The Buddha was an atheist.

1. The Buddha’s Divine Station The station of the Buddha is one that is distinct from what man can attain. In essence, the Buddha taught that He is a divine teacher that preaches the doctrine of truth (dharma) that is lost to us with time and must be renewed. To assume that the Buddha was merely a wise and enlightened man who devised some sort of philosophy for His people would be erroneous. Indeed, a Brahmin (a Hindu of the priestly class) once questioned the Buddha, asking Him of His nature. He asked if He was a deva, a human, a yaksha (nature spirit), and so forth. Every time, the Buddha stated that He was none of these things, and clarified: “Just as a blue, red, or white lotus, although born in the water, grown up in the water, when it reaches the surface stands unsoiled by the water – just so, Brahmin, although born in the world, grown up in the world, having overcome the world, I abide unsoiled by the world. Take it that I am Buddha, Brahmin. As a lotus, fair and lovely, by the water is not soiled, by the world I am not soiled. Therefore, Brahmin, am I Buddha. ” [1] It is has thus been established that the station of the Buddha is distinct from all others, yet some people believe that it is possible to attain Buddhahood by following the teachings of the Buddha. According to His conversation with Subhuti (one of the Buddha’s disciples; they are discussing a former Buddha), this is false: “You are right, Subhuti! Verily, there was no dharma [formula, method, path] by which the Tathagata attained the Consummation of Incomparable Enlightenment. ” [2] He later claims that there is no dharma by which one can reach the state of the Buddha: “… but Dipankara Buddha [a previous Buddha] made that prediction concerning me because there is actually no dharma for the attainment of the Consummation of Incomparable Enlightenment … In case anyone says that the Tathagata attained the Consummation of Incomparable Enlightenment, I tell you truly, Subhuti, that there is no dharma by which the Buddha attained it. Subhuti, the basis of the Tathagata’s attainment of the Consummation of Incomparable Enlightenment is wholly beyond; it is neither Sat [reality] nor Asat [non-reality]. ” [3] He argues that even He did not attain His station through dharma, but rather through something “wholly beyond,” essentially something transcendental (as it is neither reality or non-reality). Once again, when speaking to Ananda (another disciple), we see Him say: “This dharma, which the Tathagata has fully known or demonstrated – it cannot be grasped, it cannot be talked about, it is neither a dharma, nor a non-dharma. And why? Because an Absolute exalts the Holy Persons. ” [4] This affirms that there was some higher power (the Absolute) that exalts the Buddhas through what is essentially a supernatural or divine revelation. It was not, as many believe, a philosophy beaten out through reasoning and trial and error. In fact, the Buddha denies that this is the case: “Whoever, Sariputta, knowing that it is so of me, seeing that it is so, should speak thus: “There are no states of further-men, no excellent cognition and insight befitting the Ariyans in the recluse Gautama; the recluse Gautama teaches Dhamma on his own devising beaten out by reasoning and based on investigation” – if he does not retract that speech, Sariputta, if he does not retract that thought, if he does not retract that view, he is verily consigned to Niraya Hell for this sin. ” [5] The Buddha thus establishes that Dharma is, like His station, from something wholly beyond, and further argues that His station as the Buddha is beyond man (as we have already established). These certainly do not sound like the claims an atheist would make, as they would not believe in a higher power that gives a divine station to a teacher (i. e. the Buddha). This is undeniably supernatural. He even proclaims that His existence is incomprehensible: “Since a Tathagata, even when actually present, is incomprehensible, it is inept to say of him – the Uttermost Person, The supernal Person, the Attainer of the Supernal – that after dying the Tathagata is, or is not, or both is and is not, or neither is nor is not. ” [6] How could an individual who does not believe in any absolute higher power make such claims? It would be nonsensical, for there would be nothing to exalt the Buddha to a state of further-men. 2. The Buddha’s Teachings Some individuals claim that the Buddha’s teachings referring to Unformed, Absolute, or any underlying eternal form of reality is, in fact, a reference to Nirvana or even Dharma; however, the Buddha clearly states: “The Element (Cause) is without beginning in time. It is the common foundation of all dhammas. Because it exists there also exist all places of rebirth and the full attainment of Nirvana. ” [8] Similarly, the Buddha again references a common foundation of sorts that allow Nirvana and dhamma to exist: “There is, O monks, an unborn, unoriginated, uncreated, unformed. Were there not O monks, this unborn, unoriginated, uncreated, unformed, there would be no escape from the world of the born, originated, created, formed. ” [9] This is the origin of all things. It is the Absolute. It cannot be equated with Dharma or Nirvana, for neither is the ground of being. It is the “God” that I proclaim the Buddha taught. As I have already said, the Buddha did not call It God, but rather referred to it in terms that represent our inability to understand It. He would often reject the forms of Brahma created by the Brahmins. Some people confuse this to mean that the Buddha rejected belief in God, but the Buddha taught of Brahma in a different way. For example, after discrediting the Brahmins who claimed they knew that all paths lead to union with Brahma, one of the Brahmins asked Him: “‘We are told, Gotama, that the Sakyamuni [sage of the Sakyas; the Buddha] knows the path to a union with Brahma. ’ And the Blessed One said: ‘What do you think, O Brahmins, of a man born and brought up in Manasakata [a village]? Would he be in doubt about the most direct way from this spot to Manasakata? ’ ‘Certainly not, Gotama. ’ ‘Thus,’ replied the Buddha, ‘the Tathagata knows the straight path that leads to a union with Brahma. He knows it as one who has entered the world of Brahma and has been born in it. There can be no doubt in the Tathagata. ” [10] This is the “Unmanifest Brahma” proclaimed by the Buddha, the Brahma that the Brahmins did not know (though they thought they did). Although there is much more to say on this matter, I have completed both of my arguments. I look forward to Pro’s contentions and rebuttals. [1] Anguttara-nikaya, II. 37-39 [2] Vajra-Sattva, XVII [3] Dhammapada, vv. 271, 272 [4] Majjhima-nikaya, I. 71-72 [5] Samyutta-nikaya, III. 118 [6] Majjhima-nikaya, I. 63 [7] Ratnagotravibhaga, pp. 72-73 [8] Udana, v. 81 [9] Digha-nikaya, I. 235