The Brahman as a Celibate Renunciant

This chapter looks at the articulations of Brahman identity that understood the Brahman to be a celibate renunciant, namely, those of the Buddhists and the Jains. The earliest texts of the Buddhists (Aṭṭhaka Vagga and Pārāyaṇa Vagga) and Jains (Āyārāṅga Sūtra) portray their founders and ideal monks as Brahmans, with no intent to criticize or polemicize against an external group of “real” Brahmans. Indeed, the brahmacarya espoused by the Buddhists and Jains had deep roots in the Vedic tradition, provided continuity between their own groups and more Vedic-oriented groups, and may in some ways have been more “traditional” than the temporary brahmacarya (i.e., “Vedic studentship”) of householder Brahmans. Buddhists and Jains were oblivious to a distinction between “Brahmanical” and “non-Brahmanical” among renunciatory groups, but they did maintain a strong distinction between their own celibate, renunciatory lifestyle and that of householders.