Toward a History of Theravada Cosmological Literature
In European-language research on Theravada Buddhism, it is sometimes noted with regret that, so far, there are few systematic studies or histories of Theravada cosmology. In addition, the accounts of Theravada cosmology that exist are largely based on only a selective reading of the tradition's...
| Main Author: | |
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| Format: | Electronic Article |
| Language: | English |
| Check availability: | HBZ Gateway |
| Journals Online & Print: | Drawer...
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| Fernleihe: | Fernleihe für die Fachinformationsdienste |
| Published: |
University of Chicago Press
2024
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| In: |
History of religions
Year: 2024, Volume: 63, Issue: 4, Pages: 327-348 |
| Online Access: |
Volltext (lizenzpflichtig) |
| Summary: | In European-language research on Theravada Buddhism, it is sometimes noted with regret that, so far, there are few systematic studies or histories of Theravada cosmology. In addition, the accounts of Theravada cosmology that exist are largely based on only a selective reading of the tradition's earliest literature. This is particularly remarkable since monastic intellectuals in Sri Lanka and Southeast Asia have produced a considerable body of traditional cosmological thought over the last two thousand years. This article offers some suggestions and observations about how we might begin to historicize this literature about the loka. The first part assesses previous approaches to traditional cosmology and explores why it has been so neglected. The second part presents a historical outline of Theravada writings about the loka beginning with the Pāli canon and its commentaries. Finally, the article explores the development of an influential but neglected cosmological model in the Theravada tradition. |
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| ISSN: | 1545-6935 |
| Contains: | Enthalten in: History of religions
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| Persistent identifiers: | DOI: 10.1086/729672 |