Rating: 0 out of 5 stars
0 ratings
Ebook250 pages8 hours
Relics of the Buddha
Rating: 4.5 out of 5 stars
4.5/5
()
About this ebook
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
John S. Strong
John S. Strong is Charles A. Dana Professor of Religious Studies at Bates College in Maine, USA. He is the author of four other books on Buddhism.
Read more from John S. Strong
Related to Relics of the Buddha
Related ebooks
Great Disciples of the Buddha: Their Lives, Their Works, Their Legacy Rating: 5 out of 5 stars5/5The Five Aggregates: Understanding Theravada Psychology and Soteriology Rating: 5 out of 5 stars5/5The Holy Land Reborn: Pilgrimage and the Tibetan Reinvention of Buddhist India Rating: 0 out of 5 stars0 ratingsBuddhist Meditation Rating: 4 out of 5 stars4/5Nagarjuna's Treatise on the Ten Bodhisattva Grounds: The Dasabhumika Vibhasa Rating: 0 out of 5 stars0 ratingsYoung Man Shinran: A Reappraisal of Shinran’s Life Rating: 0 out of 5 stars0 ratingsNagarjuna on the Six Perfections Rating: 5 out of 5 stars5/5World Religions in Practice: A Comparative Introduction Rating: 0 out of 5 stars0 ratingsLife of Buddha: According to the Ancient Legends of India Rating: 0 out of 5 stars0 ratingsThe Life of Buddha and Its Lessons Rating: 3 out of 5 stars3/5Buddhist Literature of Ancient Gandhara: An Introduction with Selected Translations Rating: 5 out of 5 stars5/5The Two Truths in Indian Buddhism: Reality, Knowledge, and Freedom Rating: 0 out of 5 stars0 ratingsScience and Philosophy in the Indian Buddhist Classics, Vol. 4: Philosophical Topics Rating: 0 out of 5 stars0 ratingsThe History of Hinduism and Buddhism: All 3 Volumes Rating: 0 out of 5 stars0 ratingsLandscapes of Wonder: Discovering Buddhist Dharma in the World Around Us Rating: 4 out of 5 stars4/5The Ten Grounds Sutra: The Dasabhumika Sūtra Rating: 0 out of 5 stars0 ratingsBodhisattva Doctrine in Buddhism Rating: 0 out of 5 stars0 ratingsWorld of the Buddha: An Introduction to the Buddhist Literature Rating: 3 out of 5 stars3/5Freedom from Extremes: Gorampa's "Distinguishing the Views" and the Polemics of Emptiness Rating: 5 out of 5 stars5/5The Theravada Abhidhamma: Inquiry into the Nature of Conditioned Reality Rating: 5 out of 5 stars5/5Buddhism: A Short History Rating: 4 out of 5 stars4/5Longing for Certainty: Reflections on the Buddhist Life Rating: 0 out of 5 stars0 ratingsPure Land Buddhism - Dialogues With Ancient Masters Rating: 0 out of 5 stars0 ratingsThe Deathbed Sutra of the Buddha: Or Siddhartha's Regrets Rating: 0 out of 5 stars0 ratingsCritical Terms for the Study of Buddhism Rating: 4 out of 5 stars4/5An Amazing Rebirth: A Buddhist’S Approach to Cancer Rating: 0 out of 5 stars0 ratingsA Strand of Dharma Jewels Rating: 5 out of 5 stars5/5Himalayan Passages: Tibetan and Newar Studies in Honor of Hubert Decleer Rating: 0 out of 5 stars0 ratingsThe Wisdom of the East: Buddhist Scriptures Rating: 0 out of 5 stars0 ratingsPractical Ethics and Profound Emptiness: A Commentary on Nagarjuna's Precious Garland Rating: 5 out of 5 stars5/5
Buddhism For You
