Spirituality/Medicine Interface Project
Eye on Religion: Miracles in the Chinese Buddhist Tradition
Abstract
Books on Buddhism for general readers rarely mention miracles. Instead, the emphasis is usually on the life of the Buddha, his teachings, and the monastic order, the so-called “Three Treasures.” This is a heritage left by the European scholars who first became interested in Buddhism in the 19th century. Take the example of T.W. Rhys Davids, who founded the Pali Text Society in 1886 in England, and his wife Caroline A.F. Rhys Davids, who was its president. Steeped in Enlightenment values, they favored the Theravada Buddhist tradition, which has been practiced in Sri Lanka and southeast Asia, and its canonical language is Pali. They presented Buddhism as primarily a rational and ethical teaching, sharing similarities with Protestant Christianity. In contrast, they gave short shrift to the Mahayana Buddhist tradition of Tibet and East Asia because of its emphasis on the buddhas and bodhisattvas, who act as saviors for the faithful. They put more emphasis on Buddhist ethics than its rich mythology.This content is limited to qualifying members.
Existing members, please login first
If you have an existing account please login now to access this article or view purchase options.
Purchase only this article ($25)
Create a free account, then purchase this article to download or access it online for 24 hours.
Purchase an SMJ online subscription ($75)
Create a free account, then purchase a subscription to get complete access to all articles for a full year.
Purchase a membership plan (fees vary)
Premium members can access all articles plus recieve many more benefits. View all membership plans and benefit packages.
References
1. Original Buddhist Sources: A Reader. Edited by Carl Olson, Rutgers University Press, 2005, p 27, p 33. The translation was based on the Buddhacarita (Acts of the Buddha), attributed to Aśvaghoşa, a poet who lived in the first century C.E.
2. Robinson RH, Johnson WL. The Buddhist Religion: A Historical Introduction. 4th edition. Wadsworth, 1997, p 45.
3. Yü C-f. Kuan-yin: The Chinese Transformation of Avalokiteśvara. New York, Columbia University Press, 2001, p 172.
4. Henderson JB. Development and Decline of Chinese Cosmology. New York, Columbia University Press, 1984, p 72.
