Relics of the Buddha

John Strong

Princeton University Press, Aug 15, 2004 - Philosophy - 290 pages

Buddhism is popularly seen as a religion stressing the truth of impermanence. How, then, to account for the long-standing veneration, in Asian Buddhist communities, of bone fragments, hair, teeth, and other bodily bits said to come from the historic Buddha?


Early European and American scholars of religion, influenced by a characteristic Protestant bias against relic worship, declared such practices to be superstitious and fraudulent, and far from the true essence of Buddhism.


John Strong's book, by contrast, argues that relic veneration has played a serious and integral role in Buddhist traditions in South and Southeast Asia-and that it is in no way foreign to Buddhism.


The book is structured around the life story of the Buddha, starting with traditions about relics of previous buddhas and relics from the past lives of the Buddha Sakyamuni. It then considers the death of the Buddha, the collection of his bodily relics after his cremation, and stories of their spread to different parts of Asia.


The book ends with a consideration of the legend of the future parinirvana (extinction) of the relics prior to the advent of the next Buddha, Maitreya. Throughout, the author does not hesitate to explore the many versions of these legends and to relate them to their ritual, doctrinal, artistic, and social contexts.

Contents

• XI: 23
• XII: 28
• XIII: 30
• XIV: 42
• XV: 46
• XVI: 48
• XVII: 49
• XVIII: 58
• XIX: 67
• XX: 69
• XXII: 70
• XXIII: 83
• XXIV: 92
• XXV: 96
• XXVI: 97
• XXVII: 98
• XXVIII: 99
• XXIX: 104
• XXX: 108
• XXXI: 113
• XXXII: 114
• XXXIII: 119
• XXXIV: 120
• XXXV: 122
• XXXVI: 123
• XXXVII: 134
• XXXVIII: 142
• XXXIX: 146
• XL: 148
• XLIII: 150
• XLIV: 155
• XLV: 158
• XLVI: 173
• XLVII: 177
• XLVIII: 180
• XLIX: 183
• L: 188
• LI: 203
• LII: 208
• LIII: 209
• LIV: 214
• LV: 224
• LVI: 227
• LVII: 228
• LVIII: 229
• LIX: 230
• LX: 232
• LXI: 233
• LXII: 234
• LXIII: 236
• LXIV: 237
• LXV: 239
• LXVI: 277

Popular passages

Page 15 - hair of the head, hair of the body, nails, teeth, skin, flesh, sinews, bones, marrow, kidneys, heart, liver, pleura, spleen, lungs, colon, intestines, stomach,‎

Page xxiii - cast the pieces into a brazier which stood ready for the purpose; after which the ashes and the charcoal together were cast into the river, in sight of all‎

Page xiv - helped me in the writing of this book, and I would like to express my gratitude to them here.‎

About the author

John S. Strong is Professor of Religion and Chair of the Religion and Philosophy Department at Bates College. He is the author of several books on Buddhism, including The Legend of King Aśoka and The Legend and Cult of Upagupta (both from Princeton).

Bibliographic information

• Title: Relics of the Buddha; Volume 7 of Buddhisms: a Princeton University Press Series
• Author: John Strong
• Edition: illustrated
• Publisher: Princeton University Press, 2004
• ISBN: 0691117640, 9780691117645
• Length: 290 pages
• Subjects: Philosophy / Buddhist; Religion / Buddhism / History; Religion / Buddhism / Rituals & Practice; Religion / Sacred Places