Buddhist Books and Texts - Research Article from Encyclopedia of Religion

This encyclopedia article consists of approximately 92 pages of information about Buddhist Books and Texts.

Buddhist Books and Texts - Research Article from Encyclopedia of Religion

This encyclopedia article consists of approximately 92 pages of information about Buddhist Books and Texts.
This section contains 9,578 words
(approx. 32 pages at 300 words per page)
Buy the Buddhist Books and Texts Encyclopedia Article

In the Buddhist tradition the practice and theory of scriptural interpretation faced conflicting sources and concepts of authority, a voluminous canon of relatively late compilation, and a complex history of interpretations that may be described as "hermeneutic pluralism." Furthermore, for some Buddhist traditions an emphasis on dharma (the eternal truths discovered by the Buddha) rather than on buddhavacana (the literal content of his message) reduces the significance of textual and historical constraints as part of a method of interpretation.

According to tradition, the Buddha was not the sole preacher of dharma. Even during the Buddha's life his disciples acted as missionaries, and their words were considered part of the "original" message of Buddhism. The texts affirm that at the Buddha's own behest the disciples began each sermon with the words "Evaṃ mayā śrutam ekasmin samaye" ("Thus have I heard on one occasion"). This formula...

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This section contains 9,578 words
(approx. 32 pages at 300 words per page)
Buy the Buddhist Books and Texts Encyclopedia Article
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Macmillan
Buddhist Books and Texts from Macmillan. Copyright © 2001-2006 by Macmillan Reference USA, an imprint of the Gale Group. All rights reserved.