The Brahmajala Sutta is the first sutta of 34 suttas in Digha Nikaya, the Long Discourses of Buddha. The name of the Sutta was inferred from the word 'Brahma' meaning the Perfect Wisom, and 'Jala' meaning the 'Net-which-embraced-all-views'. This sutta is also called: Atthajala (the Net of Essence), Dhammajala, (the Net of the Dhamma), Ditthijala (the Net of Views), Anuttarasangama Vijaya (Incomparable Victory in Battle).

This Sutta discussed about two main topics: the First was the elaboration of Ten Precepts (Cula-sila), Middle Precepts (Majjhima-sila), and Maha-sila. Cula-sila deals with the Ten Precepts which should be practised by devout buddhists, while Majjhima-sila deals with the detailed description on the practice of sixth, seventh, eighth, and ninth precepts, added with the practise of plant conservation and the etiquette of speech.

The Second part of the sutta discussed about sixty-two beliefs which were devoutly practised and by the ascetics in India. These sixty-two beliefs discussed about the nature of Soul (Atta), World (Loka), which were grouped as the beliefs about the Past (Pubbantanuditthino), and the beliefs about the After-life,which were grouped as the beliefs about the Future (Aparantakappika). Many of these beliefs were still up-to-date existant in this world and thus provided buddhists scholars with much information and recollections to ponder upon about the posit of Buddha's teachings.

The elaboration on these beliefs were detailed on how the beliefs (faiths) were originated and the reason they were supported. The elaboration ended with Buddha's belief in the danger of clinging on beliefs, because they were still influenced by the desire (lobha), hatred (dosa), and ignorance (moha) that they would end not in the final liberation but still in the cycle of samsara. The ascetics and brahmins were compared to the small fish in the pond which are captured by net no matter how they want to escape. But for monks who had achieved the knowledge of seeing everything as they are, they achieved the highest and worthiest state that is beyond the net of samsara.

The Beginning

The Sutta

Hearing this conversation, some monks discussed about the nature of conflicting student and teacher in the next morning. They wondered if Buddha knew about this fact. The Buddha came and asked what they were discussing. As the monk finished telling him, the

Buddha responded, "Monks, if anyone spoke words that insult me, Dhamma, and Sangha; don't let this thing prompt you to hate, take revenge, and turn against them. If because of this you become angry or annoyed, then it will become an obstacle in your quest to liberate yourself, and cause you to be upset and angry. But if someone speak insulting or wrong accussations about me, Dhamma, and Sangha, then you should state which is wrong and point out the mistake by explaining that because of this proof and that, then that is not true, or it is not like that, that kind of thing is not us, or occuring in us.".

"But if someone praise me, Dhamma, or Sangha; don't let this thing make you feel proud, joyful, and happy. If you act like that, then it will become an obstacle in your effort to achieve your own final liberation. If someone speak like that, you should state which is right and show the fact by saying: 'Based upon this and that fact, it is indeed so; that thing is indeed exist in us, or true it is us.' Even only due to small matters, worthless, or even due to the Precepts (Sila)."

The Precepts (The First Part)

In the First Part, Buddha elaborated about what kind of precepts which made people praise him or the Sangha worthy or reverrence. The list of Buddha's Higher Precepts were categorized like this:

Cula Sila

• 1. Abstain from taking another creature's life, weapon, violence.
• 2. Abstain from taking things which were not given.
• 3. Live soberly, holy, and honest.
• 4. Abstain from sexual relationship.
• 5. Not lying.
• 6. Speak only the truth, believeable and reliable, and never contradicting his own words
• 7. Abstain from slandering,
• 8. promote,
  
  
  
  speak, and love union (harmony) and not division (conflicts)
• 9. not speaking rough, insulting words.
• 10. speaking polite, likeable, exact, the right words and able to make people's heart joyful.
• 10.not wasting idle time, gossipping,
• 11.discussing about the Dhamma and Vinaya on the right time
• 12.discussing in clear, detailed, and understandable words

