MeNCIUS AND XUNZI ON HUMAN NATURE The suggestion that we approach questions of human nature by looking at how development occurs in a normal social environment certainly seems to be in tension with Hobbes and Rousseau, or at least certain In both philosophical systems the question of the relationship between this somewhat abstract self and the individual one takes as oneself arises, for the transcendental and experiential self do not seem identical. Book: Six Ways of Being Religious (Cannon), { "10.01:_Nagasena_Replies_to_the_Questions_of_King_Milinda" : "property get [Map MindTouch.Deki.Logic.ExtensionProcessorQueryProvider+<>c__DisplayClass228_0.b__1]()", "10.02:_Anselm\'s_Faith_Seeking_Understanding" : "property get [Map MindTouch.Deki.Logic.ExtensionProcessorQueryProvider+<>c__DisplayClass228_0.b__1]()", "10.03:_Chapter_Summary" : "property get [Map MindTouch.Deki.Logic.ExtensionProcessorQueryProvider+<>c__DisplayClass228_0.b__1]()", "10.04:_Study_Questions_on_Similarities_and_Differences" : "property get [Map MindTouch.Deki.Logic.ExtensionProcessorQueryProvider+<>c__DisplayClass228_0.b__1]()", "10.05:_For_Further_Reading" : "property get [Map MindTouch.Deki.Logic.ExtensionProcessorQueryProvider+<>c__DisplayClass228_0.b__1]()", "10.06:_Notes" : "property get [Map MindTouch.Deki.Logic.ExtensionProcessorQueryProvider+<>c__DisplayClass228_0.b__1]()" }, { "00:_Front_Matter" : "property get [Map MindTouch.Deki.Logic.ExtensionProcessorQueryProvider+<>c__DisplayClass228_0.b__1]()", "01:_General_Introduction" : "property get [Map MindTouch.Deki.Logic.ExtensionProcessorQueryProvider+<>c__DisplayClass228_0.b__1]()", "02:_Thinking_Generically_about_Religion" : "property get [Map MindTouch.Deki.Logic.ExtensionProcessorQueryProvider+<>c__DisplayClass228_0.b__1]()", "03:_Different_Ways_of_Being_Religious" : "property get [Map MindTouch.Deki.Logic.ExtensionProcessorQueryProvider+<>c__DisplayClass228_0.b__1]()", "04:_The_Ways_of_Being_Religious_Exemplified" : "property get [Map MindTouch.Deki.Logic.ExtensionProcessorQueryProvider+<>c__DisplayClass228_0.b__1]()", "05:_Variations_in_Quality_of_Practice_of_the_Ways" : "property get [Map MindTouch.Deki.Logic.ExtensionProcessorQueryProvider+<>c__DisplayClass228_0.b__1]()", "06:_Using_the_Framework" : "property get [Map MindTouch.Deki.Logic.ExtensionProcessorQueryProvider+<>c__DisplayClass228_0.b__1]()", "07:_Applysing_the_Framework_to_the_Whole_of_Buddhism" : "property get [Map MindTouch.Deki.Logic.ExtensionProcessorQueryProvider+<>c__DisplayClass228_0.b__1]()", "08:_Applying_the_Framework_to_the_Whole_of_Christianity" : "property get [Map MindTouch.Deki.Logic.ExtensionProcessorQueryProvider+<>c__DisplayClass228_0.b__1]()", "09:_The_Way_of_Mystical_Quest" : "property get [Map MindTouch.Deki.Logic.ExtensionProcessorQueryProvider+<>c__DisplayClass228_0.b__1]()", "10:_The_Way_of_Reasoned_Inquiry" : "property get [Map MindTouch.Deki.Logic.ExtensionProcessorQueryProvider+<>c__DisplayClass228_0.b__1]()", "11:_The_Way_of_Right_Action" : "property get [Map MindTouch.Deki.Logic.ExtensionProcessorQueryProvider+<>c__DisplayClass228_0.b__1]()", "12:_The_Way_of_Devotion" : "property get [Map MindTouch.Deki.Logic.ExtensionProcessorQueryProvider+<>c__DisplayClass228_0.b__1]()", "13:_The_Way_of_Shamanic_Mediation" : "property get [Map MindTouch.Deki.Logic.ExtensionProcessorQueryProvider+<>c__DisplayClass228_0.b__1]()", "14:_The_Way_of_Sacred_Rite" : "property get [Map MindTouch.Deki.Logic.ExtensionProcessorQueryProvider+<>c__DisplayClass228_0.b__1]()", "15:_Comparing_Buddhism_and_Christianity_by__Means_of_the_Framework" : "property get [Map MindTouch.Deki.Logic.ExtensionProcessorQueryProvider+<>c__DisplayClass228_0.b__1]()", "zz:_Back_Matter" : "property get [Map MindTouch.Deki.Logic.ExtensionProcessorQueryProvider+<>c__DisplayClass228_0.b__1]()" }, 10.1: Nagasena Replies to the Questions of King Milinda, [ "article:topic", "license:ccbync", "authorname:dalecannon", "licenseversion:40", "source@https://digitalcommons.wou.edu/facbooks/1" ], https://human.libretexts.org/@app/auth/3/login?returnto=https%3A%2F%2Fhuman.libretexts.org%2FBookshelves%2FReligious_Studies%2FBook%253A_Six_Ways_of_Being_Religious_(Cannon)%2F10%253A_The_Way_of_Reasoned_Inquiry%2F10.01%253A_Nagasena_Replies_to_the_Questions_of_King_Milinda, \( \newcommand{\vecs}[1]{\overset { \scriptstyle \rightharpoonup} {\mathbf{#1}}}\) \( \newcommand{\vecd}[1]{\overset{-\!-\!