Theravada Position for Scientific Hermeneutical Methods

Saṅgiti Sutta and Dhamma

When the Sangiti Sutta is re-examined readers can interpret that Sariputta was influenced by Socio-religious factors, inspiring the Sangiti Sutta to be a Dhamma ‘textbook’ that should be implemented into  Buddhist Studies – a step towards preventing any future schismatic interpretation and formations of dispensation-vehicles.  Before Sariputta spoke, he had to have inherited the proper understanding of Buddhist Dhamma, in order to structurally-present the lesson – this could not have been done without a firm and critical grasp of the material.  Ideally, if one was in the audience, again:

One receives the teachings and grasps the spirit and the letter

Happiness results and the mind becomes established

Applies mind to the Dhamma – thinking and pondering, concentrating

One is moved to urgency

Once the concept-sign is properly grasped/attained – one penetrates into wisdom 

One becomes established in higher morality, ethics, virtues, etc…  

Those early monks who emulated the attainments of the man becoming the Buddha were among the first to undertake the training in Buddhism.  Many of these former Brahmins had numerous disciples –all converting to the teachings from their newliving figurehead.  In the perceived absence of the written religious-word, these teachings were taught orally, and then put into practice.  Practicing these teachings gave ‘spirit’ to the teachings.  Receiving the teaching from a teacher or reading from a text (assuming literacy) would seem simple, but under guidance – the spirit and letter would be grasped, and happiness attained.  To establish the mind, meditation is required, according to Buddhist instructions: applying the mind to the Dhamma.  One must think, ponder and concentrate – all individualized efforts enabling one to become overwhelmed with the urgency to continue striving with the signs acquired in meditative states.  Buddhism suggests manners of practice that originate from the solitary Siddhattha Gotama’s efforts and attainments.  There cannot be ‘Buddhism’ without the significance of renunciation and his attempts to convey the truth of how he attained enlightenment – to people of different personality-characteristics.  Those who have never renounced may have trouble individually identifying how the spirit of the teachings, and how the literal letter of the teachings operate – under the filter of their various personality-behavior characteristics, which could inhibit their ability to ask the proper questions and interfere with scientific inquiry.  These are like environmental or social variables.    One might suggest that it is not the grasping of the intended spirit of the Dhamma, and not the spirit of the literal letter of the Dhamma – but both the spirit and the letter.  These are the questions that arise: What is the spirit of the Dhamma; and what is the letter of the Dhamma?  How does the spirit of Dhamma occur, and how does this spirit of Dhamma work?  How does the letter of Dhamma occur and how does the letter of Dhamma work?  How does the spirit and letter of Dhamma occur and how does the spirit and letter of Dhamma work?

The Nettippakaraṇaṁ does a great scientific-job of explaining and giving readers the ability to understand this concept. 

Gombrich citing from the Puggalapaññatti, mentions four types of humans: those who understand the teachings as soon as spoken; those who understand from mature reflection; those who understand teachings after contemplating them for a long time alone and with friends; and those who puts words first – those who hear much, preaches much, remembers much, and recites much – but does not come within this life to understand the teachings.

“One could hardly ask for a clearer condemnation of literalism… pointing out that Buddhism provides the best tools for its own exegesis.”

However this does not come from the Sangiti Sutta. This research is drawn to support the functional of ‘four supports’ (apassenani) as an analytical tool: one thing to be pursued, one thing endured, one thing avoided, one thing suppressed.  However, not knowing what the ‘one thing’ is in terms of the commentarial tradition, it becomes difficult to provide the correct interpretation or fall under the injunction.  Using Sariputta’s section of ‘ones’ from the lesson does not provide the answers itself: that beings are maintained by nutriment and conditions.  Do beings pursue nutriment, endure nutriment, avoid nutriment, and suppress nutriment?  It is quite possible.  Do beings pursue conditions, endure conditions, avoid conditions, and suppress conditions?  It is quite possible.  However this is not enough to provide hermeneutical tools.  Ignoring the literal interpretation, and any possible injunction, as in the preceding example, and towards using the spirit of the four supports in terms of wisdom: one should know what to pursue, endure, avoid and suppress.