Question
“Early Buddhist teachings had given great importance to self effort in achieving Nibbana”. Justify the statement.
Solution
In the earlier buddhist philosophy especially in the teaching of elders or Theraveda we find that importance is given to the individuals. It is effort of the individuals that can lead him to Nibbana. There is no such thing as savior and the notion of god is considered irrelevant. As existence of god does not help you to attain enlightenment because it is individual whose effort will lead to it.
The Buddha emphasised individual agency and righteous action as the means to escape from the cycle of rebirth and attain self-realisation and nibbana, literally the extinguishing of the ego and desire – and thus end the cycle of suffering for those who renounced the world.
As mentioned there was no concept of savior, there was no one on whom one can rely onto, hence we find that early Buddhist teachings had given great importance to self effort in achieving Nibbana.
The Buddha emphasised individual agency and righteous action as the means to escape from the cycle of rebirth and attain self-realisation and nibbana, literally the extinguishing of the ego and desire – and thus end the cycle of suffering for those who renounced the world.
As mentioned there was no concept of savior, there was no one on whom one can rely onto, hence we find that early Buddhist teachings had given great importance to self effort in achieving Nibbana.