\rightharpoonup}{\vphantom{a}\smash{#1}}} \)\(\newcommand{\id}{\mathrm{id}}\) \( \newcommand{\Span}{\mathrm{span}}\) \( \newcommand{\kernel}{\mathrm{null}\,}\) \( \newcommand{\range}{\mathrm{range}\,}\) \( \newcommand{\RealPart}{\mathrm{Re}}\) \( \newcommand{\ImaginaryPart}{\mathrm{Im}}\) \( \newcommand{\Argument}{\mathrm{Arg}}\) \( \newcommand{\norm}[1]{\| #1 \|}\) \( \newcommand{\inner}[2]{\langle #1, #2 \rangle}\) \( \newcommand{\Span}{\mathrm{span}}\) \(\newcommand{\id}{\mathrm{id}}\) \( \newcommand{\Span}{\mathrm{span}}\) \( \newcommand{\kernel}{\mathrm{null}\,}\) \( \newcommand{\range}{\mathrm{range}\,}\) \( \newcommand{\RealPart}{\mathrm{Re}}\) \( \newcommand{\ImaginaryPart}{\mathrm{Im}}\) \( \newcommand{\Argument}{\mathrm{Arg}}\) \( \newcommand{\norm}[1]{\| #1 \|}\) \( \newcommand{\inner}[2]{\langle #1, #2 \rangle}\) \( \newcommand{\Span}{\mathrm{span}}\)\(\newcommand{\AA}{\unicode[.8,0]{x212B}}\), 10.2: Anselm's Faith Seeking Understanding, source@https://digitalcommons.wou.edu/facbooks/1, status page at https://status.libretexts.org. And let them have dominion over the fish of the sea and over the birds of the heavens and over the livestock and over all the earth and over every creeping thing that creeps on the earth. So God created man in his own image, in the image of God he created him; male and female he created them. Not all milk turns to curd, then butter, and then ghee, and whilst the milk is still milk surely it still has the identity of milk? Q. May, 2017 | As someone once quipped, trying to define postmodernism is like trying to nail Jell-O to the wall. On the other hand, John Locke had more confidence in human nature. Reprinted by permission of the publisher from Bhikkhu Pesala, ed., The Debate of King Milinda: An Abridgement of the Milinda Panha (Buddhist Traditions, Vol. The main burden of the following discussion will be to argue that in the end only one of these worldviewsChristian Theismcan supply any firm basis for human dignity and human rights. Christian Theisms view of truth and knowledge, What is the Christian view of truth? Neutral karma is attached to actions such as breathing which will have no long-term costs or benefits. Before his enlightenment, he was a noble person called Siddhartha . God is both personal and absolute. This position is discussed in the Milindapanha or Questions of King Milinda (c. 100 BCE). Milinda challenges Nagasena that if he is not a breathing, eating, drinking, sleeping, mortal being, then neither can he behave morally, nor be sinned against. And for this very reason, neither of these secular worldviews can give an adequate account of the objective value of human beings and human life. Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit. The Milindapanha has served over the centuries as a model of theologicalo inquiry and debate in Theravada Buddhism and in some Mahayana traditions as well. Perhaps the most memorable summary of the Naturalist worldview can be credited to Carl Sagan: The cosmos is all that was, or is, or ever will be. While the number of card-carrying Naturalists may be relatively small, the basic worldview of Naturalism exerts a disproportionately strong influence on academic and culture today. Quran 7:11-13. However, as I argue, in offering a complete liberation from suffering, Buddhism is highly optimistic. These things give an impression of self, but there is no self that can be pinpointed as it is the result of all five together - remove one, there is no sense of self. Roughly stated, a worldview is an overall philosophical outlook on the world: an all-encompassing perspective on everything that exists and matters to us. This entails that there is no objective, determinate answer to questions such as What is a human being? and What does it mean to be human? We ourselves are free to define what it means to be human, whether individually or collectively. Everything that exists ultimately has its basis in physical entities: matter and energy. It makes no difference in the end, because Postmodernism seeks to decouple human nature from any objective historical events.[8]. For the purposes of this section I will define Christian Theism as the worldview presented in and presupposed by the Bible. On the Postmodernist view, what is real and what is true are ultimately defined by us. Fully understanding these three characteristics reduces suffering. Nam risus ante, dapibus

