An Anthropological Outline of the Sutta Nipāta: The Contemplative Experience in Early Buddhist Poetry
Religions January 29, 2023 DOI: 10.3390/rel14020172 (opens in new tab)
Study at a glance
AI-extracted from the abstract| Characteristics | Historical analysis Peer reviewed |
|---|---|
| Topics | Buddhism |
| Citations | 13 |
| Key points | Argues that the Sutta Nipāta reveals how early Buddhist doctrine was shaped in dialectic with orthodox and political forces, and that contemplative practices seeking the 'absolute' (paramattha and brahmavihāra) have been understudied in meditation research. |
Abstract
By examining the Sutta Nipāta, considered one of the collections containing the oldest texts of the Pāli canon, this study aims to reconstruct social, historical, and anthropological aspects of archaic Buddhist doctrine at the time of its definition in dialectic with the forces of orthodoxy and constituted power in 6th century BCE India. This study also provides important insights into the development and definition of contemplative practices devoted to the search for the ‘absolute’ (paramattha and brahmavihāra), which has often received little attention in meditation studies.