ABSTRACT
This chapter dicusses the relationship between the Upanisads and early Buddhism. It is generally assumed that the earliest Upanisads, such as the Brhadaranyaka, the Chandogya Upanisad, and the Aitareya Upanisad, are pre-Buddhist, and that some of the later Upanisads, such as the Maitri Upanisad, are composed after the rise of Buddhism. The chapter outlines the two main positions scholars have taken regarding the relationship between the Upanisads and early Buddhism. 1: There is no direct relationship between the Upanisads and early Buddhism. 2: The Upanisads influenced early Buddhism. Three of the forms of self mentioned in the Digha Nikaya – the self made of food, the self made of mind, and the self made of understanding – correspond exactly to three of the five forms of atman described in the Taittiriya Upanisad: The self made of food, the self made of breath, the self made of mind, the self made of understanding, and the self made of bliss.
