The Genesis of the Bodhisattva Ideal (Hamburg Buddhist Studies)

In this book, Bhikkhu Anālayo investigates the genesis of the bodhisattva ideal, one of the most important concepts in the history of Buddhist thought. He brings together material from the corpus of the early discourses preserved mainly in Pāli and Chinese that appear to have influenced the arising of the bodhisattva ideal. Anālayo convincingly shows that the early sources do not present compassionate concern for others as a motivating force for the Buddha's quest for awakening. He further offers an analysis of the only reference to Maitreya in the Pāli canon, showing that this reference is most likely a later addition. In sum, Bhikkhu Anālayo is able to delineate a gradual genesis of central aspects of the bodhisattva ideal by documenting (1) an evolution in the bodhisattva concept reflected in the early discourses, (2) the emergence of the notion of a vow to pursue the path to buddhahood, and (3) the possible background for the idea of a prediction an aspirant to buddhahood receives from a former buddha In this book, Bhikkhu Anālayo investigates the genesis of the bodhisattva ideal, one of the most important concepts in the history of Buddhist thought. He brings together material from the corpus of the early discourses preserved mainly in Pāli and Chinese that appear to have influenced the arising of the bodhisattva ideal. Anālayo convincingly shows that the early sources do not present compassionate concern for others as a motivating force for the Buddha's quest for awakening. He further offers an analysis of the only reference to Maitreya in the Pāli canon, showing that this reference is most likely a later addition. In sum, Bhikkhu Anālayo is able to delineate a gradual genesis of central aspects of the bodhisattva ideal by documenting (1) an evolution in the bodhisattva concept reflected in the early discourses, (2) the emergence of the notion of a vow to pursue the path to buddhahood, and (3) the possible background for the idea of a prediction an aspirant to buddhahood receives from a former buddha Contents......Page 6 List of Figures......Page 8 About "Hamburg Buddhist Studies"......Page 10 Sources......Page 12 Acknowledgement......Page 14 Gautama’s Progress to Awakening......Page 16 Gautama’s Motivation......Page 22 Gautama’s Marvellous Qualities......Page 30 The Lineage of Former Buddhas......Page 49 Summary......Page 53 The Jātaka Genre......Page 56 Gautama Meets Kāśyapa......Page 72 The Meeting with Kāśyapa as a Jātaka......Page 76 Gautama’s Vow under Kāśyapa......Page 86 Summary......Page 94 Maitreya in the Discourse on the Wheel-turning King......Page 96 The Dīgha-nikāya version......Page 102 The Dīrgha-āgama version......Page 105 The Maitreya Episode in Comparative Perspective......Page 108 Maitreya in the Discourse on an Explanation about the Past......Page 114 The Prediction of Maitreya......Page 120 Conclusion......Page 130 Abbreviations......Page 134 References......Page 136 Index......Page 174 About the Author......Page 181