Consider the following statements regarding the Buddhist philosophical concepts: 1. Pratītyasamutpāda refers to the law of dependent origination explaining how all phenomena arise in dependence upon multiple causes and conditions. 2. Nirvana represents the annihilation of the human soul into a cosmic supreme creator deity. Which of the statements given above is/are correct?

💡 Solution & Explanation

Statement 1 is correct because Pratītyasamutpāda or dependent origination is the foundational core of Buddhist philosophy, stating that all things exist in interdependence and causality without any permanent self. Statement 2 is incorrect because Buddhism fundamentally rejects the existence of a permanent soul or Atman as well as the concept of a supreme creator deity, defining Nirvana as the cessation of craving, hatred, and delusion rather than soul absorption. The Fourth Buddhist Council was held in Kashmir under the patronage of Kanishka, resulting in the compilation of commentaries.