METAPHYSICAL ASPECTS OF BUDDHISM

Metaphysics explores fundamental questions about reality, existence, and being, primarily through abstract thought and reasoning. Metaphysics should be distinguished from philosophy. While metaphysics is a specific branch of philosophy, its scope is narrower in focus and has a narrower connotation than philosophy.

- By Dr. Justice Chandradasa Nanayakkara

Metaphysical and philosophical concepts are closely intertwined with Buddhism and many other religious traditions. Metaphysical doctrines in Buddhism explore philosophical beliefs that extend beyond the physical realm.

Buddhism presents a profound set of metaphysical doctrines, such as the concept of Nirvana, the Four Noble Truths, the Noble Eightfold Path, the concept of Dependent Origination, the Law of Kamma, and the Three Marks of Existence. Together, these teachings offer invaluable insights into the nature of reality, the root of suffering, and the transformative path to liberation.

Overall, the Buddha's teachings present a distinctive perspective on fundamental questions of existence, emphasising the self and human experience while incorporating both philosophical and esoteric insights. Through this lens, Buddhism provides distinctive perspectives on existence compared to other philosophical traditions.

Different schools within Buddhism approach these questions in diverse ways, with some formulating elaborate philosophical frameworks, while others focus on dismantling all viewpoints, including metaphysical ones.

Western philosophical perspectives often classify Buddhism as nontheistic, as it does not subscribe to specific notions of divinity or formal theology. In theistic traditions, the concepts typically associated with God, such as omnipotence, omniscience, transcendence, and eternity, are firmly within the metaphysical domain and intrinsically linked to metaphysical inquiries.