Book contents
- Frontmatter
- Preface
- Postscript on the common error in regard to the comparative prevalence of Buddhism in the world
- Contents
- List of Illustrations
- Rules for Pronunciation
- Pronunciation of Buddha, etc. Addenda and Corrigenda
- LECTURE I INTRODUCTORY OBSERVATIONS
- LECTURE II THE BUDDHA AS A PERSONAL TEACHER
- LECTURE III THE DHARMA OR LAW AND SCRIPTURES OF BUDDHISM
- LECTURE IV THE SAṄGHA OR BUDDHIST ORDER OF MONKS
- LECTURE V THE PHILOSOPHICAL DOCTRINES OF BUDDHISM
- LECTURE VI THE MORALITY OF BUDDHISM AND ITS CHIEF AIM—ARHATSHIP OR NIRVĀṆA
- LECTURE VII CHANGES IN BUDDHISM AND ITS DISAPPEARANCE FROM INDIA
- LECTURE VIII RISE OF THEISTIC AND POLYTHEISTIC BUDDHISM
- LECTURE IX THEISTIC AND POLYTHEISTIC BUDDHISM
- LECTURE X MYSTRICAL BUDDHISM IN ITS CONNEXION WITH THE YOGA PHILOSOPHY
- LECTURE XI HIERARCHICAL BUDDHISM, ESPECIALLY AS DEVELOPED IN TIRET AND MONGOLIA
- LECTURE XII CEREMONIAL AND RITUALISTIC BUDDHISM
- LECTURE XIII FESTIVALS, DOMESTIC RITES, AND FORMULARIES OF PRAYERS
- LECTURE XIV SACRED PLACES
- LECTURE XV MONASTERIES AND TEMPLES
- LECTURE XVI IMAGES AND IDOLS
- LECTURE XVII SACRED OBJECTS
- SUPPLEMENTARY REMARKS ON THE CONNEXION OF BUDDHISM WITH JAINISM
- LECTURE XVIII BUDDHISM CONTRASTED WITH CHRISTIANITY
- OBSERVE
- Plate section
LECTURE XVII - SACRED OBJECTS
Published online by Cambridge University Press: 29 August 2010
- Frontmatter
- Preface
- Postscript on the common error in regard to the comparative prevalence of Buddhism in the world
- Contents
- List of Illustrations
- Rules for Pronunciation
- Pronunciation of Buddha, etc. Addenda and Corrigenda
- LECTURE I INTRODUCTORY OBSERVATIONS
- LECTURE II THE BUDDHA AS A PERSONAL TEACHER
- LECTURE III THE DHARMA OR LAW AND SCRIPTURES OF BUDDHISM
- LECTURE IV THE SAṄGHA OR BUDDHIST ORDER OF MONKS
- LECTURE V THE PHILOSOPHICAL DOCTRINES OF BUDDHISM
- LECTURE VI THE MORALITY OF BUDDHISM AND ITS CHIEF AIM—ARHATSHIP OR NIRVĀṆA
- LECTURE VII CHANGES IN BUDDHISM AND ITS DISAPPEARANCE FROM INDIA
- LECTURE VIII RISE OF THEISTIC AND POLYTHEISTIC BUDDHISM
- LECTURE IX THEISTIC AND POLYTHEISTIC BUDDHISM
- LECTURE X MYSTRICAL BUDDHISM IN ITS CONNEXION WITH THE YOGA PHILOSOPHY
- LECTURE XI HIERARCHICAL BUDDHISM, ESPECIALLY AS DEVELOPED IN TIRET AND MONGOLIA
- LECTURE XII CEREMONIAL AND RITUALISTIC BUDDHISM
- LECTURE XIII FESTIVALS, DOMESTIC RITES, AND FORMULARIES OF PRAYERS
- LECTURE XIV SACRED PLACES
- LECTURE XV MONASTERIES AND TEMPLES
- LECTURE XVI IMAGES AND IDOLS
- LECTURE XVII SACRED OBJECTS
- SUPPLEMENTARY REMARKS ON THE CONNEXION OF BUDDHISM WITH JAINISM
- LECTURE XVIII BUDDHISM CONTRASTED WITH CHRISTIANITY
- OBSERVE
- Plate section
Summary
Next to the subject of images and idols comes that of certain sacred objects which Buddhists of all Schools—whether adherents of the Hīna-yāna or Mahā-yāna systems—hold in veneration; for example, relics, relicreceptacles or Stūpas, foot-prints, trees, utensils, bells, symbols, and animals.
The narratives of the Chinese travellers, frequently mentioned before, teem with descriptions of such objects. Take, for instance, Fā-hien's account of the district of Nagāra, near Peshawar in Northern India (Legge, 34—40), in which several sacred objects are stated to exist—such as a fragment of Buddha's skull, one of his teeth, portions of his hair and nails, his almsbowl, his staff (contained in a wooden tube, so heavy that even a thousand men could not lift it), his robe, and the impression of his shadow. This was at the beginning of the fifth century of our era.
Fā-hien's statements are confirmed by Sung-Yun, the next Chinese traveller mentioned before (p. 161 of this volume), who started on his journey rather more than a century after Fā-hien.
We then visited the Ki-Ka-lam temple near Nagāra. This contains the yellow robe (Kashāya) of Buddha in thirteen pieces. Here also is the staff of Buddha, in a wooden case covered with gold-leaf. The weight of this staff is sometimes so heavy that a hundred men cannot raise it, and at other times it is so light that one man can lift it. […]
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- BuddhismIn its Connexion with Brahmanism and Hinduism and in its Contrast with Christianity, pp. 493 - 528Publisher: Cambridge University PressPrint publication year: 2010First published in: 1889