Lurching Towards a Canon: Mahāyāna Sūtras in Khotanese Garb

Entangled Religions - Interdisciplinary Journal for the Study of Religious Contact and Transfer

卷:11

关键词: authority;    canon;    canonization;    Central Asia;    Mahāyāna Buddhism;    tradent;   

DOI  :  10.46586/er.11.2020.8774

来源: DOAJ

【 摘 要 】

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.

【 授权许可】

Unknown