In Buddhism, the term brahmacarya has nothing to do with the concept of Absolute reality. The Buddha evidently avoided such metaphysical meanings in the Upaniṣadic use and utilized it to refer the “moral life” or
“noble life” in general.395 In the Buddhist sense, brahmacarya implies the
“holy conduct” as the way to end suffering through renouncing the world
and the study of dharma.396 Within Buddhism, several terms contain the
word brahma-, reflecting the influence of Brahmaṇical terminology, for
example, brahma-vihāra397, brahma-loka398, and indeed brahma-carya.
In the Tevijja-sutta (DN. I. 235), the Buddha ridicules two young Brahmins, Bhāradvāja and Vāseṭṭha, for claiming to know how to achieve union with Brahmā/Brahman when none of them has actually experienced this. He then recommends brahmacarya as the foundation of
sīla (virtue), and the four brahma-vihāras (abodes of Brahmā) for higher
meditative attainments and actual union. Then the Buddha proclaims himself as a worthy guide, referring to himself as the Tathāgata, “I know Brahmā and the world of Brahmā, and the way to the world of Brahmā,
and the path of practice whereby the world of Brahmā may be gained.”399
Like Brahmā, the Buddha points out that he and his Āryan disciples who practice brahmacarya, are unencumbered, without hate or ill will, and are pure and disciplined. The discussion reveals that it is in purity of ethics and practice wherein lies the key to the higher, exalted states of mind and
consciousness.400
394 Kalupahana 1995: 65. 395 Ibid.
396 Davids, and Stede (eds.) 1993: 494.
397 The term brahma-vihāra means a key set of four meditative practices often translated as the four
‘Immeasurables’, the four ‘Pure Abodes’, or the four ‘Stations of Brahma’. The four are maitrī (loving kindness), karuṇā (compassion), muditā (sympathetic joy), and upekṣā (equanimity). The practice of the four Brahma-vihāras involves radiating outwards the positive qualities associated with such states of mind to all beings in the universe. See Keown and Prebish (eds.) 2013: 41.
398 The term Brahma-loka means ‘Brahma world’. It is used in two senses to refer to the heavens or
spiritual realms in Buddhist cosmology; (1) as a collective name for the two uppermost spiritual realms, namely the Form Realm (rūpya-dhātu) and the Formless Realm (ārūpya-dhātu); (2) more specifically, the first three heavens of the Formless Realm. See Keown and Prebish (eds.) 2013: 41.
399 DN. I. 235: … na tveva tathāgatassa brahmaloke vā brahma-loka-gāminiyā vā paṭipadāya puṭṭhassa dandhāyitattaṃ vā vitthāyitattaṃ vā. Brahmānañcāhaṃ, vāseṭṭha, pajānāmi brahmalokañ ca brahma-loka-gāminiñ ca paṭipadaṃ, yathā paṭipanno ca brahmalokaṃ upapanno, tañ ca pajānāmī”ti. 400 Johnson and Pallekele 2012: 223.
In the Mahāgovinda-sutta (DN. II. 220), the Buddha refers to one of his previous lives when he was a brahman named Mahāgovinda. At the end of which he renounced the world with many followers, practiced and taught the four brahma-vihāra, and instructed this disciples on the way to dwell with Brāhma (brahmalokasahabyatā). Those who understood his teaching completely were reborn in the Brahma-world. Those who did not understand it perfectly were variously reborn, evidently according to their degree of understanding, in the six worlds of the gods (i.e., heavens), from the highest to the lowest. The text concludes that even that kind of religious life could not bring people beyond rebirth in the world of Brahmā.
However, in the Doṇabrahmaṇa-sutta (AN. III. 223), the Buddha lists five kinds of Brahmins, all of whom have lived as a celibate student, that is, under tutelage (komārabrahmacariya) for 48 years. The Buddha indicates as the third kind Brahmins who keep to the brahmaṇical code, but who do not meditate, calling them ‘the limited Brahmins’ (‘mariyāda
brāhmaṇa’). Here, the Buddha does not characterize the Brahmin
institution of brahmacarya as unsatisfactory, but maintained that it has
limitations (mariyāda).401
From the texts above, it seems that the Buddha adopted the term Brahman/Brahmā to refer to the moral principle, covering not only physical abstention but also all actions performed through body, speech
and thought. 402 Furthermore, the Buddha is seen giving a new
interpretation to the Brahmanic concept of Brahma-reaching that accords with his teaching. Specifically, the phrase brahma-bhūtena attanā
viharati “with attā (Self)403 become united with Brahmā” is similarly an
adaptation of a Brahmanic metaphor when speaking with his Brahmins.404
The concepts of “becoming Brahmā” (brahmabhūta) and “attaining Brahmā” (brahmapatti) used by the Buddha had no associations of an absolute or a union with the God Brahmā in the Upaniṣadic sense. In his way of speaking, union with Brahmā is not a state of eternal existence as in Brahmins’ thought, but rather a state where one becomes pure: the perfection of the religious life which is akin to the higher stages of mind
401 AN II. 223: Yāva porāṇānaṃ brāhmaṇānaṃ mariyādo tattha brāhmaṇo ṭhito taṃ na vītikkamatī’ti, kho, doṇa, tasmā brāhmaṇo mariyādoti vuccati. Evaṃ kho, doṇa, brāhmaṇo mariyādo hoti.–––
“According to the border of the ancient Brahmins, he stands there does not go beyond. Therefore the Brahmin is said to stand on the border. Doṇa, thus the Brahmin stands on the border.”
