Draft:Buddhism ( Buddha Dharma ) is Sanatana Dharma: Eternal Truth

Buddhism ( Buddha Dharma ) is Sanatana Dharma: Eternal Truth

Buddhism as Sanatana Dharma: The Eternal Truth

Core Principle: The Dhammapada Verse

The foundational verse from the Dhammapada states:

"Na hi verena verāni sammantīdha kudācanaṃ. Averena ca sammanti, esa dhammo sanantano." Translation: "Hatred is never appeased by hatred; it is appeased only by non-hatred (love/forgiveness) – this is the eternal law (Sanatana Dharma)."

This verse illustrates Buddhism's central tenet: Dhamma itself is Sanatana. "Sanatana" signifies eternal, everlasting, beginningless, universal, and timeless truth. Buddhist philosophy asserts that the truth realized and taught by the Buddha is not a new invention but an eternal law that has existed since the beginning of time. Countless enlightened beings (samyaksambuddhas) have known this truth in the past and will know it in the future.

Thus, Buddhism is Sanatana Dharma—more precisely, it is the rediscovery and propagation of Sanatana Dharma's eternal essence, which had been obscured during the Kaliyuga (age of darkness).

Understanding the Verse: Practical Application

The Dhammapada's truth addresses human suffering across centuries. Explained simply:

• Meaning: "Enmity is never resolved by enmity (hatred/animosity); it is resolved only by non-enmity (love/forgiveness). This is the eternal law."
• Simplified Explanation:
  • If someone wrongs you (hostility) and you retaliate (hostility), conflict escalates endlessly—like pouring ghee on fire.
  • Responding with goodness (love, forgiveness, peace) alone brings true peace—like pouring water on fire.
  • This is not a new principle but an eternal truth, akin to fire being hot and water being cold.
• Why Enmity Fails:
  1. Cyclical Escalation:
     • Example: Neighbors feud after one’s dog enters the other’s garden. Retaliation (stone thrown → flower pots broken → car scratched) perpetuates conflict.
  2. Amplified Anger:
     • Example: A child hides another’s pencil box; retaliation (notebook torn → bag thrown) inflames anger beyond the initial act.
  3. Unaddressed Roots:
     • Example: Brothers disputing land harvest each other’s crops and sabotage equipment, ignoring the core issue (land ownership).
  4. Broken Trust:
     • Example: Border intrusions met with military strikes lead to war, making dialogue impossible.
• Resolving Enmity Through Non-Hatred (Avera): Avera (non-enmity) entails forgiveness, kindness, rational dialogue, and a commitment to peace. It is a powerful tool because it:
  1. Breaks the Cycle:
     • Example: Gandhi’s non-violent resistance (satyagraha) against British oppression (lathi charges, bullets) ended colonial rule, whereas the violent 1857 revolt intensified brutality.
  2. Calms Anger:
     • Example: Responding calmly to an angry friend ("I understand you’re upset; tell me what happened") diffuses tension.
  3. Reveals Root Causes:
     • Example: A colleague complains to your boss; calm discussion exposes a misunderstanding over credit, allowing resolution.
  4. Builds Trust:
     • Example: A child breaks a window; the owner discusses it gently with parents (refusing payment but seeking understanding), fostering respect instead of hostility.
• Key Insights:
  • Non-violence (Avera) is strength, not weakness—requiring courage to resist easy retaliation.
  • Holding hatred poisons mental/physical health; forgiveness promotes inner peace.
  • While not always immediately feasible (e.g., self-defense against attack), peaceful resolution should be pursued where possible (family disputes, social conflicts).

The Eternity of Dhamma: Immortal Truth

Buddhism’s foundation is the recognition that Dhamma (truth, law, nature) is inherently eternal:

1. Paṭiccasamuppāda (Dependent Origination):

   "With this as condition, that arises; with the cessation of this, that ceases." This law of causality—governing impermanence, suffering’s origin, and Nirvana’s path—is timeless. The Buddha discovered it, as stated in the Saṃyutta Nikāya: "Whether Tathāgatas arise or not, this principle exists... The Tathāgata perceives it, knows it, and reveals it."

2. Four Noble Truths: Suffering (dukkha), its cause (craving), its cessation (Nirvana), and the path thereto (Eightfold Path) are eternal laws applicable to all beings.
3. Three Marks of Existence (Ti-Lakkhana):
   • Impermanence (Anicca): All conditioned phenomena are transient.
   • Suffering (Dukkha): Impermanence entails suffering.
   • Non-Self (Anattā): No permanent, independent self exists in transient phenomena.

