Overview
The Buddha declared that all possible philosophical, religious, and speculative theories regarding the nature of the “self” and the universe fall into a definitive matrix of 62 views. These views act as a net (jāla) that traps beings in saṃsāra. The Buddha does not just refute them; he explains the exact meditative or psychological mistakes that lead beings to adopt them.
The List
18 Views concerning the Past:
- 4 views of Eternalism (The self and world are eternal).
- 4 views of Partial-Eternalism (Some things are eternal, some are not, e.g., a Creator God).
- 4 views of the Finitude or Infinity of the World.
- 4 views of Endless Equivocation (Eel-wriggling / Agnosticism).
- 2 views of Fortuitous Origination (The self and world arise purely by chance without cause).
44 Views concerning the Future:
- 16 views that the self survives death conscious.
- 8 views that the self survives death unconscious.
- 8 views that the self survives death neither conscious nor unconscious.
- 7 views of Annihilationism (The self is completely destroyed at death).
- 5 views of Nibbāna Here and Now (Believing that sensual pleasure or the four jhānas are ultimate liberation).
Textual References
- Canonical: Brahmajāla Sutta (DN 1) – The “All-Embracing Net of Views,” the very first sutta in the Dīgha Nikāya, where the Buddha systematically dismantles every philosophical trap in existence.