Rivals and Benefactors
Encounters between Buddhists and Brahmins in the Nik?yas
DOI:
https://doi.org/10.1558/rosa.v3i1.25Keywords:
Brahmanism, Buddhism, Nikayas, sutta, Upanishads, VedasAbstract
This paper will examine the portrayal of Brahmins in the Ambattha, Sonadanda, and Kutadanta Suttas. As I will argue, the Brahmin characters in these suttas emerge as complexly ambivalent figures who are depicted, simultaneously, as competitors for royal patronage and as potential benefactors. Considering Brahmin characters in this way, I hope to offer some fresh insights into the teachings of these texts and into the imagined audiences of the composers.
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