History

Question 1

what is history

Answer 1

From Latin (via Greek) historia “account of events” (< Gr. histōr “judge, wise man”)
™ The study of past events, the narratives produced through it
(> historiography), and the past itself as object of those narratives
™ Historiography as practice of literate elites in cultures privileging the written word
Ø emphasis on issues of legitimacy, authority and chronology of those in power
™ Modern shift in history: anthropology; emphasis on economic and social factors; “mentalities” (cf. French Annales school); postmodernism and postcolonialism

Question 2

History of Religions

Answer 2

The historical study of religion emerged along with the notion of a plurality of world “religions” in the 19th c.
™ Buddhism started being seen as one of the world “religions” when the traditional notion of “religion” (Abrahamic) was challenged through historical inquiry, especially in the 19th c.
™ The historical approach involved separating those aspects of religions that could be accounted for through a rational narrative of the past from their timeless elements, explained as myths
™ It is chiefly based on documents and artifacts as written and material evidence of the past
™ The historical approach to the study of religions focuses on the contexts in which religious ideas and practices emerge and are meaningful
– NB: religious meaning is understood as a function of time

Question 3

Historicizing founders

Answer 3

Historical Jesus
1836: David Strauss, Das Leben Jesu
* The figure of Jesus as an object of historical inquiry
* He did exist, but the miraculous accounts in the Gospels should be seen as myths
™ 1863: Ernest Renan, Vie de Jésus
* Jesus as a (great) human being, whose life should be
reconstructed as that of any other historical figure
* Psychological and allegorical interpretation of the Gospels, rejection of miracle stories

QUEST for Historical Buddha since late 1800 (i.e. Oldenburg)

Question 4

A lack of history in ancient India?

Answer 4

But this is not because the people of India had no history… We know from other sources that the ages were filled with stirring events; but these events found no systematic record.

Question 5

Lesser relevance of history in the Buddhist–traditions?

Answer 5

“…for Christianity the historicity of Jesus is crucial and affects the authenticity of his message, whereas Buddhists believe that the Dhamma would be true whether the Buddha existed or not”
–
“Zen has its own life independent of history”
Richard Gombrich
D.T. Suzuki

Question 6

KLAUSUR: Lesser relevance of history in the Buddhist traditions?

Answer 6

™ Buddhism is very different from the Abrahamic religions in that notions of linear time and historical agency are less prominent: there is only one Jesus breaking into history, but many Buddhas returning and rediscovering the Dharma.
™ However, Buddhists were (and are) very sensible to their past.
™ Conceptions about the past were considerably enriched in the course of Buddhism’s historical development, and Buddhist communities developed rich and varied historical narratives as well as eschatological discourses.
™ To the extent that Buddhism also depends on truths based and oriented in time, historical approaches are essential to its study.

Question 7

KLAUSUR: vaṃśa - One key term for Buddhist histor–iography

Answer 7

• Skt. vaṃśa / P. vaṃsa
  Literally, bamboo stem.
• NB: bamboo grows by sending out one, and only one, shoot. This contrast with our idea of the genealogical tree, and may constitute a “hegemonic trope” (McRae) : establishing the authority of the one who knows
  – Used in ancient India to refer to a variety of forms of historical text, primarily genealogies. (Succession)
  – Develops to characterise more precisely an account intertwining political and religious succession of events, with the Buddha’s Dharma as the driving force.

Question 8

Buddhist historiography

Answer 8

™ The Buddhist chronicles from Sri Lanka, especially the Dīpavaṃsa (late 4th c. CE?) and the Mahāvaṃsa (5th c. CE)
™ Chinese Buddhist historiography (e.g., Lidai sanbao ji 歷代三 寶紀, 598 CE)
™ Tibetan histories of Buddhism, famously by Bu ston (1290– 1364), Tāranātha (1574–1608)
™Burmese, Thai, Japanese narratives…

Question 9

Buddhist history as déjà vu

Answer 9

What the buddha discovered, he re- discovered:

Question 10

KLAUSUR: The Five Buddhas of the
“Fortunate
Eon”
(bhadra kalpa)

Answer 10

Past:
Krakucchanda
Kanakamuni Kāśyapa
Present
Śākyamuni
Future
Maitreya