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...

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Bibliographic Details
Published in:Entangled Religions
Main Author: Chen, Ruixuan 1987- (Author)
Format: Electronic Article
Language:English
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Published: Ruhr-Universität Bochum 2021
In: Entangled Religions
Standardized Subjects / Keyword chains:B Hotan / Mahayana / Buddhist literature / Canon
RelBib 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
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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.
ISSN:2363-6696
Contains:Enthalten in: Entangled Religions
Persistent identifiers:DOI: 10.46586/er.11.2020.8774