Conclusion: Dhamma is nature’s immutable, timeless law. Buddhism is the path to understand, embody, and attain this eternal Dhamma—culminating in Nirvana. This path has been shown by countless Buddhas throughout time.

The 28 Sammāsambuddhas: Embodiments of Sanātana Dharma

The Theravāda tradition’s Buddhavaṃsa ("Chronicle of Buddhas") documents 28 Sammāsambuddhas (Fully Self-Awakened Ones) preceding Gautama Buddha. They represent periodic rediscoveries of the same eternal Dhamma:

Buddha	Key Teaching	Sanātana Dharma Link
Taṇhaṅkara	Overcoming ignorance (Avijjā) as suffering’s root.	Liberation requires discerning truth (Dhamma) from falsehood (Adhamma).
Medhaṅkara	Generosity (Dāna) and virtue (Sīla) as path foundations.	Ethics and generosity are timeless bases for mental purification.
Saraṇaṅkara	Refuge in the Triple Gem; insight into Dependent Origination.	Causality (Paṭiccasamuppāda) and impermanence (Anicca) lead to Nirvana.
Dīpaṅkara	Predicted Gautama’s Buddhahood; emphasized cessation of rebirth.	Demonstrates the eternal potential for awakening via perfections (Pāramī).
Koṇḍañña	Diligence (Vīriya) and heedfulness (Appamāda) for wisdom.	Awakening requires sustained effort (Sammā Vāyāma).
Maṅgala	Ethical living: avoiding fools, associating with the wise, honoring the worthy.	Timeless social/ethical prerequisites for spiritual growth.
Sumana	Contentment (Santosa) and mental purity as paths to Nirvana.	Inner qualities surpass external wealth eternally.
Revata	Seclusion (Viveka) and tranquility for mental development.	Withdrawal from sensory distractions is timelessly essential.
Sobhita	Moral virtue (Sīla) as the ascetic’s foundation.	Purified ethical conduct is non-negotiable for liberation.
Anomadassī	Direct insight into impermanence, suffering, and non-self (Tilakkhaṇa).	Proclaims the timeless characteristics of existence.
Paduma	Non-attachment, symbolized by the unstained lotus.	Embodies purity: engaged in the world yet undefiled.
Nārada	Wise inquiry, virtuous association, and timely instruction.	Right Speech and finding qualified teachers (Kalyanamitta) are timeless necessities.
Padumuttara	Cultivating perfections (Pāramī) for Buddhahood.	The Bodhisatta path is eternally available.
Sumedha	Austerity (Tapo), celibacy (Brahmacariya), and insight into Truths.	Core practices directly realize Nirvana.
Sujāta	Wholesome qualities (generosity, patience, loving-kindness) for liberation.	Enumerates timeless virtues purifying the mind.
Piyadassī	Overcoming hatred via loving-kindness (Mettā) and compassion (Karuṇā).	Exemplifies Dhammo Sanantano: non-hatred ends hatred.
Atthadassī	"One who sees the Dhamma sees me; one who sees me sees the Dhamma."	Buddha and Dhamma are inseparable; Buddhas embody timeless truth.
Dhammadassī	"Abstain from evil, cultivate good, purify the mind—this is the Buddhas’ teaching."	Distills the eternal core message (Sāsana) of all Buddhas.
Siddhattha	Personal effort (Attakāra), diligence (Appamāda), and vigilant living.	Liberation requires self-reliant striving eternally.
Tissa	The Triple Gem (Buddha, Dhamma, Saṅgha) as supreme refuge.	Refuge in manifestations of Dhamma is timelessly supreme.
Phussa	Heedful listening to Dhamma with confidence (Saddhā).	Attentiveness and faith are prerequisites for benefiting from Dhamma.
Vipassī	Insight (Vipassanā) into impermanence and suffering.	"Impermanent are all formations; their cessation is bliss."
Sikhī	Patience (Khanti) and non-harming (Ahimsa) as highest asceticism.	Defines the timeless ethical cornerstone of spiritual life.
Vessabhū	Renunciation (Nekkhamma) and seclusion for peace.	Withdrawal from sensual pleasures is eternally necessary.
Kakusandha	Heedfulness (Appamāda) as the path to the Deathless (Nibbāna).	Mindfulness is the lifeblood of liberation; heedlessness is spiritual death.
Koṇāgamana	Contentment (Santosa) as supreme wealth.	Reiterates timeless value of inner contentment.
Kassapa	Identical core teaching to Dhammadassī Buddha.	Reaffirms the unity and eternality of the Dhamma.
Gautama	Full exposition: Four Truths, Eightfold Path, kamma, rebirth, Nirvana.	Explicitly declared: "This Dhamma is ancient" (SN 12.20); "The Dhamma is your refuge" (DN 16).

