the level of reincarnation,both follow the tradition of the Upanishadic theory of reincarnation,and both primitive Buddhism and the Classical Samkhya value its role as a guide to morality,with their systems of reincarnation pointing towards ultimate liberation.Chapter 3 focuses on the main elements of the two schools of thought on liberation and the points of convergence.Through a review of the content of their liberation thought,it can be seen that they share a common starting point,namely the deep perception of suffering;they share a similar path to liberation,namely the path of liberation through wisdom with the aim of breaking down ignorance;and they also share a common theoretical footing,the ultimate aim of which is to achieve the state of freedom.Chapter 4 outlines and compares the two theories of liberation,and thus gives them a new perspective,from which the truth of their theories is uncovered.They point inwardly to the fundamental problems of human existence,and propose a series of solutions based on them,which help people to get rid of their worries,achieve inner peace,and realise the perfection of their own nature Externally,it provides a good example of the dialogue between civilisations in the world,and the spirit of harmony and mutual respect,which is embedded in it,can play a positive role in resolving the clash of civilisations.