Lokāyatikasutta (SN 12.48)

I’ve had a go at translating the commentary to SN 12:48:

Sophist: Having practiced the art of sophistry in natural philosophy. Oldest natural philosophy: The first natural philosophy. Natural philosophy: Of the world it is extensive, extensive for foolish and ordinary people of the world. Regarded as grand and deep, but this doctrine is of a limited nature. Unity: A single nature. Here he enquires about this permanent nature. Plurality: A different nature from the former nature, as with gods and humans etc who, first having been, afterwards do not exist. This enquiry then is in connection with annihilation. Thus, in this case “Everyone Exists, All is Oneness” both these two should be known as Eternalist views whilst “Everyone does not Exist, Everyone is Diverse” both these two are Annihilationist Views.

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According to the commentary of the Brahmāyusutta, there was a part of traditional brahmanical corpus by the name of ‘lokāyata’.

And further explains ‘lokāyataṃ vuccati vitaṇḍavādasatthaṃ’. Some sort of vāda-śāstra. Which probably taught the employment of logic and reason in debate.

(Opinion)

At the time of the Blessed one, already there were some brahmins who through a greater confidence in logic and reason we’re questioning the authority of the vedas , efficacy of the Vedic sacrifices, life after death etc and taking aim at others as well. And lokāyatika has also become a by word for these type of people.

But in this sutta Blessed one uses ‘lokāyata’ in the sense of wrong view (preoccupation of idiots).

lokāyata- bāla puthujjana lokassa āyataṃ

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