Conclusion: Buddhism as Sanātana Dharma

The 28 Buddhas exemplify Sanātana Dharma—the timeless, universal Dhamma existing independently of any discoverer. Analysis reveals:

• Consistent Doctrine: All taught impermanence, suffering, non-self, causality, the Four Truths, and the path to Nirvana.
• Rediscovery, Not Innovation: Each Buddha independently awakened to the same eternal Dhamma.
• Unity of Purpose: Liberation from suffering via understanding causality.
• Buddha as Dhamma Embodied: "Seeing Dhamma sees the Buddha" (Atthadassī).
• Timeless Practices: Ethics, meditation, wisdom, heedfulness, and refuge transcend eras.

Thus, Buddhism is not a new sect but Sanatana Dharma—the eternal, beginningless truth revealed by infinite Buddhas across time. The Dhamma is the immutable law of existence: as long as suffering exists, its cause, cessation, and path remain timeless. The Buddha anchored himself in this eternal flow, making Buddhism the rediscovery and practice of Sanatana Dharma.

Therefore, Buddhism, as taught by Gotama Buddha and the lineage of 27 Sammāsambuddhas before him, is the systematic path of realizing, embodying, and teaching the Sanātana Dharma – the eternal, universal law of nature governing existence, suffering, and its cessation. The Buddhas are not founders of different religions; they are the luminous beacons who periodically rediscover and illuminate the same ancient path to liberation, proving its timeless validity and efficacy.

Buddhism as Sanatana Dharma: Conclusion

So, Buddhism is not a new faith or sect. It is Sanatana Dharma – the name of the eternal, beginningless, infinite, universal truth that has been revealed by countless enlightened Buddhas over countless periods of time. This Dharma is not limited to any one person, one time or one place. It is the immutable law of all existence, the nature of nature, the eternal path to liberation from the cycle of life and death.

Lord Buddha himself established himself in this eternal flow. His Dhamma is not a discontinuous truth, but the expression of the same uninterrupted, eternal source of knowledge that has been flowing since time immemorial and will continue to flow for eternity. As long as there is suffering, there are causes of suffering; as long as there are causes of suffering, its cessation is possible; and as long as cessation is possible, the path to cessation exists. This cycle, this truth, this Dhamma – is Sanatana.

Buddhism is the name of this Sanatana Dharma. This is the Sanatana Dharma religion.

