The Mayajala-sutra is a unique Buddhist sutra which is contained in the newly discovered manuscript of the Sanskrit Buddhist canonical collection called the Dirgha-agama (The Long Collection). The discovery of this Sanskrit manuscript in the 1990s was a major development in early Buddhist studies (only Pali and Chinese versions were previously available). In the first part of this work Gleb Sharygin presented a transliteration, reconstruction and translation of the Mayajala-sutra, No. 18 in the Dirgha-agama manuscript, as well as an overview of its content. The text of the sutra is in a seriously deteriorated state, but a great deal of repetition helped to reconstruct it safely. It is the meaning of the text that presented difficulties. The second part of this work grew from his attempts to understand it. The main result that the study brought is that the text likely constitutes an intermediate link that unites the older ways of canonical writing and thinking with the newer types of Buddhist literature and structures of thought. In particular, the study revealed that the Mayajala-sutra likely was the source of the first chapters of the Samdhinirmocana-sutra, the first Yogacara-Vijnanavada text.

About the Author

Gleb Sharygin studied philosophy, religious studies and classical Indology at Moscow State University, the Institute of Oriental Studies (Moscow), and the University of Munich (LMU Munchen). He was awarded a Ph.D. degree for the thesis that constitutes this publication.

Book Information
ISBN 9783662714706
Author Gleb Sharygin
Format Paperback
Page Count 502
Imprint J.B. Metzler
Publisher Springer-Verlag Berlin and Heidelberg GmbH & Co. KG