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Explain the view regarding Omniscience (Sabbannuta) prevalent in the society of the 6 BC in
India and investigate on --- the Buddha reject that the claimed for such Omniscience.
The Buddha is endowed with all knowledge or omniscience (sabbannu nana). In the society
of the 6th BC in India, some religious teachers such as Nigantha Natha Putta and Purana Kassapa
claimed that they were omniscient. They claimed all knowing (sabbannu) all seeing (sabbadassavi)
professes unlimited knowledge and vision by saying whether I am walking or standing still or
asleep or awake, knowledge and vision permanently and continuously before me. But In the Tevijja
Vecchagota sutta, the Buddha denied this kind of Sabbannu and received only three kinds of
knowledge (Sabbannu): Pubbenivasa nussati, Dibba cakkhu and Asavakkhaya ( Tevijjo Samano
Gotamo).
The Kannakatthalasutta of MN states that there is neither a recluse nor a Brahmin who
knows all can see all at the same time. Further in the Sabbasutta of SN the Buddha says that he
knows everything within this fathom long body. This is the difference between the Buddha and
Nigantha.
However we can trace more in theNikayas to prove that the Buddha also was an
Omniscient for this we can use two terms. They are Sabba-all and Loka-the world.
Furthermore, we find the terms like Sabbavidu, Sabbadassavi, Sabbabhibhu in canonical texts.
Sabba means all or everything. In the Sabbasutta the term Sabba is defined as Pancakkhanda,
Dvadasayatana, Attharasadhatu. The Papancasudani gives the meaning of Anavasesa as without
remainder. With regard to another interpretation of the Sabbannu, the Pts also states that Sabban
nutanana is the knowledge of everything conditioned and unconditioned without remainder.
In Samyuttanikayaatthakatha, Buddhaghosa says; sabbabhibhuti sabbani khand
ayatana-dhatu-bhava-yoga-gati-adini abhibhavitva thiti. These definitions of Sabba are
apparently derived from Pts.
The Dhammasanganiattakatha states that the Buddhas knowledge is limitless. The
commentaries talk of the Buddhas Sabbannu in the sense of adverting his mind to any object he
wishes to know.
Sadhammappakasini mentions that Sabbannuta arises because of the dependence on
adverting the mind to all Dhammas. The Saddhammappakasini and Saddhammapaj jotika
mention 5 kinds of Sabbannu, 1. Kamasabbannua - one who knows everything gradually, 2.
Sakimsabbannu at once, 3. Satatasabbannu -continuously, 4. Sattisabbannu -energetically, and 5.
Natasabbannu- one who knows everything that has been realized. These are not found in any other
commentaries.
Milidapanha also says that the Buddha is omniscient only in the sense of bending his mind
to the object he wants to know, not knowing things at the same time. But his knowledge is limitless
within the range of his ability to know. He knows everything within that range. Kamasabbannu
and Sakimsabbannu are directly rejected by Tharavadins, particularly by Dhammapala.
According to the Anguttara nikaya (A.N.430) the five kinds of love objects are called the
world in Buddhism and in the code of the Noble One as well. They are Forms, cognised by the
eye: agreeable (ittha), pleasant (Kanta), desirable (manapa), connected with pleasures
(Kamupasamhita), lustful (rajaniya), Sounds cognised by ear, Smell cognised by nose, Taste
cognised by tongue, Contact cognised by body. This shows that one is mindful of the world with
five kinds of love objects. Therefore, if anyone comprehends these five objects he can be called
Sabbannu.
Therefore, we can come to a conclusion that the concept of sabbannu has been a wrong
concept from the very beginning but the Buddha modified it. However, we can say the Buddha also
a sabbannu on the basis of the facts we can find in the Nikayas.
Words-555