References

Sources

• Ānandajoti, Bhikkhu (2007). A Comparative Edition of the Dhammapada. U. of Peradeniya. Ancient Buddhist Texts Retrieved 25 Nov 2008.
• Ānandajoti, Bhikkhu (2017). Dhammapada: Dhamma Verses, 2nd edition. Ancient Buddhist Texts Retrieved 1 May 2022.
• Brough, John (2001). The Gāndhārī Dharmapada. Delhi: Motilal Banarsidass Publishers Private Limited.
• Buswell, Robert E. (ed.) (2003). Encyclopedia of Buddhism. MacMillan Reference Books. ISBN 978-0-02-865718-9.
• Cone, Margaret (transcriber) (1989). "Patna Dharmapada" in the Journal of the Pali Text Society (Vol. XIII), pp. 101–217. Oxford: PTS. Online text interspersed with Pali parallels compiled by Ānandajoti Bhikkhu (2007). Ancient Buddhist Texts Retrieved 06-15-2008.
• Easwaran, Eknath (2007) (see article). The Dhammapada. Nilgiri Press. ISBN 978-1-58638-020-5.
• Fronsdal, Gil (2005). The Dhammapada. Boston: Shambhala. ISBN 1-59030-380-6.
• Geiger, Wilhelm (trans. by Batakrishna Ghosh) (1943, 2004). Pāli Literature and Language. New Delhi: Munshiram Manoharlal Publishers. ISBN 81-215-0716-2.
• Harvey, Peter (1990, 2007). An Introduction to Buddhism: Teachings, History and Practices. Cambridge: Cambridge University Press. ISBN 0-521-31333-3.
• Hinüber, Oskar von (2000). A Handbook of Pāli Literature. Berlin: Walter de Gruyter. ISBN 3-11-016738-7.
• Müller, F. Max (1881). The Dhammapada (Sacred Books Of The East, Vol. X). Oxford University Press.
• Ñāṇamoli, Bhikkhu (trans.) & Bhikkhu Bodhi (ed.) (2001). The Middle Length Discourses of the Buddha: A Translation of the Majjhima Nikāya. Boston: Wisdom Publications. ISBN 0-86171-072-X.
• Rhys Davids, T.W. & William Stede (eds.) (1921-5). The Pali Text Society's Pali–English Dictionary. Chipstead: Pali Text Society. Search inside the Pali–English Dictionary, University of Chicago
• Daniel Gogerly, printed the first English translation of Dhammapada, comprising verses 1–255 in 1840 in Ceylon.^[1]
• Tr F. Max Müller, from Pali, 1870; reprinted in Sacred Books of the East, volume X, Clarendon/Oxford, 1881; reprinted in Buddhism, by Clarence Hamilton; reprinted separately by Watkins, 2006; reprinted 2008 by Red and Black Publishers, St Petersburg, Florida, ISBN 978-1-934941-03-4; the first complete English translation; (there was a Latin translation by V. Fausböll in 1855).
• Tr J. Gray, American Mission Press, Rangoon, 1881
• Tr J. P. Cooke & O. G. Pettis, Boston (Massachusetts?), 1898
• Hymns of Faith, tr Albert J. Edmunds, Open Court, Chicago, & Kegan Paul, Trench, Trübner & Co., London, 1902
• Tr Norton T. W. Hazeldine, Denver, Colorado, 1902
• The Buddha's Way of Virtue, tr W. D. C. Wagiswara & K. J. Saunders, John Murray, London, 1912
• Tr Silacara, Buddhist Society, London, 1915
• Tr Suriyagoda Sumangala, in Ceylon Antiquary, 1915
• Tr A. P. Buddhadatta, Colombo Apothecaries, 1920?
• The Buddha's Path of Virtue, tr F. L. Woodward, Theosophical Publishing House, London & Madras, 1921
• In Buddhist Legends, tr E. W. Burlinghame, Harvard Oriental Series, 1921, 3 volumes; reprinted by Pali Text Society [1], Bristol; translation of the stories from the commentary, with the Dhammapada verses embedded
• Tr R. D. Shrikhande and/or P. L. Vaidya (according to different bibliographies; or did one publisher issue two translations in the same year?), Oriental Book Agency, Poona, 1923; includes Pali text
• "Verses on Dhamma", in Minor Anthologies of the Pali Canon, volume I, tr C. A. F. Rhys Davids, 1931, Pali Text Society, Bristol; verse translation; includes Pali text
• Tr N. K. Bhag(w?)at, Buddha Society, Bombay, 1931/5; includes Pali text
• The Way of Truth, tr S. W. Wijayatilake, Madras, 1934
• Tr Irving Babbitt, Oxford University Press, New York & London, 1936; revision of Max Müller
• Tr K. Gunaratana, Penang, Malaya, 1937
• The Path of the Eternal Law, tr Swami Premananda, Self-Realization Fellowship, Washington DC, 1942
• Tr Dhammajoti, Maha Bodhi Society, Benares, 1944
• Comp. Jack Austin, Buddhist Society, London, 1945
• Stories of Buddhist India, tr Piyadassi, 2 volumes, Moratuwa, Ceylon, 1949 & 1953; includes stories from the commentary
