Ograniczona moc bogów buddyjskich

Abstract

The Bounded Power of Buddhist Gods

Abstract

Whilst uttering his views on gods, the canonical Buddha seizes upon Brahmanism’s tradition modifying it and diminishing their importance at the same time. All the deities fell prey of illusion as to their true estate. Those higher amongst them were personifications of the stages of the meditating mind save the one that makes the liberation and nirvana possible. In the paper, the relation between men and gods is described as well as the place of the latter in Buddhist soteriology. The sketch of the soteriology includes Buddha’s position and significance also, including the deified Buddhas of Mahayana.

Keywords: Buddha’s account of gods power, Canonical Buddhism, Mahayana Buddhism, Brahmanism, Buddhist soteriology, relation between men and gods.