Theravada Buddhism as the traditional religion of the dominant ethnic Lao majority in Laos historically has played a key role in structuring Lao society and in assuring the continuity of Lao culture. Though the dhamma (the Buddha's teaching) may be only superficially understood and practised by most of the lay population, Buddhism has provided a set of moral values and a view of life which have strongly influenced modes of thought and action over the centuries. As a result, the sangha (the order of Buddhist monks) has come to command high respect and its activities pervade every aspect of the social and cultural milieu.
In both the A?guttara Nik?ya in Pali and the Ekottarika ?gamain Chinese translation, the suttas are grouped into eleven nip?tas (“books”), from the Ekaka-nip?ta/Eka-nip?ta (Book of Ones) to the Ek?dasaka-nip?ta (Book of Elevens) – though in the Ekottarika ?gama the nip?tas are not labelled as such. This grouping into nip?tas is based on the number of doctrinal items dealt with in the component suttas. In the Ones and Twos, it is often the case that a single original sutta has been subdivided so that its component sections become a series of similarly structured derivative suttas superficially appropriate for inclusion in the Ones or Twos. Moreover, material for this process of subdividing has sometimes been provided by multiplying doctrinal sets with formulaic statements. In most of the remaining nip?tas the phenomena noted in the Ones and Twos are also present, but on a much smaller scale. In view of their Chinese counterparts in the Sa?yukta ?gama, some groups of suttas in the A?guttara Nik?ya with sa?yutta-like nature were probably moved from the Sa?yutta Nik?ya to the A?guttara Nik?ya within the Pali tradition. Evidence of a comparable movement into the Ekottarika ?gama is also available. The artificial suttas created by subdivision and the original suttas shared by the Ekottarika ?gama and the A?guttara Nik?ya largely retained their original places at the beginning of each nip?ta, while the genuine suttas, probably earlier located in the Sa?yukta ?gama and Madhyama ?gama, were added progressively at the end of the growing nip?ta.
The meaning of its title, ‘Section with Verses’, may appear sufficient to explain why the Sagatha-vagga was identified as a discrete entity within the Samyuttanikaya. However, this article looks beyond that simple explanation, to discover whether some other rationale may underlie this grouping of samyuttas. It examines evidence that the compiling of the Sagatha-vagga was probably based on a familiar, although doctrinally marginal, piece of Buddhist teaching, namely the ‘eight Assemblies’.
In both the Anguttara Nikaya in Pali and the Ekottarika Agamain Chinese translation, the suttas are grouped into eleven nipatas (“books”), from the Ekaka-nipata/Eka-nipata (Book of Ones) to the Ekadasaka-nipata (Book of Elevens) – though in the Ekottarika Agama the nipatas are not labelled as such. This grouping into nipatas is based on the number of doctrinal items dealt with in the component suttas. In the Ones and Twos, it is often the case that a single original sutta has been subdivided so that its component sections become a series of similarly structured derivative suttas superficially appropriate for inclusion in the Ones or Twos. Moreover, material for this process of subdividing has sometimes been provided by multiplying doctrinal sets with formulaic statements. In most of the remaining nipatas the phenomena noted in the Ones and Twos are also present, but on a much smaller scale. In view of their Chinese counterparts in the Samyukta Agama, some groups of suttas in the Anguttara Nikaya with samyutta-like nature were probably moved from the Samyutta Nikaya to the Anguttara Nikaya within the Pali tradition. Evidence of a comparable movement into the Ekottarika Agama is also available. The artificial suttas created by subdivision and the original suttas shared by the Ekottarika Agama and the Anguttara Nikaya largely retained their original places at the beginning of each nipata, while the genuine suttas, probably earlier located in the Samyukta Agama and Madhyama Agama, were added progressively at the end of the growing nipata.
Buddhist origins and discussion of the Buddha's teachings are amongst the most controversial and contested areas in the field. This bold and authoritative book tackles head-on some of the key questions regarding early Buddhism and its primary canon of precepts. Noting that the earliest texts in Pali, Sanskrit and Chinese belong to different Buddhist schools, Roderick S. Bucknell addresses the development of these writings during the period of oral transmission between the Buddha's death and their initial redaction in the first century BCE. A meticulous comparative analysis reveals the likely original path of meditative practice applied and taught by Gautama. Fresh perspectives now emerge on both the Buddha himself and his Enlightenment. Drawing on his own years of meditative experience as a Buddhist monk, the author offers here remarkable new interpretations of advanced practices of meditation, as well as of Buddhism itself. It is a landmark work in Buddhist Studies.
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