Is the concept of Gandhabba Brahmanical teaching?

SarathW1 · March 1, 2019, 9:13pm

I just wonder the teaching of Gandhabba is not a Buddhist teaching.

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‘But do you know
‘Jānanti pana bhonto—
how an embryo is conceived?’
yathā gabbhassa avakkanti hotī’ti?
‘We do know that, sir.
‘Jānāma mayaṃ, bho—
yathā gabbhassa avakkanti hoti.
An embryo is conceived when these three things come together—the mother and father come together, the mother is in the fertile part of her menstrual cycle, and the spirit being reborn is present.’
Idha mātāpitaro ca sannipatitā honti, mātā ca utunī hoti, gandhabbo ca paccupaṭṭhito hoti; evaṃ tiṇṇaṃ sannipātā gabbhassa avakkanti hotī’ti.

Gabriel · March 2, 2019, 1:56am

Are you referring to the embryo or the heavenly being? The following is from Marasinghe ‘Gods in Early Buddhism’ p.53

SarathW1 · March 2, 2019, 1:59am

Yes. Thanks

Gabriel · March 2, 2019, 2:03am

garbha - foetus definitely appears in the Rgveda and the Atharvaveda as well, so yes, the term is of Vedic origin.

Martin · March 2, 2019, 9:38am

The Buddha used many Brahmanical ideas. The difficulty sometimes is knowing to what extent he redefined them.