The Art of Communicating Rating: 4 out of 5 stars4/5Wisdom of the Buddha: The Unabridged Dhammapada Rating: 4 out of 5 stars4/5Buddhism 101: From Karma to the Four Noble Truths, Your Guide to Understanding the Principles of Buddhism Rating: 4 out of 5 stars4/5Think Like a Monk: Train Your Mind for Peace and Purpose Every Day Rating: 4 out of 5 stars4/5Mindful Cognitive Behavioral Therapy: A Simple Path to Healing, Hope, and Peace Rating: 4 out of 5 stars4/5Approaching the Buddhist Path Rating: 5 out of 5 stars5/5Mindfulness in Plain English: 20th Anniversary Edition Rating: 5 out of 5 stars5/5Buddhism for Beginners Rating: 5 out of 5 stars5/5Fear: Essential Wisdom for Getting Through the Storm Rating: 4 out of 5 stars4/5In My Own Way: An Autobiography Rating: 4 out of 5 stars4/5The Tibetan Book of the Dead Rating: 4 out of 5 stars4/5The Art of Living: Peace and Freedom in the Here and Now Rating: 5 out of 5 stars5/5Radical Acceptance Rating: 4 out of 5 stars4/5The Zen Monkey and The Blue Lotus Flower: 27 Stories That Will Teach You The Most Powerful Life Lessons Rating: 0 out of 5 stars0 ratingsWhat the Buddha Taught Rating: 4 out of 5 stars4/5The Occult Anatomy of Man Rating: 5 out of 5 stars5/5God Is Not One: The Eight Rival Religions That Run the World--and Why Their Differences Matter Rating: 4 out of 5 stars4/5The Dhammapada Rating: 4 out of 5 stars4/5Japanese Death Poems: Written by Zen Monks and Haiku Poets on the Verge of Death Rating: 4 out of 5 stars4/5Buddhism For Dummies Rating: 4 out of 5 stars4/5The Zen of Recovery Rating: 5 out of 5 stars5/5Standing at the Edge: Finding Freedom Where Fear and Courage Meet Rating: 4 out of 5 stars4/5Summary of Pema Chödrön's When Things Fall Apart Rating: 0 out of 5 stars0 ratingsIn the Buddha's Words: An Anthology of Discourses from the Pali Canon Rating: 4 out of 5 stars4/537 Practices of a Bodhisattva: The Way of an Awakening Being Rating: 5 out of 5 stars5/5The Lotus Sutra: A Contemporary Translation of a Buddhist Classic Rating: 5 out of 5 stars5/5
Related podcast episodes
The Diamond Sutra 0% found this document usefulEp. 35 – Dilgo Khyentse Rinpoche 0% found this document usefulCanto 1, chapter 16 - How Parīkṣit Received the Age of Kali 0% found this document useful#302: The Words of the Buddha | Bhikkhu Bodhi 0% found this document usefulCanto 2, chapter 5 - The Cause of all Causes 0% found this document usefulCanto 2, chapter 4 - The Process of Creation 0% found this document usefulCanto 1, chapter 19 - The Appearance of Śukadeva Gosvāmī 0% found this document usefulCanto 1, chapter 15 - The Pāṇḍavas Retire 0% found this document usefulCanto 1, chapter 8 - Parīkṣit Saved and Prayers by Queen Kuntī 0% found this document usefulRobin Dunbar, "How Religion Evolved: And Why It Endures" (Oxford UP, 2022): An interview with Robin Dunbar 0% found this document useful
Related articles
Lessons Of The Gandharan Manuscripts Buddhadharma: The Practitioner's QuarterlyUNLIMITED
Lessons Of The Gandharan Manuscripts
Feb 5, 2019
10 min readNalanda: Powerful Then, Powerful Now Buddhadharma: The Practitioner's QuarterlyUNLIMITED
Nalanda: Powerful Then, Powerful Now
Mar 7, 2023
10 min readThe Sutta Pitaka Lion's RoarUNLIMITED
The Sutta Pitaka
Jul 19, 2022
6 min readFor Life’s Big Questions, Tibetan Buddhist Monks And Nuns Try A Scientific Approach STATUNLIMITED
For Life’s Big Questions, Tibetan Buddhist Monks And Nuns Try A Scientific Approach
Jul 26, 2018
A program teaching Buddhist monks about neuroscience and related fields was inspired by a personal relationship between the Dalai Lama and a psychological anthropologist in the U.S.