Majjhima Sila

• 13.abstain from hurting the seeds, plants, roots, branches, cheating, trading, slavery, forgery, bribery, and criminal conducts
• 14.abstain from hoarding foods, drinks, clothes (robes), beddings, perfumes, spices, and other tools
• 15.taking meal once a day,
• 16.abstain from watching shows (dances, exhibitions, matches, music performances, parade, etc)
• 17.abstain from playing games (card games, board games, dices, game of chance, racing game, acrobatics, word games, etc)
• 18.abstain from using luxurious furniture and beddings
• 19.abstain from using cosmetics, make-up, fancy and luxurious clothes (robes),
• 20.abstain from discussion about people, politicians, criminals, terrors, food and beverages, clothings, places, families, cities, wars and battles, heroes, ghosts, street rumors, speculation on how the world is created, or about existence and non-existence
• 21.abstain from accusing or denying or goading or challenging (i.e: 'I practised this Dhamma devoutly but you don't!' or 'What you utter is old rubbish' or 'You are wrong!' or 'Free yourself if you can!)
• 22.abstain from being courier or messengers of politicians or higher administrations
• 23.abstain from deceiving lay people by uttering spells to exorcise demon or make someone's fortunate, acting like a holy person by reciting mantras

Maha Sila

• 24.abstain from earning money from fortune-telling, divination, clairvoyance, exorcism, conjuring, magic tricks, spell, making medicine and herbs, healing people, leading/conducting ceremonies in order to gain something (wealth, fertility, etc)

Beliefs (The Second Part)

In the second part, Buddha explained the major beliefs of the ascetics in India. He began by saying, "Monks, there are other things which is very deep (profound), very hard to understand, very difficult to perceive, so holy and sacred, unreached by means of mind, so subtle, that only understood and experienced by the wise. These things had been perceived clearly, seen clearly and had been left by Tathagata, and by this act based on the truth that people praise and reverred Tathagatha. What are those things?"

Eternalistic Belief

Eternalism is described in this sutta as the belief which is based upon the Past, and believed that the Universe (loka) and Soul (attha) is eternal as 'rock mountain or strong-fastened pole'. The World didn't create new Souls and therefore, the Souls were living in eternal cycle of dead and rebirth, only differed in name, location, and time.Thie kind of beliefs were originated from four types of achievement:

• a. Some ascetics and brahmins who had reached high level of meditation; due to this achievement, they could memory their past-lives from one till tens of thousands of past-lives.
• b. Some ascetics and brahmins who had reached the spiritual achievements which provided them access to memory of Earth's evolutionary process from one till 10 times Earth formed and shattered.
• c. the ascetics and brahmins who managed to recall the evolutionary process from ten to forty times.
  • . (from a-c) Here, they recalled how they had name, family, heirs, food, joy and sadness, then death and rebirth. Based on their experience, they conclude that the Universe and the Soul must be Eternal.
• d. the ascetics and brahmins who used logics and inferrence and come to the conclusion that the Soul and Universe is eternal.

Buddha said that there were 18 types of Eternalistic belief, all based on one or these four base of thoughts. All of the followers of these beliefs defended and clung on their faith and didn't believe in another faiths.

Semi-Eternalistic Belief

The Semi-Eternalism Belief is described as belief that is based on the Past, where they assert Duality beliefs that there are things which are Eternal and there are things which are not Eternal.There are four ways these belief come to be faith:

A. The Almighty God Brahma Version

Buddha told a story about a time when the Earth was not formed, yet. The sentient beings in this time, normally lived in the realm of Abbhasara, in radiant light and nourished by celestial joy. Then come a time when the Earth was in forming process yet still unhabitable. One of these beings in Abbhasara realm died (due to the exhaustion of his karma) and born in the higher realm called the Brahma realm and lived in the palace there, alone. Of living alone for so long time, the being grew in distress and longed for a companion.

1. He then uttered, "O, please let it be that another being come here and accompany me."

to be continued..Tasfan 05:56, 3 March 2006 (UTC)

External Links =

• () Brahmajala Sutta Translation from UK
• () Brahmajala Sutta for Indonesian)
• () English Translation of Brahmajala Sutta