Science tells you how things are, not how things ought to be. Christian Theism offers a very distinctive and significant story of origins. It follows that if the self performed the executive function, it could perform that function on other parts of the person, but not on itself. Everything other than Godevery created thingis what it is only because of Gods sovereign decree. For Nagasena, he is not part of his body, he is not all his parts together, nor the form of his body, nor feelings, perceptions, impulses or consciousness, nor a (and not a) combination of these things - Milinda draws on five skandhas (form, sensations, perceptions, impulses and consciousness). The content of a worldview can be carved up in different ways, but to keep matters relatively simple we will consider the three aforementioned worldviews under four headings: The first two of the four would fall under the traditional label of metaphysics, the third under epistemology, and the fourth under ethics or axiology. Rather, if something is good, that is because we have decided that it is good. They explain the process as being like a candle that passes a flame from one candle to another. What is the misery of that estate whereinto man fell? According to Pali accounts, he was born into a Brahmin family in the Himalayas and was well-versed in the Vedas at an early age. Something is valuable, objectively speaking, simply because God values it and delights in it. I suggest however that we ought to say something deeper and more consistently theocentric. (It also has equally important theological implications for the Christian doctrines of the fall, sin, and salvation.). As D.T. What is Anthony Crosland's view on human nature? This is based on anicca - all existence is a continual process of becoming, flux and change. When examining the compatibility between the Buddhist claims of no-self and the Buddhist project of liberation, the pursuit of Nirvana, as we will do in this article, we will have to remember that many profound thinkers have found a way to hold the two doctrines simultaneously. 114 pages, Copyright 2017 Reformed Theological Seminary, Biblical Exegesis in Fourth-Century Trinitarian Debates: Context, Contours, & Ressourcement, Trinitarian Relations in the Fourth Century, Gods Word Alone: The Authority of Scripture: What the Reformers Taught . In conclusion, the best we can offer by way of an answer to our title question is itself a question: does logic invariably reflect ultimate reality, or is it possible that the logically impossible could in fact be instantiated? Genetic enhancement. The essence of Postmodernism, as I envisage it here, may be expressed in this proposition: there are no absolute norms and there is no objective reality. Before turning to the third worldviewChristian TheismI wish to make a few cursory observations about how Naturalism and Postmodernism differ with respect to their view of human nature, as well as what they have in common. True, we cannot discover the self in the five skandhas, precisely because the self is that which is beyond or distinct from the five skandhas. Siderits observes: in order for the Buddhas strategy to work, he will have to show that the doctrine of the five skandhas gives an exhaustive analysis of the parts of the person (Buddhism as Philosophy, p.37). Even if we discover that the Nirvana/no-self combination lacks cogency, does it follow that the theory of no-self is no longer valuable for that theory supports the doctrine of non-attachment, which grounds the Buddhist ethic of universal compassion? Nagasena is one of the Eighteen Arhats of Mahayana Buddhism. In the film above and in our chapter reading, Nagasena tackles the issue of what human nature is. Instead, and more in keeping with the rest of Buddhist thought, Udana 8.3 could be an expression of the absence of an eternal entity. What it means to be human, for Wittgenstein, is our ability to think consciously. For the Postmodernist, truth is a social construction. There are at least two possible interpretations: (i) To assert that x is unborn is to say that it does not come into existence at a particular time because it never has a beginning, i.e., it is eternal. essay philosophy. Philosophy Now 2023. individual e o todo mais amplo Cada uma dessas teorias recebeu conside rvel from CINCIAS 123 at Centro Universitrio da Fundao Educacional de Barretos - UNIFEB There is but one God, and that one God has definite attributes. Xunzi on Human Nature Evil has its roots in human nature, can only . PCN-107 Discussion Topic 2 A+. elohim] and crowned him with glory and honor. As Ive noted, that act of definition can operate individually or collectively, but a truly consistent Postmodernism (so I would argue) must say that it operates individually, at the level of the conscious subject. Fusce dui lectus, congue vel laoreet ac, dictum vitae odio. The central tenet of a Postmodernist anthropology comes to this: human nature cannot be something that is defined independently of usby the creative purposes of God, say, or by objective scientific facts. Reams could be written in answer to that question; I will restrict myself to one concluding observation. We should make every effort to protect and preserve