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An Introduction to
the Sutras and Dharma Instruments
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A.
Formation of the Buddhist Sutras
Does anybody know what a “sutra” is or how the Dharma was transmitted
from generation to generation? Do you know how many kinds of Dharma instruments
are there in Buddhism and what are they? Now, we will take you on a journey
to the world of Buddhism, where you can learn about the development of
the Buddhist sutras as well as the functions of the most often used Dharma
instruments.
More than 2,500 years ago, the founder of Buddhism, Sakyamuni Buddha,
taught the Dharma for forty-nine years. However, none of his words were
recorded in writing at that time. Then, how were his teachings collected
and compiled into written “sutras” that are available to us today? Let
us return to the time of the Buddha for some answers!
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When
the Buddha teaches the Dharma, his disciples listen attentively./
Frontispiece of the Qisha Tripitaka/
Shaanxi Provincial Library Collection, Shaanxi
Province, China
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(1)Oral
Tradition
After the Parinirvana of the Buddha,
all the disciples were very sad except for Subhadda who said, “Now that
the Buddha has passed away, we are free to do whatever we want, for we
no longer need to follow his rules and disciplines!”
When the Honorable Mahakasyapa heard Subhadda's comment, he was troubled
by it and decided to convene a council to collect and compile all of the
Buddha's teachings, so they could be properly understood and transmitted
from generation to generation.
Five hundred arhats (enlightened monks) were chosen by Mahakasyapa
for the first Buddhist council in the Cave of the Seven Leaves (Saptaparna
Guha) at the foot of Mount Vibhara, near Rajagrha in Bihar, India. The
Honorable Upali, who was renowned for his knowledge of the Vinaya, recited
the regulations, while the Honorable Ananda, who was known for his excellent
memory, recited all the Buddha's discourses.
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Mahakasyapa and Ananda
who frequently attended to the Buddha and were by his side/
Cave No. 45, Mogao Caves, Dunhuang/
Gansu Province, China |
“Thus Have I Heard” are words that
begin every Buddhist sutra to show that the discourse was indeed spoken
by the Buddha himself. |
In order to
prove that his recitations were indeed the words of the Buddha as he had
heard them, the Honorable Ananda began each of his accounts of the Buddha's
discourses with the words “Thus have I heard.” Hence, the phrase at the
beginning of all the Buddhist sutras signifies the teachings were uttered
by the Buddha himself. This first assembly of the 500 arhats has come
to be known as the “First Buddhist Council” in the history of Buddhism.
Although the Buddha's teachings had been collected and compiled during
the First Buddhist Council, they were transmitted orally from place to
place, generation to generation. However, as the Dharma spread through
time and by means of local dialects, there arose different interpretations
of the Buddha's teachings, which led to the subsequent convocations of
the second, third, and fourth Buddhist councils. Still, there were no
written records of the Buddha's words.
As different languages were being used to orally transmit the teachings
to different regions, misunderstandings and differences of opinions were
common occurrences. In order to remedy this situation, the need to put
the Dharma in writing became apparent. However, it was not until 400 years
after the Buddha's Parinirvana when Buddhist sutras were finally recorded
in writing.
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The
Place of the Third Buddhist Council/Pataliputra, India |
After the Parinirvana of the Buddha,
the disciples were so sad that some of them even fell to the ground
as they shed tears of sorrow./
The Parinirvana of the Buddha/
Taxila Archeological Museum Collection, Pakistan
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