The Mahaparinirvana-mahasutra and the emergence of Tathagatagarbha doctrine
By: Michael Radich
Series: Hamburg Buddhist studies -- 5
Publisher: Hamburg University Press, Publishing house of the Hamburg State and University Library Carl von Ossietzky
Published: 2015
Place of publication: Hamburg
Language: eng
Number of pages: 266
ISBN-13: 9783943423204
Subjects: Criticism, interpretation; Tathāgatagarbha (Buddhism); Buddhism; Doctrines; Tripiṭaka
Description: "Famously, tathāgatagarbha doctrine holds that every sentient being has within the body a womb for Buddhas, or an embryonic Buddha--the potential for full buddhahood. Previous scholars have seen this doctrine as originating in the Tathāgatagarbha-sūtra. In this book, Michael Radich argues that rather, the Mahāparinirvāṇa-mahāsūtra is most likely our earliest extant tathāgatagarbha text. Radich then argues that tathāgatagarbha ideas originated as part of a wider pattern of docetic Buddhology--ideas holding that Buddhists are not really as they appear. Buddhist docetic texts are clearly troubled by the notion that Buddhas could have flesh-and-blood human mothers. The Mahāparinirvāṇa-mahāsūtra is one such text, and tathāgatagarbha functions as a better substitute for imperfect human maternity: rather than a putrid, painful human womb, buddhahood springs from a "womb" inherent in every sentient being, which promises final liberation from flesh altogether. This book should interest readers concerned with the history of Buddhist ideas, gender in Buddhism, the early Mahāyāna, the cult of the Buddha's relics, and relations between Buddhist ideas and practice"--
Notes: Includes bibliographical references and index.
Table of contents: title: Is the Mahāparinirvāṇa-mahāsūtra "our earliest" tathāgatagarbha text?. MPNMS-tg as a "tathāgatagarbha text" ; The date of MPNMS-tg, relative to other tathāgatagarbha texts ; Evidence for the absolute dates of MPNMS-tg and other tathāgatagarbha scriptures; title: The Mahāparinirvāṇa-mahāsūtra and the origins of tathāgatagarbha doctrine. Tathāgatagarbha, the problem of maternity, and positive corollaries to docetic Buddhology ; Garbha and dhātu ; Conclusions; title: Appendix 1 : Terms related to "tathāgatagarbha" in MPNMS; title: Appendix 2 : Chinese zang (esp. in DhKṣ) and "secret teachings"; title: Appendix 3 : Further apparent historical detail in the MPNMS group prophect complex; title: Appendix 4 : "MPNMS-dhk" and "MPNMS-tg"; title: Appendix 5 : "Kataphatic gnostic docetism".