Avadana
Encyclopedia
Avadāna is the name given to a type of Buddhist literature correlating past lives
' virtuous deeds to subsequent lives' events. While including accounts from the Pali
Vinaya Pitaka
("Basket of Discipline"), this literature also includes a large number of Sanskrit
collections, of which the chief are the Mahāsaṅghika's Mahāvastu
("Great Book"), and the Sarvāstivāda
's Avadanasataka
(Century of Legends) and Divyavadana
(The Heavenly Legend). These latter collections include accounts relating to Buddha Gautama and the third-century BC "righteous ruler," Asoka.
Amongst the most popular avadānas of Northern Hinayāna Buddhism are:
Though of later date than most of the canonical Buddhist books, avadānas are held in veneration by the orthodox, and occupy much the same position with regard to Buddhism that the Puranas
do towards Hinduism
. They act in a similar way to other texts describing past deeds or past lives held in other traditions in the region, such as the aforementioned Puranas, the Dasam Granth
and Janamsakhis
of Sikhism, and the Kalpa Sutra of Jainism.
Rebirth (Buddhism)
Rebirth in Buddhism is the doctrine that the evolving consciousness or stream of consciousness upon death , becomes one of the contributing causes for the arising of a new aggregation...
' virtuous deeds to subsequent lives' events. While including accounts from the Pali
Páli
- External links :* *...
Vinaya Pitaka
Vinaya Pitaka
The ' is a Buddhist scripture, one of the three parts that make up the Tripitaka. Its primary subject matter is the monastic rules for monks and nuns...
("Basket of Discipline"), this literature also includes a large number of Sanskrit
Sanskrit
Sanskrit , is a historical Indo-Aryan language and the primary liturgical language of Hinduism, Jainism and Buddhism.Buddhism: besides Pali, see Buddhist Hybrid Sanskrit Today, it is listed as one of the 22 scheduled languages of India and is an official language of the state of Uttarakhand...
collections, of which the chief are the Mahāsaṅghika's Mahāvastu
Mahavastu
The Mahāvastu is a text of the Lokottaravāda school of Early Buddhism. It describes itself as being a historical preface to the Buddhist monastic codes...
("Great Book"), and the Sarvāstivāda
Sarvastivada
The Sarvāstivāda were an early school of Buddhism that held to 'the existence of all dharmas in the past, present and future, the 'three times'. Vasubandhu's states:-Name:...
's Avadanasataka
Avadanasataka
The Avadānaśataka or "Century of Noble Deeds " is an anthology in Sanskrit of legends, primarily concerning the Buddha and the Maurya emperor Aśoka, written by members of the Sarvāstivāda school of Buddhism.-References:...
(Century of Legends) and Divyavadana
Divyavadana
The Divyāvadāna, or Divine Stories, is an anthology of Buddhist tales, many originating in the Mūlasarvāstivāda vinaya texts. The stories themselves are therefore quite ancient and may be among the first Buddhist texts ever committed to writing, but this particular collection of them is not...
(The Heavenly Legend). These latter collections include accounts relating to Buddha Gautama and the third-century BC "righteous ruler," Asoka.
Amongst the most popular avadānas of Northern Hinayāna Buddhism are:
- the story of Sudhana, preserved in the MahāvastuMahavastuThe Mahāvastu is a text of the Lokottaravāda school of Early Buddhism. It describes itself as being a historical preface to the Buddhist monastic codes...
under the title Kinnarījātaka, amongst others, who falls in love with a kinnarī and saves her life - the Vessantara jātakaVessantara JatakaThe Vessantara Jataka is one of the most popular avadānas of Theravada Buddhism. The Vessantara Jataka tells the story of one of Buddha's past lives, about a compassionate prince, Vessantara, who gives away everything he owns, including his children, thereby displaying the virtue of perfect charity...
, the story of the compassionate prince who gives away everything he owns, including his wife and children, thereby displaying the virtue of perfect charity. - the Suvannasankhajātaka
Though of later date than most of the canonical Buddhist books, avadānas are held in veneration by the orthodox, and occupy much the same position with regard to Buddhism that the Puranas
Puranas
The Puranas are a genre of important Hindu, Jain and Buddhist religious texts, notably consisting of narratives of the history of the universe from creation to destruction, genealogies of kings, heroes, sages, and demigods, and descriptions of Hindu cosmology, philosophy, and geography.Puranas...
do towards Hinduism
Hinduism
Hinduism is the predominant and indigenous religious tradition of the Indian Subcontinent. Hinduism is known to its followers as , amongst many other expressions...
. They act in a similar way to other texts describing past deeds or past lives held in other traditions in the region, such as the aforementioned Puranas, the Dasam Granth
Dasam Granth
Dasven Patshah Da Granth or Dasam Granth , often called Sri Dasam Granth Sahib with respect, is a scripture of Sikhism, containing some of the texts attributed to 10th Sikh Guru, Guru Gobind Singh. Although the Dasam Granth is commonly confused with the Guru Granth Sahib, there is no overlap in...
and Janamsakhis
Janamsakhis
The Janamsakhis , literally birth stories, are writings which profess to be biographies of the first Sikh guru, Guru Nanak. These compositions have been written at various stages after the death of the first guru.-Overview:...
of Sikhism, and the Kalpa Sutra of Jainism.
Sources
- "Avadāna." (2008). In Encyclopædia Britannica. Retrieved August 20, 2008, from Encyclopædia Britannica Online: http://www.britannica.com/EBchecked/topic/45339/Avadana