In this talk Douglass Smith explores the idea of a “Buddhist Bible,” referring to a collection of significant Buddhist scriptures.
Unlike a singular Bible, Buddhism has a polycanon comprising texts in various languages, including Pali, Chinese, and Tibetan.
The early Buddhist canon consists of the Sutas, Vinaya, and Abhidharma.
The Sutas are dialogues involving the Buddha, the Vinaya is the monastic rulebook, and the Abidharma contains formalized philosophical teachings.
Doug explores the historical background and significance of these texts, emphasizing the Sutas as the primary and most ancient, categorized into five collections known as Nikayas.
For example, the Long Discourses of the Buddha include the Brahmajāla Sutta and the Mahāparinibbāna Sutta.
He addresses the challenges in determining the earliness of these texts and the availability of translations.
Additionally, Doug introduces the concept of a “Buddhist New Testament,” which includes early Mahayana texts that emerged centuries after the Buddha’s lifetime, offering new interpretations.
Key Mahayana texts like the Lotus Sutra, Mahaparinibbana Sutta, Buddhāvataṃsaka Sūtra, and Heart Sutra are discussed for their revolutionary ideas and impact.
Doug concludes that the idea of a singular “Buddhist Bible” is debatable due to the extensive body of Buddhist texts and diverse interpretations.
This emphasizes the need to approach Buddhist literature as a broad and multifaceted collection rather than a single, definitive compilation.