402 Gupta 2005: 34.
403 Interestingly, a usage of attā as in this phrase gives the term a prominence that could leave room for
interpretation about the notion of attā/anattā in Buddhist perspective.
purification and to nibbāna, the irreversible liberation from the cycle of
saṃsāra.405 This is clear from the recurring statement recorded in the texts in which the Buddha’s summons his followers, saying; “Come, O
Bhikkhus, well declared is the Dhamma, follow the noble life for the
complete ending of suffering”406 This method of granting admission and
higher ordination came to be known as the ehi-bhikkhu-pabbajā. In making reference to ‘pabbajā,’ the emphasis in the Buddha’s exhortation is clearly on renunciation as being essential in the noble life of
brahmacarya.
The term brahmacarya is rather complex and has a wide range of meanings. In the Buddhist context, the most important meaning is the ‘Noble Eightfold Path’ (aṭṭhaṅgika magga, Skt. aṣṭāṅgika mārga), often called the ‘Path of Purification’ (P. visuddhimagga). The eight constituent parts are: (1) right view (sammā-diṭṭhi, Skt. samyag-dṛṣṭi); (2) right resolve (sammā-saṇkappa, Skt. samyak-saṃkalpa); (3) right speech (sammā-vācā, Skt. samyag-vācā); (4) right action (sammā-kammanta, Skt. samyak-karmānta); (5) right livelihood (sammā-ājīva, Skt. samyag-
ājīva); (6) right effort (sammā-vāyāma, Skt. samyag-vyāyāma); (7) right
mindfulness (sammā-sati, Skt. samyak-smṛti); and (8) right concentration (sammā-samādhi, Skt. samyak-samādhi). The ‘Noble Eightfold Path’ may also be constituted as a scheme of the ‘Threefold training’ (tisikkhā, Skt. triśikṣā): morality (silā, Skt. śīla), meditation (samādhi), and wisdom (pañña, Skt. prajñā).
Another classification of the brahmacarya is presented by the great commentator Buddhaghosa, who offers different applications of the term as follows: (1) dāna - “charity”; (2) veyyāvacca - “rendering a service”; (3) pañcasikkhāpadasīla - “observance of the Five Precepts”; (4)
appamaññā - “practice of boundless states of mind”; (5) methunavirati -
“celibacy”; (6) sadārasantosa - “contentment with one’s own wife”; (7)
viriya - “effort”; (8) uposathaṅga - “observance of the Eight Precepts”407;
405 Gupta 2005: 34.
406 Vin. I. 12: Ehi bhikkhū’ti bhagavā avoca, svākkhāto bhagavatā dhammo, cara brahmacariyaṃ sammā dukkhassa antakiriyāyāti.
407 The Eight Precepts (aṭṭhasīla) are observed by laypeople during periods of intensive meditation
practice and during uposatha (lunar observance) days. Usually the 1st, 8th, 15th, and 23rd of the lunar
month are regarded as the uposatha days. The Eight Precepts are: abstinence from (1) killing; (2) stealing; (3) incelibacy; (4) lying; (5) drinking liquor; (6) eating food after midday; (7) dancing, singing, music, unseemly shows, using garlands, perfumes, unguents, ornaments, and (8) using high and luxurious seats and beds. The Eight precepts based on the Five Precepts, with the third precept extended to prohibit all sexual activity and an additional three precepts that are especially supportive to meditation practice. The third precept of the Five Precepts is: kāmesu micchācāra veramaṇī––“to refrain from sexual misconduct”, whereas the third precept of the Eight Precepts is: abrahmacariyā
(9) ariyamagga - “the noble path”; and (10) sāsana - the complete
Buddhist way of life.408 What is clear from the connotation given by
Buddhaghosa is that brahmacariya in all these cases meant virtuous living and should not been understood in a narrow way to only mean monastic chastity. It is worth noting that brahmacarya has its counterpart in the third precept of the Five Precepts (pañcasīla, Skt. pañcaśīla) for
the laity, kāmesu-micchācārā-veramanī (Skt. kāmamithyācāra-virati).409
In the case of monks, brahmacarya is interpreted as samaṇadhamma, that is, the dhamma for those striving for inner calm or, following traditional interpretation, the duties of monks.410 Thus, it is complete abstention
from sexual lust the term abrahmacarya-veramanī/virati is used.411
Whilst the householders are not required to exert complete control like monks, they are at least expected to observe partial control, that is the Five Precepts.