• (see article) Tr Sarvepalli Radhakrishnan, Oxford University Press, London, 1950; includes Pali text
• Collection of Verses on the Doctrine of the Buddha, comp Bhadragaka, Bangkok, 1952
• Tr T. Latter, Moulmein, Burma, 1950?
• Tr W. Somalokatissa, Colombo, 1953
• Tr Narada, John Murray, London, 1954
• Tr E. W. Adikaram, Colombo, 1954
• Tr A. P. Buddhadatta, Colombo, 1954; includes Pali text
• Tr Siri Sivali, Colombo, 1954
• Tr ?, Cunningham Press, Alhambra, California, 1955
• Tr C. Kunhan Raja, Theosophical Publishing House, Adyar/Madras, 1956; includes Pali text
• Free rendering and interpretation by Wesley La Violette, Los Angeles, 1956
• Tr Buddharakkhita, Maha Bodhi Society, Bangalore, 1959; 4th edn, Buddhist Publication Society, Kandy, Sri Lanka, 1996; includes Pali text
• Tr Suzanne Karpelès, serialized in Advent (Pondicherry, India), 1960–65; reprinted in Questions and Answers, Collected Works of the Mother, 3, Pondicherry, 1977
• Growing the Bodhi Tree in the Garden of the Heart, tr Khantipalo, Buddhist Association of Thailand, Bangkok, 1966; reprinted as The Path of Truth, Bangkok, 1977
• Tr P. Lal, New York, 1967/70
• Tr Juan Mascaró, Penguin Classics, 1973
• Tr Thomas Byrom, Shambhala, Boston, Massachusetts, & Wildwood House, London, 1976 (ISBN 0-87773-966-8)
• Tr Ananda Maitreya, serialized in Pali Buddhist Review, 1 & 2, 1976/7; offprinted under the title Law Verses, Colombo, 1978; revised by Rose Kramer (under the Pali title), originally published by Lotsawa Publications in 1988, reprinted by Parallax Press in 1995
• The Buddha's Words, tr Sathienpong Wannapok, Bangkok, 1979
• Wisdom of the Buddha, tr Harischandra Kaviratna, Pasadena, 1980; includes Pali text
• The Eternal Message of Lord Buddha, tr Silananda, Calcutta, 1982; includes Pali text
• Tr Chhi Med Rig Dzin Lama, Institute of Higher Tibetan Studies, Sarnath, India, 1982; tr from the modern Tibetan translation by dGe-'dun Chos-'phel; includes Pali & Tibetan texts
• Tr & pub Dharma Publishing, Berkeley, California, 1985; tr from the modern Tibetan translation by dGe-'dun Chos-'phel
• Commentary, with text embedded, tr Department of Pali, University of Rangoon, published by Union Buddha Sasana Council, Rangoon (date uncertain; 1980s)
• Tr Daw Mya Tin, Burma Pitaka Association, Rangoon, 1986; probably currently published by the Department for the Promotion and Propagation of the Sasana, Rangoon, and/or Sri Satguru, Delhi
• Path of Righteousness, tr David J. Kalupahana, Universities Press of America, Lanham, Maryland, c. 1986
• Tr Raghavan Iyer, Santa Barbara, 1986; includes Pali text
• (see article) Tr Eknath Easwaran, Arkana, London, 1986/7(ISBN 978-1-58638-019-9); reissued with new material Nilgiri Press 2007, Tomales, CA (ISBN 9781586380205)
• Tr John Ross Carter & Mahinda Palihawadana, Oxford University Press, New York, 1987; the original hardback edition also includes the Pali text and the commentary's explanations of the verses; the paperback reprint in the World's Classics Series omits these
• Tr U. D. Jayasekera, Colombo, 1992
• Treasury of Truth, tr Weragoda Sarada, Taipei, 1993
• Tr Thomas Cleary, Thorsons, London, 1995
• The Word of the Doctrine, tr K. R. Norman, 1997, Pali Text Society, Bristol; the PTS's preferred translation
• Tr Anne Bancroft?, Element Books, Shaftesbury, Dorset, & Richport, Massachusetts, 1997
• The Dhammapada: The Buddha's Path of Wisdom, tr Buddharakkhita, Buddhist Publication Society, 1998. (ISBN 9-55240-131-3)
• The Way of Truth, tr Sangharakshita, Windhorse Publications, Birmingham, 2001
• Tr F. Max Müller (see above), revised Jack Maguire, SkyLight Pubns, Woodstock, Vermont, 2002
• Tr Glenn Wallis, Modern Library, New York, 2004 (ISBN 978-0-8129-7727-1); The Dhammapada: Verses on the Way
• Tr Gil Fronsdal, Shambhala, Boston, Massachusetts, 2005 (ISBN 1-59030-380-6)
• Tr Bhikkhu Varado, Inward Path, Malaysia, 2007; Dhammapada in English Verse

1. Trainor, Kevin (1997). Relics, Ritual, and Representation in Buddhism: Rematerializing the Sri Lankan Theravada Tradition - Volume 10 of Cambridge Studies in Religious Traditions. Cambridge University Press. p. 6. ISBN 9780521582803.