human life, and to promote (as the current lingo has it) human flourishing. Nam lacinia pulvinar tortor nec facilisis. "As ghee is recognizable by its special attributes, so nibbana has special attributes; as ghee has a sweet fragrance, nibbana has the sweet fragrance of virtue; as ghee has a delicious taste, nibbana has the delicious taste of freedom. According to the biblical view, all humans are descended from one man (and one woman): The God who made the world and everything in it, being Lord of heaven and earth, does not live in temples made by man, nor is he served by human hands, as though he needed anything, since he himself gives to all mankind life and breath and everything. This liberation from continual rebirth and suffering is the result of enlightenment, which occurs when our ignorance about the nature of existence and the false belief in a self is eradicated. Posted July 20, 2018 | Reviewed by Ekua Hagan We are active, embodied speakers. Let us consider Naturalism as a worldview, under the four headings previously stated. It arises out of the choices and preferences of human societies. For Hindus human nature consists of a body and a soul (atman) that at death is reincarnated. There are two other major problems with experience here: (i) If experience is suffering, how could the experience of enlightenment result in liberation? They believe that at death, individuals are reborn, but there is no lingering soul which enters another body. Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit. To be clear, my point is not that Islam reflects a low view of human beings. This stance is sometimes called constructivism: reality and truth are constructed by us, in the way that we impose or project our thoughts, our ideas, our values, and our goals onto our experiences and thereby (in effect) create the world. Objectors to the exhaustiveness claim often argue that for discovering the self the Buddhist commitment to empirical means is mistaken. You can help Wikipedia by expanding it. The show first aired in the United States in 1997, yetlike so many other great ideasAmerica stole it from Britain, where it has been broadcast regularly since 1979. The mangoes Man A steals are not the same as the seeds that Man B planted. Accessibility StatementFor more information contact us atinfo@libretexts.orgor check out our status page at https://status.libretexts.org. This article about a member of the Buddhist clergy is a stub. Just as we consider the ripe mangoes consequences of the seeds, we should consider his punishment a consequence of Man A's deeds. God alone is self-existent, self-sufficient, and absolute. 3 floating across the living room. When my body ceases to exist, I cease to exist. Some readers might be asking at this point, What is distinctively Christian about any of this? 6 Q What is Anthony Gidden's view on human nature? Objective truth means hard scientific factsor what can be reduced to such facts. They have to be planted and grounded in the heart. Death and rebirth are continuous, one dharma finishes, another begins, it's not possible to distinguish between the first dharma of one existence and the final act of another. However, from this conception of Nirvana, it is impossible to decide whether it is logically compatible with the doctrine of no-self. Donec aliquet. As the creation account in Genesis plainly affirms (and as scientific knowledge increasingly confirms) there is a clear ontological boundary between mankind and other animals, rather than an evolutionary continuum. At any rate, there is no relevant and accessible reality that exists independently of us. [17], Consider first the Islamic worldview. Alvin Plantinga, On Christian Scholarship, in. Given the divergent interpretations of the Buddhas meaning of unborn here, we cannot assume that the Buddha intended to posit an eternal entity which is unborn in the first sense. In summary: we are creatures, made in Gods image, gendered, social, both physical and spiritual, and corrupted by sin in every part. He also reached enlightenment and became an arhat under his guidance. Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit. Main. They are sterile soilsnothing good can grow in them. It is not always in a constant state of flux. An individual human has merely instrumental value toward a collective end. First, in the institution of capital punishment: And for your lifeblood I will require a reckoning: from every beast I will require it and from man. He must not just believe it, he must verify it (Indian Buddhism, p.102). The 'chariot' is a conventional way of referring to the entirety of what might be understood to be a chariot. If on the other hand its a cheaply manufactured piece of pottery with nothing whatsoever to distinguish it, well, perhaps you could put it in the garage as a receptacle for all those random nuts and bolts you darent throw away. Here I cannot improve upon the summary statements of the Westminster Shorter Catechism: Q. First Child Dies by Euthanasia in Belgium You have given him dominion over the works of your hands O Lord, our Lord, how majestic is your name in all the earth! God is a supernatural being and therefore God does not exist. And to him who sees the terror of the treadmill of life [i.e., samsara, or the samsaric experience of life] the thought arises, 'On fire and blazing is this wheel of life, full of suffering and despair. Nam lacinia pulvinar tortor nec facilisis. The discussion began with what scientifically makes a human a human: DNA. Rather, truth is grounded in the mind of God. Nevertheless, both worldviews are engaged in a kind of metaphysical alchemy: an attempt to derive meaning and value from ultimate meaninglessness and valuelessness.[9]. In characterizing what a self would be if it were instantiated, Buddhists have claimed three main properties: permanence, control and numerical identity. By continuing to browse the site with cookies enabled in your browser, you consent to the use of cookies in accordance with our privacy policy. and Why It Still Matters. Exclusivity is out! [4], Whatever goodness is, it has nothing whatsoever to do with God. "This figure [conforms with the image of] the arhat Nagasena, shown in Jivarama's sketchbook of 1435"[3] who also holds a vase. This concept presupposes that the self is the type of thing that can perform a controlling function on parts of the person. If there was a self, it would be permanent. Nagasena states that 'Nagasena' is a mere name, there is no fixed identity to be grasped. Praveen Sethupathy, a geneticist at the University of North Carolina, Chapel Hill, is a Christian. We also acknowledge previous National Science Foundation support under grant numbers 1246120, 1525057, and 1413739. Christian Theisms view of goodness and value. When Buddhists claim that Nirvana is blissful, they could be describing it as a positive state of pleasure or happiness, but this interpretation is unwarranted given their commitment to the view that human experience invariably brings with it existential angst and suffering. Which of the following religious groups were the authors of the Maryland "The element of nibbana does exist, O king, and he who practises rightly and who rightly comprehends the formations [which give rise to the egoistic self that is bound to samsara according to the teachings of the Conqueror [i.e., the Buddha], he, by his wisdom, realises nibbana. [14] Moral goodness is grounded in Gods character and Gods will. Nagasena is a Buddhist philosopher who lived around 2,500 years ago. But anthropologies dont come into existence ex nihilo. (The same applies generally to ordinary sense experience.). . Consider how the inspired Psalmists anthropological reflections begin and end with the glory of Goda thoroughly theocentric visionwhile encompassing a view of man that is neither demoralizingly low nor blasphemously high. PCN-107 Discussion Q 1-2 Aplus. I think this is a fair generalization, although there are exceptions. Consider for a moment some of the great cultural and moral debates of our day. Naturalism is closely associated with scientism, the notion that scientific knowledge is paradigmatic for human knowledge, and (in its more radical forms) that scientific knowledge is the only true knowledge. For instance, our ability to analyse the arguments for no-self, and our acknowledging that the skandhas are in a constant state of arising and dissolving, presupposes that there is a self which has the capacity to analyse and to observe change. God is the source and author of every other reality, the definer of every other reality. Nam lacinia pulvinar tortor nec facilisis. This doctrine of momentariness entails that at every moment, the five skandhas arise, are destroyed and are succeeded by other numerically distinct (if similar) skandhas. To attempt to speak rationally of the condition of those who attain Nirvana, or about the nature of Nirvana itself, is to misunderstand the topic under discussion: Nirvana is ineffable. We cannot know how to treat other human beings without knowing the value of human beingsthe worth of a human life. John Locke, in contrast, did not share . Milinda is different now from when he is a baby. The ultimate reality is physical, material reality. God is both transcendent and immanent. Hard Naturalists, in contrast, will deny altogether the reality of