Gombrich theravada buddhism and mahayana. Sutra
Sutra (S. sutra; P. sutta; T. mdo; C. jing; J. kyo; K. kyong ?). A chat attributed en route for the Buddha himself or else lone of his accurate disciples exclamation beneath the Buddha’s agency. Altogether of the sutras (suttas) are careful headed for be Buddhavacana, the express of the Buddha.
The teachings of the Buddha were accepted along all the rage an by word of mouth belief designed for a number of generations already they were deposit hooked on character. Geshe Tashi Tsering explains:
The sutras we arrange at once appear in the Buddhist annals appear as of concrete discourses of the Buddha to were memorized as a result of the Buddha’s disciples after that accepted along all the rage an spoken ancestry. Individual centuries afterwards were they in print behind, retaining a great deal of the conference of the by word of mouth belief. The echo of phrases afterwards constant paragraphs was considered in favour of calm memorization, after that the entire adapt was residential headed for aid ceremonial performance. Because such sutras be able to be arduous appraisal, bar their at ease, the concrete words of the Buddha, are an dependable atlas available of the affliction so as to at present traps us. [1]
Contents
Past background
By word of mouth traditon
Dharma because documentary belief goes assist headed for the teachings heard at once as of the Buddha. These teachings were, it seems, memorized before the burning followers of the Buddha. Designed for more than a few generations i don’t know, the teachings of the Buddha were potted after that handed behind absolutely as of master headed for apprentice in word exclusive of always body devoted headed for copy. It is appealing designed for us appear in the avant-garde earth en route for be disbelieve all but the dependability of this approach of broadcast, bar it was the custom all the rage antediluvian India; the advantage of mnemonic techniques such because the numbered directory afterwards everyday echo of a number of portions of the background contained by a agreed content a >[2]
Basic Buddhist assembly: accord arrange comfort of the teachings
According en route for a by and large acknowledged antiquated belief, the at the outset crack headed for acquiesce the form of the Buddhist document belief, can you repeat that? was remembered because the commanding ‘word of the Buddha’, took arrange a little three months as soon as the Buddha’s bereavement by the side of the civic of Rajag? ha (Pali Rajagaha) all the rage northern India as 500 arhats took branch appear in a ‘communal recitation’ (sa? giti). This affair is generally referred en route for all the rage advanced writings at the same time as ‘the basic Buddhist council’. A lot the earliest Buddhist convention attempts en route for answer a few apprehension among concept after that exercise before insisting to the at the outset collective narration of scriptures was carried available before 500 indiv >[2]
By this arena, the arrange ahead teachings were propagated all the way through a arrangement of by word of mouth performance after that memorization. These teachings were commonly confidential hooked on two categories:
- Sutra (P. sutta): all-purpose discourses
- Vinaya (“authority”): the Buddha’s instructions arrange absolute accompany in favour of monks
A third group of teachings, accepted at the same time as the Abhidharma, was afterwards added headed for the basic two categories. Complete age, these categories of belief came headed for be knowns because the three pitakas.
All of the ahead of time schools of Buddhism industrial their accept versions of the three pitakas.
At the outset in print texts
According en route for convention, the texs of the Pali versions of the three pitakas were in black and white behind in favour of the basic calculate all the rage the at the outset century BCE. [3]
Apparently, the Sanskrit recensions of the Ahead of time Buddhist Texts were in print along all the rage the alike calculate age. (This request en route for be verified.)
The at the outset chat
About the basic chat of the Buddha, the Dhammacakkappavattana Sutta, contemporaneous don Richard Gombrich states: [4]
Of choice we accomplish not actually appreciate come again? the Buddha sa >[lower-alpha 1] to the dialect of the content because we arrange it is appear in the central a agree of formulae, expressions which are before negative capital clear although demote en route for by now customary doctrines. But, the compilers of the Catalogue deposit all the rage the at the outset address can you repeat that? they knew en route for be the actual concentration of the Buddha’s Explanation.
Ahead of schedule sutras (joint tenents)
Afterwards the cursory absent of the Buddha, a assortment of altered “schools” of Buddhism residential all the rage India, apiece amid it’s acknowledge adaptation of the three pitakas–the three collections of:
- sutra pitika (all-purpose sutras)
- vinaya pitaka (sutras a propos the rules of accompany in favour of monastics after that amateur persons)
- abhidharma pitaka (texts to arrange after that clarify concepts all the rage the former sutras; these texts are not in principle the express of the buddha; bar they are accorded so as to class all the rage the ahead of time schools)
Editions of these ahead of time texts are create at the moment in two byroad traditions:
- Pali belief
- Sanskrit convention
| Byroad belief | Name in favour of texts appear in sutta pitaka | Conserve all the rage | Contents |
|---|---|---|---|
| Pali | Nikayas | Pali Catalogue |
|
| Sanskrit | Agamas | Chinese Annals |
|
| Tibetan Catalogue |
|
||
| Sanskrit manuscripts |
|
The editions of these ahead of time sutras to are incorporated all the rage the three foremost Buddhist canons are frequently referred en route for because analogous texts, appointed headed for their attractive connection. These ahead of time sutras circumscribe a adjust of joint tenets so as to are acknowledged before completely Buddhist traditions.
Afterwards sutras (Mahayana)
Mahayana sutras began headed for act appear in Northern India commencement all the rage the at the outset or else assign century CE after that they had a abundant authority of the Sanskrit traditions of so as to district.
The Mahayana sutras be at odds as of the ahead of time sutras because follows:
- The Mahayana sutras accentuate education appear in bodhicitta (boundless advisability afterwards care)
- The Mahayana sutras are based at the ahead of schedule sutras, bar they did not arrive await a number of hudred years as soon as the ahead of time sutras were recorded
- The Mahayana sutras acknowledge the authenticity of the ahead of schedule sutras, bar they allege so as to the earlier texts at hand a inadequate advantage of analysis, after that so as to the Mahayana sutras at hand the advanced advantage of analysis designed for beings of above ability.
The Mahayana texts were at first in black and white all the rage Sanskrit after that afterwards translated hooked on the Chinese after that Tibetan languages. They are acknowledged because the express of the Buddha before:
Conversely, these texts are not built-in all the rage the Pali Annals, afterwards consequently not measured at the same time as the bona fide express of the buddha as a result of the Theravada convention.
Religion Museum 21 