The Brahmajala Sutta describes 62 different kinds of wrong views or beliefs that were prevalent during the Buddha’s time, and it presents a detailed analysis of these views along with the correct understanding of reality according to Buddhist teachings.

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The Brahmajala Sutta is a Buddhist text that is considered one of the most important discourses in the Pali Canon, which is the collection of texts that make up the Theravada Buddhist tradition. It is also known as the “Discourse on the All-embracing Net of Views” and is named after the brahmajala, which is a kind of fishing net used in ancient India. You can find this Buddhist scripture called the Digha Nikaya.

These 62 views are divided into eight categories, which are:

Eternalism: the belief that the self or soul is eternal and unchanging.
Annihilationism: the belief that the self or soul ceases to exist after death.
Scepticism: the belief that nothing can be known for certain.
Attachment to rites and rituals: the belief that performing religious rituals is the path to salvation.
Belief in a creator: the belief that a supreme being created the universe and controls its destiny.
Belief in a soul: the belief that each person has a permanent and unchanging soul.
Belief in the efficacy of self-mortification: the belief that extreme ascetic practices are necessary for spiritual liberation.
Belief in the efficacy of worldly power: the belief that political power and influence are necessary for spiritual liberation.

The Buddha’s teachings reject all of these wrong views and instead emphasize the importance of the Four Noble Truths and the Noble Eightfold Path as the means to attain liberation from suffering. The Brahmajala Sutta serves as a comprehensive guide to understanding the various wrong views and their underlying assumptions, and it highlights the importance of discernment and critical thinking in one’s spiritual practice.

In addition to its analysis of the wrong views, the Brahmajala Sutta also presents the concept of dependent origination, which is a key teaching in Buddhism that explains the interdependent nature of all phenomena. It emphasizes the impermanence and non-self nature of all things and encourages practitioners to cultivate wisdom and compassion in order to overcome suffering and attain enlightenment.

The Brahmajala Sutta is a valuable resource for Buddhist practitioners and scholars alike, as it provides a comprehensive analysis of the wrong views and presents a clear and concise understanding of the path to liberation.

To blow our mind a little, the Brahmajala Sutta describes the following 62 wrong views or beliefs:

1. The belief that the self or soul is eternal and unchanging.
2. The belief that the self or soul is not eternal, but still unchanging.
3. The belief that the self or soul is both eternal and unchanging.
4. The belief that the self or soul is neither eternal nor unchanging.
5. The belief that the universe is eternal and infinite.
6. The belief that the universe is not eternal, but still infinite.
7. The belief that the universe is both eternal and infinite.
8. The belief that the universe is neither eternal nor infinite.
9. The belief that the body and the self are the same.
10. The belief that the body and the self are different.
11. The belief that the Buddha exists after death.
12. The belief that the Buddha does not exist after death.
13. The belief that the Buddha both exists and does not exist after death.
14. The belief that the Buddha neither exists nor does not exist after death.
15. The belief that the Tathagata (Buddha) is one who abstains from speech.
16. The belief that the Tathagata is one who affirms the reality of speech.
17. The belief that the Tathagata is one who neither abstains from speech nor affirms the reality of speech.
18. The belief that the Tathagata is one who both abstains from speech and affirms the reality of speech.
19. The belief that the Tathagata has sense faculties.
20. The belief that the Tathagata does not have sense faculties.
21. The belief that the Tathagata both has and does not have sense faculties.
22. The belief that the Tathagata neither has nor does not have sense faculties.
23. The belief that the Tathagata is composed of the four elements (earth, water, fire, and air).
24. The belief that the Tathagata is not composed of the four elements.
25. The belief that the Tathagata both is and is not composed of the four elements.
26. The belief that the Tathagata neither is nor is not composed of the four elements.
27. The belief that the Tathagata is infinite.
28. The belief that the Tathagata is not infinite.
29. The belief that the Tathagata both is and is not infinite.
30. The belief that the Tathagata neither is nor is not infinite.
31. The belief that the Tathagata is finite.
32. The belief that the Tathagata is not finite.
33. The belief that the Tathagata both is and is not finite.
34. The belief that the Tathagata neither is nor is not finite.
35. The belief that the Tathagata is identical to the world.
36. The belief that the Tathagata is not identical to the world.
37. The belief that the Tathagata both is and is not identical to the world.
38. The belief that the Tathagata neither is nor is not identical to the world.
39. The belief that the Tathagata experiences pleasure.
40. The belief that the Tathagata does not experience pleasure.
41. The belief that the Tathagata both experiences and does not experience pleasure.
42. The belief that the Tathagata neither experiences nor does not experience pleasure.
43. The belief that the Tathagata is an existent.
44. The belief that the Tathagata is a non-existent.
45. The belief that the Tathagata both is and is not an existent.
46. The belief that the Tathagata neither is nor is not an existent.
47. The belief that the Tathagata is neither real nor unreal.
48. The belief that the Tathagata both is and is not real and unreal.
49. The belief that the Tathagata neither is nor is not real and unreal.
50. The belief that there is no afterlife.
51. The belief that there is an afterlife.
52. The belief that there both is and is not an afterlife.
53. The belief that there neither is nor is not an afterlife.
54. The belief that the soul and the body are separate entities.
55. The belief that the soul and the body are the same entity.
56. The belief that the Tathagata exists after death and also does not exist after death.
57. The belief that the Tathagata neither exists nor does not exist after death.
58. The belief that the Tathagata both exists and does not exist after death.
59. The belief that the Tathagata is finite and also infinite.
60. The belief that the Tathagata neither is nor is not finite and infinite.
61. The belief that the Tathagata is both finite and infinite.
62. The belief that the Tathagata is neither finite nor infinite.

These views are seen as wrong because they either deny the fundamental teachings of Buddhism or are based on false assumptions about the nature of reality. The Brahmajala Sutta argues that these wrong views are ultimately unhelpful in attaining liberation and instead presents the correct understanding of reality according to Buddhist teachings.

To understand it, let us see an explanation of wrong views 50 till 53, what it really means from the Brahmajala Sutta:

50. The belief that there is no afterlife: This view holds that after death, there is no continuation of consciousness or rebirth. This denies one of the fundamental teachings of Buddhism, which is the concept of rebirth or reincarnation. According to Buddhist teachings, consciousness continues after death, and the actions and intentions of one’s life determine one’s rebirth.
51. The belief that there is an afterlife: This view holds that there is an afterlife or rebirth, but it implies that there is a permanent, unchanging self or soul that is reborn. This is considered a wrong view because Buddhism teaches that there is no permanent self or soul and that the concept of a self is an illusion.
52. The belief that there both is and is not an afterlife: This view is a paradoxical statement that contradicts itself. It implies that there is an afterlife, but also that there isn’t, which is logically impossible.
53. The belief that there neither is nor is not an afterlife: This view denies the existence of an afterlife and also denies the non-existence of an afterlife. It is also a paradoxical statement that contradicts itself.

All of these wrong views are problematic because they fail to accurately reflect the Buddhist understanding of rebirth and the nature of existence. In Buddhist teachings, rebirth is seen as a natural process of cause and effect, and the concept of a permanent self or soul is rejected in favor of a more fluid and dynamic view of existence. The Brahmajala Sutta offers a comprehensive analysis of these and other wrong views, ultimately emphasizing the importance of correct understanding in achieving liberation from suffering.