Lurching towards a canon: Mahāyāna Sūtras in Khotanese garb
The concept of canon centers around authority. Assertions about canonicity both reflect and reshape the structure and the source of authority. In a Buddhist context, processes of canonization are highly fluid and complex, shedding light on the socio-religious landscapes of different Buddhist culture...
Main Author: | |
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Format: | Electronic Article |
Language: | English |
Check availability: | HBZ Gateway |
Journals Online & Print: | |
WorldCat: | WorldCat |
Interlibrary Loan: | Interlibrary Loan for the Fachinformationsdienste (Specialized Information Services in Germany) |
Published: |
2021
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In: |
Entangled Religions
Year: 2020, Volume: 11, Issue: 6 |
Standardized Subjects / Keyword chains: | B
Hotan
/ Mahayana
/ Buddhist literature
/ Canon
|
IxTheo Classification: | AB Philosophy of religion; criticism of religion; atheism KBM Asia |
Further subjects: | B
Canon
B Authority B Mahāyāna Buddhism B Canonization B tradent B Central Asia |
Online Access: |
Volltext (kostenfrei) Volltext (kostenfrei) |
Summary: | The concept of canon centers around authority. Assertions about canonicity both reflect and reshape the structure and the source of authority. In a Buddhist context, processes of canonization are highly fluid and complex, shedding light on the socio-religious landscapes of different Buddhist cultures. The present essay explores the complexities of canonization by focusing on a specific Buddhist culture on the ancient Silk Routes, where Mahāyāna sūtras, a collection of Buddhist literature of disputed authenticity in India, were accepted as scriptural and canonized in a remarkable manner. Through the lens of an indigenous Buddhist poem, the author argues that the reception and canonization of Mahāyāna sūtras give illuminating clues about a pivotal transition in the history of this Buddhist kingdom named Khotan, where both the removal and the bestowal of authority took place. |
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ISSN: | 2363-6696 |
Contains: | Enthalten in: Entangled Religions
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Persistent identifiers: | DOI: 10.46586/er.11.2020.8774 |