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The Buddhist Literature of Ancient Gandhara: An Introduction with Selected Translations
Discover the fascinating history of a long-hidden Buddhist culture at a historic crossroads.
In the years following Alexander the Great’s conquest of the East, a series of empires rose up along the Silk Road. In what is now northern Pakistan, the civilizations in the region called Gandhara became increasingly important centers for the development of Buddhism, reaching their apex under King Kaniska of the Kusanas in the second century CE. Gandhara has long been known for its Greek-Indian synthesis in architecture and statuary, but until about twenty years ago, almost nothing was known about its literature. The insights provided by manuscripts unearthed over the last few decades show that Gandhara was indeed a vital link in the early development of Buddhism, instrumental in both the transmission of Buddhism to China and the rise of the Mahayana tradition. The Buddhist Literature of Ancient Gandhara surveys what we know about Gandhara and its Buddhism, and it also provides translations of a dozen different short texts, from similes and stories to treatises on time and reality.
In the years following Alexander the Great’s conquest of the East, a series of empires rose up along the Silk Road. In what is now northern Pakistan, the civilizations in the region called Gandhara became increasingly important centers for the development of Buddhism, reaching their apex under King Kaniska of the Kusanas in the second century CE. Gandhara has long been known for its Greek-Indian synthesis in architecture and statuary, but until about twenty years ago, almost nothing was known about its literature. The insights provided by manuscripts unearthed over the last few decades show that Gandhara was indeed a vital link in the early development of Buddhism, instrumental in both the transmission of Buddhism to China and the rise of the Mahayana tradition. The Buddhist Literature of Ancient Gandhara surveys what we know about Gandhara and its Buddhism, and it also provides translations of a dozen different short texts, from similes and stories to treatises on time and reality.
488 pages, Paperback
Published April 17, 2018
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Displaying 1 - 2 of 2 reviews
July 25, 2021
Really superb. Finally a book length treatment of the fascinating puzzle that is Gandharan Buddhism. I really think any Buddhist interested in history or how texts and canons function and morph will really appreciate this.
June 26, 2021
What I was looking for was reliable translations of Sutras from the erstwhile Buddhist tradition in Gandhara. However, this book is more of an archaeological report on these recent findings, interspersed with some translations. Nonetheless, I have this book to thank for introducing me to the beautiful poem that is the Rhinoceros Sutra, which seeks to both justify and encourage ascetic solitude:
One keeping company nurtures affection,
and from affection suffering arises.
Realizing the danger arising from affection,
wander alone like the rhinoceros.
In doing so, it equates solitude with freedom, reminding me of a Schopenhauer quote which makes quite the same assertion (given Schopenhauer's acquaintance with Buddhism, he may have read this poem):
Just as a deer, wandering free in the forest,
goes wherever he wishes as he grazes,
so a wise man, treasuring his freedom,
wanders alone like the rhinoceros.
They like you and they help you for a motive.
It’s hard to find a true friend nowadays.
Don’t fix your mind on this house or on that one;
wander alone like the rhinoceros.
However, the true justification for asceticism or withdrawal is always the acquisition of some knowledge of that from which we withdraw. This cannot be acquired as long as we continue to stay in the world, whether we are of it or not. This is suggested in another Sutra:
As he lives full of disenchantment with regard to form, he comes to completely understand form. As he [lives full of ] disenchantment with regard to sensation, perception, volitional formations, [and] consciousness, he comes to completely understand [sensation, perception, volitional formations, and] consciousness.
One must remember that these Gandharan scriptures are written around 300-600 years after the Buddha. This makes me skeptical of statements like -
nirvāṇa is a metaphor for right views
which is stated in the Parable of the Log. While I'm still confused about what nirvana is, and I don't believe in the traditional Buddhist beliefs on the subject (they seem to replace one kind of desire with another and do not quite answer annihiliationism), this seems to be going too far in making the Buddha's discourses completely symbolic in meaning.
One keeping company nurtures affection,
and from affection suffering arises.
Realizing the danger arising from affection,
wander alone like the rhinoceros.
In doing so, it equates solitude with freedom, reminding me of a Schopenhauer quote which makes quite the same assertion (given Schopenhauer's acquaintance with Buddhism, he may have read this poem):
Just as a deer, wandering free in the forest,
goes wherever he wishes as he grazes,
so a wise man, treasuring his freedom,
wanders alone like the rhinoceros.
They like you and they help you for a motive.
It’s hard to find a true friend nowadays.
Don’t fix your mind on this house or on that one;
wander alone like the rhinoceros.
However, the true justification for asceticism or withdrawal is always the acquisition of some knowledge of that from which we withdraw. This cannot be acquired as long as we continue to stay in the world, whether we are of it or not. This is suggested in another Sutra:
As he lives full of disenchantment with regard to form, he comes to completely understand form. As he [lives full of ] disenchantment with regard to sensation, perception, volitional formations, [and] consciousness, he comes to completely understand [sensation, perception, volitional formations, and] consciousness.
One must remember that these Gandharan scriptures are written around 300-600 years after the Buddha. This makes me skeptical of statements like -
nirvāṇa is a metaphor for right views
which is stated in the Parable of the Log. While I'm still confused about what nirvana is, and I don't believe in the traditional Buddhist beliefs on the subject (they seem to replace one kind of desire with another and do not quite answer annihiliationism), this seems to be going too far in making the Buddha's discourses completely symbolic in meaning.
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