Relics of the Buddha

by Strong, John S.

• ISBN13: 9780691117645
• ISBN10: 0691117640
• Format: Hardcover
• Copyright: 2004-07-26
• Publisher: Princeton Univ Pr

Summary

Buddhism is popularly seen as a religion stressing the truth of impermanence. How, then, to account for the long-standing veneration, in Asian Buddhist communities, of bone fragments, hair, teeth, and other bodily bits said to come from the historic Buddha? Early European and American scholars of religion, influenced by a characteristic Protestant bias against relic worship, declared such practices to be superstitious and fraudulent, and far from the true essence of Buddhism. John Strong's book, by contrast, argues that relic veneration has played a serious and integral role in Buddhist traditions in South and Southeast Asia-and that it is in no way foreign to Buddhism. The book is structured around the life story of the Buddha, starting with traditions about relics of previous buddhas and relics from the past lives of the Buddha Sakyamuni. It then considers the death of the Buddha, the collection of his bodily relics after his cremation, and stories of their spread to different parts of Asia. The book ends with a consideration of the legend of the future parinirvana (extinction) of the relics prior to the advent of the next Buddha, Maitreya. Throughout, the author does not hesitate to explore the many versions of these legends and to relate them to their ritual, doctrinal, artistic, and social contexts.

Author Biography

John S. Strong is Professor of Religion and Chair of the Religion and Philosophy Department at Bates College.

Table of Contents

List of Tables	xi
Preface	xiii
Note and Abbreviations	xix
INTRODUCTION: Relics of the Buddha	1	(24)
Relics and the Biographical Process	5	(3)
Types of Buddha Relics	8	(4)
BONES AND BOOKS	8	(2)
BONES AND BEADS	10	(2)
Relics, Bones, and Burial Practices in India and Beyond	12	(6)
BONES AND BODIES	16	(2)
Relics and Images	18	(2)
Limitations of This Study	20	(2)
Outline	22	(3)
CHAPTER ONE: Relics of Previous Buddhas	25	(25)
Sakyamuni and His Predecessors	25	(5)
Past Buddhas, Relics, and Soteriology	30	(2)
The Case of Kasyapa and His Stupa	32	(12)
TWO BUDDHAS AT ONCE	36	(3)
RELICS AND THE SPREAD OF THE TRADITION	39	(5)
Relics Dispersed and Not Dispersed	44	(4)
RELICS AND COMPASSION	47	(1)
Conclusion	48	(2)
CHAPTER TWO: Relics of the Bodhisattva	50	(21)
Relics and the Jatakas	51	(9)
JATAKA STUPAS IN NORTH INDIA	52	(3)
SUMEDHA'S HAIR	55	(1)
THE BODHISATTVA'S BONES	56	(4)
Bodhisattva Relics in the Final Birth as Gautama	60	(9)
THE EMBRYO IN THE RELIC OR THE RELIC AS EMBRYO	63	(2)
THE RELIC OF THE BODHISATTVA'S HAIRKNOT	65	(3)
RELICS AND THE CERTAINTY OF BUDDHAHOOD	68	(1)
Conclusion	69	(2)
CHAPTER THREE: Relics of the Still-Living Buddha: Hairs and Footprints	71	(27)
Hair and Nail Relics	72	(13)
TRAPUSA AND BHALLIKA	73	(3)
THE HAIR RELICS AT THE SHWE DAGON PAGODA	76	(4)
SRI LANKAN TRADITIONS	80	(2)
THE CHRONICLE OF THE SIX HAIR RELICS	82	(3)
Footprints	85	(9)
THE SACCABANDHA AND NAMMADA FOOTPRINTS	90	(2)
THE FOOTPRINT ON ADAM'S PEAK	92	(2)
Conclusion	94	(4)
CHAPTER FOUR: The Parinirvana of the Buddha	98	(26)
The Duties to the Corpse	99	(1)
The Funeral of a Cakravartin	100	(1)
The Corpse's Clothing	101	(5)
The Iron Coffin	106	(4)
The Veneration of the Buddha's Body	110	(5)
Cremation	115	(1)
Collection, Dispute, and Distribution: The "War of the Relics"	116	(5)
The Construction of the Stupas	121	(1)
Conclusion	122	(2)
CHAPTER FIVE: Anoka and the Buddha Relics	124	(26)
The Collection of the Relics	125	(11)
THE RELICS AT RAMAGRAMA	126	(1)
THE UNDERGROUND CHAMBER OF MAHAKASYAPA AND AJATASATRU	127	(5)
RELIC SECURITY AND THE ROMAN ROBOTS	132	(4)
The Construction of the 84,000 Stupas	136	(8)
THE RUPAKAYA AND THE DHARMAKAYA	138	(1)
THE "UNVEILING OF THE WORLD" AND THE DESCENT FROM TRAYASTRIMSA HEAVEN	139	(2)
THE DIVINE EYE AND THE BUDDHA'S SMILE	141	(1)
FROM CENTRIFUGALITY TO CENTRIPETALITY: THE POWER OF COMPASSION	142	(2)
The Festival of the Relics	144	(4)
ASOKA'S AUTOCREMATION	147	(1)
Conclusion	148	(2)
CHAPTER SIX: Predestined Relics: The Extension of the Buddha's Life Story in Some Sri Lankan Traditions	150	(29)
The Transplanting of the Bodhi Tree and the Multiplication of Relics	152	(5)
The Collarbone Relic and Its Enshrinement in the Thuparama	157	(3)
Dutthagamani, the Ramagrama Relics, and the Mahathupa	160	(15)
THE BUILDING OF THE STUPA	161	(3)
THE MAKING OF THE RELIC CHAMBER	164	(2)
THE ACQUISITION AND ENSHRINING OF THE RELICS	166	(5)
THE DEATH OF DUTTHAGAMANI AND BURIAL AD SANCTOS	171	(4)
Conclusion	175	(4)
CHAPTER SEVEN: Further Extensions of the Buddha's Life Story: Some Tooth Relic Traditions	179	(32)
The Kashmiri Tooth: Relics and Elephants	182	(3)
The Eyeteeth of the Buddha	185	(5)
DAOXUAN'S TOOTH	187	(3)
The Kalingan/Sri Lankan Tooth	190	(15)
RELICS AND RULE	196	(3)
PUJA AND PERAHERA: GOD, KING, AND MONK	199	(4)
PERSONAL PIETY	203	(2)
The Tours of the Chinese Tooth	205	(5)
Conclusion	210	(1)
CHAPTER EIGHT: Relics and Eschatology	211	(18)
The Buddha's Bowl: A Recycled Relic	211	(5)
The Buddha's Robe	216	(10)
MAHAKASYAPA AND THE BUDDHA'S ROBE	218	(3)
THE DECLINE OF THE DHARMA AND THE PARINIRVANA OF THE RELICS	221	(5)
Conclusion	226	(3)
CONCLUSIONS	229	(12)
Relics and the Biographical Process	229	(1)
Relics and Buddhology	230	(1)
Relics and the Spread of Buddhism	231	(1)
The Episodic Nature of Buddha-relics	232	(2)
Relics and the Demands of Dar.an	234	(1)
Relics and the Post-liminal State	235	(1)
Relics and Polity	235	(1)
Strategies of Legitimation	236	(2)
Relics as Performative Objects	238	(1)
The Dialectic of Continuity and Discontinuity	239	(2)
Bibliography	241	(38)
Index	279