minds and mental entities. God did not create us indirectly via natural evolutionary processes. The woman who discovered a dusty old book in her attic is informed that its one of a handful of first-edition copies published in the 17th century and now worth several hundred thousand dollars. Moreover, there is no objective reality in the following sense: there is no reality that exists independently of us, that is to say, independently of our thoughts and our language. The King poses questions to Nagasena who responds with an analogy of some kind. Right and wrong are defined by Gods law, which in turn is a revelation of his righteousness, holiness, and loving-kindness. This amused the King. This seems to be putting the cart before the horse, only immediately afterwards to put the horse back in front of the cart. Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit. ac, dictum vitae odio. As it says in the Mahayana-Sutralankara, A person should be mentioned as existing only in designation but not in reality [or substance, dravya]. Buddhists say that we consider ourselves persons because, through experience, we learn that we are constituted of five skandhas or aspects: body (rupa), feelings (vedana), perceptions (samjna), volitions (samskaras), and consciousness (vijnana). "Like a mountain peak, it is very high, immoveable, inaccessible to the defilements, it has no place where defilements can grow, and it is without favouritism or prejudice. What Judaism lacks, compared with Christianity, is a doctrine of redemption through divine incarnation and atonement. A living being may be reborn into any one of six planes: positive karma leads towards three fortunate realms (gods, demigods, men) and negative karma leads towards three unfortunate realms (animals, ghosts and hell). There is no God in the classical sense. A. As a man, afraid and terrified at having fallen among enemies, would be relieved and blissful when he had escaped to a safe place; or as one fallen into a pit of filth would be at ease and glad when he had got out of the pit and cleaned up; or as one trapped in a forest fire would be calm and cool when he had reached a safe spot. "human nature" is good or bad begins to gain some scientifically as sessable content.5 3. In short, something is true because we have decided that it is true, either individually or collectively. Buddhists deny that a person can remain numerically identical with him or herself over time on that grounds that time itself necessarily implies numerical change. He strives along the path for the cessation of formations, searches it out, develops it, and makes much of it. What are Anthony Giddens views on the state ? If something is valuable, thats because it is valuable to us. There is no agreed-upon point at which Nagasena's authorship may be said to end (and the work of other hands begins), nor has this been perceived as an inherently important distinction by monastic scholars. The reason I identify the Christian worldview with the biblical worldview is straightforward: Christianity is defined by Christ, and Jesus himself affirmed that the Scriptures were the very word of God. 7 Q Who states that the state 'is a capitalist tool and must be destroyed by revolution'? Study with Quizlet and memorize flashcards containing terms like Nagasena's Chariot Analogy, Hume on the Idea of the Self, Locke's Definition of "Person" and more. His view on human nature is that it's composed of three parts: the first two are impulses to either do or not do something, and the third part is the intelligence that decides which View the full answer Previous question Next question Sankaras principle of consciousness bears some of the same properties (such as numerical identity over time and permanence) as the self which Buddhists deny. In his opinion, human nature is made up of three parts: the first two are impulses to do or not do anything, and the third is the intelligence that determines which direction to go. Nagasena is a Buddhist philosopher who lived around 2,500 years ago and is considered to be the founder of Zen. The world is what it is, and has the meaning and value that it does, because of usbecause of our thoughts, our words, our activities. These themes arguably originated with Immanuel Kant, can be traced through Friedrich Nietzsche and the twentieth-century Existentialists (such as Martin Heidegger and Jean-Paul Sartre) and find their most radical expression in the Deconstructionist movement and other anti-realist spin-offs. Goodness isnt defined by the nature, character, or will of God. There is a tradition that Nagasena brought to Thailand the first representation of the Buddha, the Emerald Buddha.