4 min readThe Sakyadhita Movement Buddhadharma: The Practitioner's QuarterlyUNLIMITED
The Sakyadhita Movement
Aug 13, 2019
9 min readBook Briefs Buddhadharma: The Practitioner's QuarterlyUNLIMITED
Book Briefs
Nov 3, 2020
Human beings have written paeans to everything from shadows to nightingales, but few things inspire more admiration in bodhisattvas than compassion. Yet what exactly does compassion, a word used so liberally today, consist of? In Praise of Great Comp
4 min readBehind “the Global Goenka” Buddhadharma: The Practitioner's QuarterlyUNLIMITED
Behind “the Global Goenka”
Jun 1, 2021
6 min readAn Enlightened Feminist WomankindUNLIMITED
An Enlightened Feminist
Jan 22, 2018
4 min readThe Buddhist Science of Mind Buddhadharma: The Practitioner's QuarterlyUNLIMITED
The Buddhist Science of Mind
Mar 2, 2021
6 min readBook Briefs Buddhadharma: The Practitioner's QuarterlyUNLIMITED
Book Briefs
May 8, 2018
Without tsewa, is there any other source of happiness?” This is the question posed by Dzigar Kongtrul Rinpoche in TRAINING IN TENDERNESS (Shambhala 2018). Always circling back to this Tibetan word meaning love, tenderness, or warmth, Kongtrul pushes
4 min readThrough The Lens Of Madhyamaka Buddhadharma: The Practitioner's QuarterlyUNLIMITED
Through The Lens Of Madhyamaka
Feb 6, 2018
9 min readThe Shifting Landscape of Buddhism in America Buddhadharma: The Practitioner's QuarterlyUNLIMITED
The Shifting Landscape of Buddhism in America
Nov 7, 2017
15 min readThe Hundred Thousand Songs of Milarepa: A New Translation by Christopher Stagg Buddhadharma: The Practitioner's QuarterlyUNLIMITED
The Hundred Thousand Songs of Milarepa: A New Translation by Christopher Stagg
Nov 7, 2017
7 min readEmbodied Practice, Experiential Awareness Buddhadharma: The Practitioner's QuarterlyUNLIMITED
Embodied Practice, Experiential Awareness
Mar 11, 2024
3 min readBhutan's Authorities Ban Film for ‘Misusing’ Religious Masks on Screen Global VoicesUNLIMITED
Bhutan's Authorities Ban Film for ‘Misusing’ Religious Masks on Screen
Jan 19, 2017
3 min readNo Being, No Nonbeing Lion's RoarUNLIMITED
No Being, No Nonbeing
May 18, 2021
The Zen master asked the novice monk: “Tell me about your understanding of the Heart Sutra.” The novice joined his palms and replied: “I have understood that all the five skandhas are empty. There are no eyes, no ears, no nose, no tongue, no body, an
2 min readForum: Understanding Dukkha Buddhadharma: The Practitioner's QuarterlyUNLIMITED
Forum: Understanding Dukkha
Nov 7, 2017
20 min readThe Curious History of Reincarnation Buddhadharma: The Practitioner's QuarterlyUNLIMITED
The Curious History of Reincarnation
May 7, 2019
6 min readThe Uneasy Dialogue between Buddhism and Feminism Buddhadharma: The Practitioner's QuarterlyUNLIMITED
The Uneasy Dialogue between Buddhism and Feminism
Aug 13, 2019
5 min readTrue Practice Is Never Disengaged Buddhadharma: The Practitioner's QuarterlyUNLIMITED
True Practice Is Never Disengaged
Feb 11, 2020
NOWADAYS I WAKE UP even earlier than usual to check the news. It’s an obsession but it feels like a duty; I’m a sentry in a war zone, scanning the horizon for smoke and fire. Threats multiply every day. Environmentally, socially, politically, and tec
2 min readAsk The Teachers Buddhadharma: The Practitioner's QuarterlyUNLIMITED
Ask The Teachers
May 8, 2018
CHAGDUD KHADRO: According to the teachings I have heard and the realized masters I have observed, emotions such as grief and sorrow—as well as disappointment, frustration, and fear—do arise. But such masters liberate emotions by recognizing their eph
4 min readAsk The Teachers Buddhadharma: The Practitioner's QuarterlyUNLIMITED
Ask The Teachers
Feb 11, 2020
BHANTE SUJATO: In 2014 I coauthored, with Bhikkhu Brahmali, a book called The Authenticity of the Early Buddhist Texts. The “early Buddhist texts” are essentially the main parts of the Pali suttas and vinaya, as well as the cognate texts in Chinese a
5 min readThe Deep River of Dharma Buddhadharma: The Practitioner's QuarterlyUNLIMITED
The Deep River of Dharma
Nov 7, 2017
Buddhism is like a great river. It is, as an old blues song says, “long, deep, and wide.” The river of dharma has been flowing for a long time: 2,600 years from one point of view, forever from another. Those of us who care about Buddhism’s future in
2 min readYou Can Take Refuge Right Here Buddhadharma: The Practitioner's QuarterlyUNLIMITED
You Can Take Refuge Right Here
Sep 14, 2021
12 min readWe Must Act As One To Preserve Our World Time Magazine International EditionUNLIMITED
We Must Act As One To Preserve Our World
Jul 10, 2020
2 min readThe Vipassana Revolution Lion's RoarUNLIMITED
The Vipassana Revolution
Jul 20, 2021
6 min readAncient Chinese alchemy All About HistoryUNLIMITED
Ancient Chinese alchemy
Feb 28, 2020
3 min readAlchemy from India All About HistoryUNLIMITED
Alchemy from India
Feb 28, 2020
3 min readSelf-empowerment Through Sacred Sites GoodUNLIMITED
Self-empowerment Through Sacred Sites
Aug 25, 2021
6 min readThe Making Of A Mummy You South AfricaUNLIMITED
The Making Of A Mummy
May 28, 2021
3 min read
Related categories
Reviews for Relics of the Buddha
Rating: 4.416666666666667 out of 5 stars
4.5/5
6 ratings0 reviews
Book preview
Relics of the Buddha - John S. Strong
Enjoying the preview?
Page 1 of 1