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Liljenberg, Karen and Pagel, Ulrich, trans. (2017) Tōhoku 83 : Bhadrapālaśreṣṭhiparipṛcchāsūtra : The Questions of Bhadrapāla the Merchant = ཚོང་དཔོན་བཟང་སྐྱོང་གིས་ཞུས་པ།. 84000 Translating the Word of the Buddha . New York: 84000: Translating the Words of the Buddha. pp. 1-35.

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Abstract

In The Sūtra of the Master Craftsman Bhadrapāla's Questions, the Buddha’s principal interlocutor is a wealthy merchant who asks him to explain what consciousness is, and what happens to it when one dies and is reborn. In its characterization of consciousness, the discourse relies heavily on the use of analogies drawn from observation of nature. The sūtra also reflects beliefs drawn from the common cultural background of ancient India, such as, for example, in spirit possession. In addition, it presents graphic and vividly contrasting descriptions of rebirth in the realms of the gods for those who have lived meritorious lives and, for those who lack merit, in the realms of hell.

Item Type: Translations
Additional Information: 84000 is a non-profit global initiative to translate the words of the Buddha and make them available to everyone. The project's primary focus will be the translation of Tibetan texts included in the Kangyur and Tengyur. 84000's main efforts will be directed to the commissioning of translations of these texts, particularly those that have not yet been translated. In the initial phase of the project, the emphasis will be on translation into English. Other modern languages will be included as soon as possible.
Keywords: Buddhist Literature, Mahāyāna Sūtras, Sanskrit Literature, Tibetan Studies
SOAS Departments & Centres: Legacy Departments > Faculty of Arts and Humanities > Department of the Study of Religions
Legacy Departments > Faculty of Arts and Humanities > Department of the Study of Religions > Centre of Buddhist Studies
Subjects: B Philosophy. Psychology. Religion > BQ Buddhism
P Language and Literature > P Philology. Linguistics
P Language and Literature > PL Languages and literatures of Eastern Asia, Africa, Oceania
Copyright Statement: This work is provided under the protection of a Creative Commons CC BY-NC-ND (Attribution - Noncommercial - No-derivatives) 3.0 copyright. It may be copied or printed for fair use, but only with full attribution, and not for commercial advantage or personal compensation.
Date Deposited: 15 Nov 2016 18:53
URI: https://eprints.soas.ac.uk/id/eprint/23141

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