My answer would be yes.
The basis of my answer:
There have been other Buddhas prior to the Gotama Buddha and they all taught the Dhamma.
Also, theres a time gap between the parinibbana of one Buddha and the birth of the next Buddha.
We know that during this time gap the knowledge of unadulterated, pure dhamma slowly gets lost/mixed with other beliefs/adopted by other beliefs. Many impurities get added/arise and ultimately knowledge of pure Dhamma ceases to exist in the minds of humans. For example, some will claim to be the authors of the knowledge of dhamma. Others will become self confessed gurus and maybe preach the five/eight/ten percepts mixed with/ veiled in other unwholesome beliefs. (Knowing or unknowingly)
But even so, impure as they would be, such teachings still are of some benefit as they contain the percept/s. These teachings get passed on from generations to generations… until the next Buddha comes along to guide everyone to the right path.
Thus, I am certain that some of the percepts predate the Gotama Buddha.
Thanks @gnalera and @SCMatt, I understand now.
Anecdotal question about Pācittiya #51 -
The sign of Sāgata’s drunkenness is that he can no longer come into “conflict with the serpent of Ambatittha”. Why would one want to come into conflict with this serpent? Is this anything having to do with existing yogic traditions (i.e. kundalini)?
Maybe bhante @Brahmali, who is re-translating the Bhikkhu Vibhanga could share his understanding?
By searching about Ambatittha we find that there is a legendary dragon (naga) associated with that place:
When the Buddha was on tour near there he was repeatedly warned by the cowherds not to go to Ambatittha as in the Jatila’s hermitage in the village dwelt a mighty Nāga.
While the Buddha was yet in Bhaddavatikā the Elder Sāgata went to the Jatila’s hermitage and took up his abode near the fireplace.
The Nāga showed his resentment, but Sāgata was able to overcome him by means of his iddhi-powers.
Later Sāgata visited the Buddha at Bhaddavatikā and went with him to Kosambī.
The fame of the Elder’s victory over the Nāga had preceded him and the inhabitants of Kosambī were lavish in their hospitality to him.
He drank wine in their houses and had to be carried to see the Buddha. Source: http://www.palikanon.com/english/pali_names/am/ambatittha.htm
I can only partially answer this. “Kuṇḍalinī” as a term isn’t mentioned in any texts until the late tantric period of the 9th and 10th centuries, and definitely not in anything BCE. Whether there was an earlier idea that wasn’t named so until then, I’m not sure. But yoga isn’t so much a unified tradition. Haṭha and tantra are sometimes topics of the same tradition, but they are mostly separate. Patañjala yoga was popular at different times in Indic history, and is sometimes considered ancestral to later forms but not always, and anyway doesn’t really resemble the metaphysics/practice of medieval haṭha. Modern postural yoga (the stuff you find in a yoga studio) has almost nothing to do with haṭha nor patañjali, even though they may be attributed, it amounts to modern myth.
PS - If you’re interested in learning more about Tantra and Tantric texts look at the work of Alexis Sanderson at Oxford University; if you’re interested in Haṭha, Alexis’ student, James Mallinson.
Definitely. This is pretty much accepted by all scholars of early Buddhism. The origin stories are typically quite a bit later than the rules. Have a look this.
It’s just a nice story, really. A successful ascetic in ancient India, a samaṇa, would often be expected to have supernormal powers. I suppose the point of the story with the serpent is to show how debilitating alcohol is, especially for your spiritual accomplishment. Even your supernormal powers are brought to nought!
