Reciting Buddhist Texts: Long Suttas of the Dīghanikāya in Performance
Recital was, and is, an essential part of Buddhist textual transmission. Recently, the role of repetition as a literary feature has been discussed as a key element in the construction and final composition of the texts. This article contributes to the discussion through a literary analysis of the ro...
| Main Author: | |
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| Format: | Electronic Article |
| Language: | English |
| Check availability: | HBZ Gateway |
| Journals Online & Print: | Drawer...
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| Interlibrary Loan: | Interlibrary Loan for the Fachinformationsdienste (Specialized Information Services in Germany) |
| Published: |
2024
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| In: |
Numen
Year: 2024, Volume: 71, Issue: 2/3, Pages: 167-193 |
| Further subjects: | B
Chant
B Recitation B recital B sutta B Performance B paritta B Repetition |
| Online Access: |
Volltext (kostenfrei) Volltext (kostenfrei) |
| Summary: | Recital was, and is, an essential part of Buddhist textual transmission. Recently, the role of repetition as a literary feature has been discussed as a key element in the construction and final composition of the texts. This article contributes to the discussion through a literary analysis of the role of repetition and recital in two suttas of the Dīghanikāya. With examination of two key repeat passages and the way each is presented, it demonstrates that repetition in each sutta discussed forms a key function, crucially dependent on what one might term a literary, or an experiential, effect. The suttas were intended to be heard; long suttas were, and often still are, performative, listened to over sometimes several hours, embedded in rituals designed to highlight their efficacy. This article shows that the recital of key repeat passages within the long suttas is linked to specific and often distinctive literary and meditative effects, particularly adapted for oral performance. It suggests that such passages should not be marginalized but rather seen as central indicators of meaning. |
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| ISSN: | 1568-5276 |
| Contains: | Enthalten in: Numen
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| Persistent identifiers: | DOI: 10.1163/15685276-20240003 |