Seers and Ascetics: Analyzing the Vedic Theory of Cognition and Contemplative Practice in the Development of Early Buddhist Meditation and Imaginary
Religions March 26, 2025 DOI: 10.3390/rel16030378 (opens in new tab)
Study at a glance
AI-extracted from the abstract| Characteristics | Theoretical or philosophical paper Peer reviewed |
|---|---|
| Topics | Meditation Buddhism |
| Keywords | Vedic religiosity Early buddhism Comparative philosophy Theory of cognition |
| Key points | Argues that Vedic metaphors in the Rigveda contain proto-Buddhist ideas that influenced Buddhist meditative practices, showing an intricate dialogue between the traditions. |
Abstract
This paper represents an attempt to investigate some aspects of Vedic religiosity, as represented in the R̥gveda (R̥V), in comparison with the Pāli Canon on the themes of cognition, contemplative practice, and the theory of knowledge. It aims to argue that the metaphors in R̥V, for instance, fire, the chariot, the yoke, light, and the ocean, bear proto-Buddhist ideas that have influenced Buddhist meditative practices. These metaphors reflect a theory of knowledge and cognition that shares certain features with the Pāli Canon. The Vedic seer, the figure around whom this discussion revolves, is a forerunner of the Buddhist practitioner, and the themes of surmounting ignorance and gaining knowledge are common to both of them. The article identifies two major metaphorical fields: one related to knowledge and cognition and the other related to contemplative practice and liberation. The analysis investigates how Vedic metaphors represent an early conceptualization of “technics”, both bodily and contemplative. It underlines similarities between Vedic contemplative exercises, usually understood as a form of prayer, and Buddhist meditation. While the Vedic tradition is focused on divine association, the Buddhist framework reinterprets these ideas within a human-centered perspective. The transformation of Vedic metaphors into Buddhist concepts shows an intricate dialogue rather than an absolute rejection of Vedic traditions.
Comparable studies
Other theoretical and historical papers on buddhism, most cited first.
| Study | Year | Design | Participants |
|---|---|---|---|
| Mental balance and well-being: Building bridges between Buddhism and Western psychology. | 2006 | Theoretical or philosophical paper | |
| Buddhist Modernism and the Rhetoric of Meditative Experience | 1995 | Theoretical or philosophical paper | |
| Buddhist and Psychological Perspectives on Emotions and Well-Being | 2005 | Theoretical or philosophical paper | |
| Too Early to Tell: The Potential Impact and Challenges—Ethical and Otherwise—Inherent in the Mainstreaming of Dharma in an Increasingly Dystopian World | 2017 | Theoretical or philosophical paper | |
| From self to nonself: The Nonself Theory | 2016 | Theoretical or philosophical paper |
Citations in the library
Cited by 3
- Semiosis and nāmarūpa: Exploring the Early Buddhist Theory of Signs Through Cognitive Semiotics Philosophies August 27, 2025
- Meditation Transcending Signs: Seven Concepts for a Buddhist Psychosemiotics Philosophies January 12, 2026
- Biopolitics of Techno-Mindfulness: Anthropological Reflections on the Issue of Modern App-Based Training of Focused Attention Humans October 21, 2025
Cites 4
- An Anthropological Outline of the Sutta Nipāta: The Contemplative Experience in Early Buddhist Poetry Religions January 29, 2023
- Reaching the End of the World: An Anthropological Reading of Early Buddhist Medicine and Ascetic Practices Religions February 24, 2023
- In This World or the Next: Investigation Over the “End of the World” in Contemplative Practice Through the Pāli Canon Annali Sezione Orientale August 15, 2023
- Rethinking the Buddha June 23, 2014