Avadāna (
Sanskrit
Sanskrit (; stem form ; nominal singular , ,) is a classical language belonging to the Indo-Aryan languages, Indo-Aryan branch of the Indo-European languages. It arose in northwest South Asia after its predecessor languages had Trans-cultural ...
;
Pali
Pāli (, IAST: pāl̤i) is a Classical languages of India, classical Middle Indo-Aryan languages, Middle Indo-Aryan language of the Indian subcontinent. It is widely studied because it is the language of the Buddhist ''Pali Canon, Pāli Can ...
: ''
Apadāna'') is the name given to a type of
Buddhist literature correlating
past lives' virtuous deeds to subsequent lives' events.
Richard Salomon described them as "stories, usually narrated by the Buddha, that illustrate the workings of
karma
Karma (, from , ; ) is an ancient Indian concept that refers to an action, work, or deed, and its effect or consequences. In Indian religions, the term more specifically refers to a principle of cause and effect, often descriptively called ...
by revealing the acts of a particular individual in a previous life and the results of those actions in his or her present life."
This literature includes around 600 stories in the
Pāli
Pāli (, IAST: pāl̤i) is a classical Middle Indo-Aryan language of the Indian subcontinent. It is widely studied because it is the language of the Buddhist ''Pāli Canon'' or '' Tipiṭaka'' as well as the sacred language of '' Therav� ...
language
Apadāna ("Legends"). There are also a large number in
Sanskrit
Sanskrit (; stem form ; nominal singular , ,) is a classical language belonging to the Indo-Aryan languages, Indo-Aryan branch of the Indo-European languages. It arose in northwest South Asia after its predecessor languages had Trans-cultural ...
collections, of which the chief are the
Mahāsāṃghika's ''
Mahāvastu'' ("Great Book") and the
Sarvāstivāda's ''
Avadānaśataka'' (''Century of Legends'') and ''
Divyāvadāna'' (''The Heavenly Legend''). These latter collections include accounts relating to
Gautama Buddha
Siddhartha Gautama, most commonly referred to as the Buddha (),*
*
*
was a śramaṇa, wandering ascetic and religious teacher who lived in South Asia during the 6th or 5th century BCE and founded Buddhism. According to Buddhist lege ...
and the third-century BCE "righteous ruler,"
Ashoka
Ashoka, also known as Asoka or Aśoka ( ; , ; – 232 BCE), and popularly known as Ashoka the Great, was List of Mauryan emperors, Emperor of Magadha from until #Death, his death in 232 BCE, and the third ruler from the Mauryan dynast ...
.
Amongst the most popular ''avadānas'' of Northern Hinayāna Buddhism are:
*
Ratnamālāvadāna, which is a collection of stories about traveling merchants.
* the story of
Sudhana, preserved in the ''
Mahāvastu'' under the title ''
Kinnarī jātaka'', amongst others, who falls in love with a
kinnarī and saves her life.
* the ''
Vessantara Jātaka'', the story of the compassionate prince who gives away everything he owns, including his wife and children, thereby displaying the virtue of perfect charity.
* the ''Suvannasankha jātaka''.
Though of later date than most of the canonical Buddhist books, ''avadānas'' are held in veneration by the orthodox, and occupy much the same position with regard to Buddhism that the
do towards
Hinduism
Hinduism () is an Hypernymy and hyponymy, umbrella term for a range of Indian religions, Indian List of religions and spiritual traditions#Indian religions, religious and spiritual traditions (Sampradaya, ''sampradaya''s) that are unified ...
. They act in a similar way to other texts describing past deeds or past lives held in other traditions in the region, such as the aforementioned Puranas, the
Dasam Granth and
Janamsakhis of
Sikhism
Sikhism is an Indian religion and Indian philosophy, philosophy that originated in the Punjab region of the Indian subcontinent around the end of the 15th century CE. It is one of the most recently founded major religious groups, major religio ...
, and the
Kalpa Sūtra of
Jainism
Jainism ( ), also known as Jain Dharma, is an Indian religions, Indian religion whose three main pillars are nonviolence (), asceticism (), and a rejection of all simplistic and one-sided views of truth and reality (). Jainism traces its s ...
.
See also
*
Apadana
Apadana (, or ) is a large hypostyle hall in Persepolis, Iran. It belongs to the oldest building phase of the city of Persepolis, in the first half of the 5th century BC, as part of the original design by Darius I, Darius the Great. Its cons ...
- Collection of Avadanas in Pali Canon
*
Jatakas - Type of Buddhist literature, stories about the past lives of Buddha
References
*
* "Avadāna." (2008). In ''Encyclopædia Britannica''. Retrieved August 20, 2008, from Encyclopædia Britannica Online: http://www.britannica.com/EBchecked/topic/45339/Avadana
External links
The Avadana reliefs at Borobudur{{Buddhism topics
Buddhist literature
Buddhist hagiography