Canonical Status of the Tantras
David B. Gray
October 19, 2023 DOI: 10.1093/oso/9780197623831.003.0005 (opens in new tab)
Study at a glance
AI-extracted from the abstract| Characteristics | Historical analysis |
|---|---|
| Key points | Argues that tantric literature is organized concentrically around "root tantras," with exegetical and ritual works radiating from them, and that the "outer" ritual versus "inner" contemplative distinction is a central classifying principle. Contends that the canonical arrangements made in Tibet and East Asia illuminate how preserving communities understood this literature. |
Abstract
Abstract The fourth chapter focuses on the canonical status of the tantras. It begins with an overview of the different types of tantric literature, followed by a discussion of the concentric organization of tantric literature, which centers on “root tantras” from which radiate exegetical literature and ritual manuals. It introduces the various attempts to classify this literature, with the distinction between “outer” ritual and “inner” contemplative practices one of the central organizing principles. The chapter also overviews the organization of tantric literature into canons in Tibet and East Asia, and it discusses how this sheds light on how this literature was understood by the communities that preserved it.