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10 votes
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Why did Mahayana leave out the Pali Canon?

It did not. The Canon is an integral part of Mahayana, has always been. In Chinese Mahayana, the Canon is included in the form of Agamas (translated to Chinese). In Tibetan Mahayana, the Canon is a ...
Andriy Volkov's user avatar
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9 votes

Evidence of Pali Canon's Origin

I encourage you to read the following: Bhikkhu Sujato & Bhikkhu Brahmali. The Authenticity of the Early Buddhist Texts. In this work, their project is to investigate the question of authencity ...
Tenzin Dorje's user avatar
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8 votes

Is it true that Lord Buddha was born in Sri Lanka?

Lumbini, Nepal has been recognized as the birthplace of Siddhartha Gautama since a stone pillar was placed at the site by the emperor Ashoka circa 245 BCE. Source: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/...
GatesofDawn67's user avatar
8 votes
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Is it true that Lord Buddha was born in Sri Lanka?

Prince Siddhartha was raised, according to Buddhist texts, in Kapilawastu (I will not present sources for this as I think this would be undisputed). The modern name for Kapilawastu is unknown: I will ...
sampathsris's user avatar
7 votes

History of refuge in the 3 jewels

Taking refuge in the 3 jewels of Buddha, Dhamma and Sangha was recommended by the Buddha as providing protection from certain afflictions. It is specifically mentioned in the Dhajagga-paritta ("...
Saptha Visuddhi's user avatar
7 votes

Why aren't there omnicidal Buddhists?

existence is the root of suffering no, it's not. The official definitions are "unsatisfied thirst is [mental] suffering", "craving and grasping is the origin of suffering", "...
Andriy Volkov's user avatar
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6 votes

Was Buddhism a rebellion against the Aryans?

When Gautama left his family to become an ascetic or śramaṇa, he joined many other ascetics or wanderers who were separate from the Vedic-Brahmanism religion. However, when Gautama left his family ...
Dhamma Dhatu's user avatar
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6 votes

Is it true that Lord Buddha was born in Sri Lanka?

I personally believe that Buddha was born in Lumbini in Nepal through in recent times there are a few small groups in Sri Lanka saying otherwise. I personally would be careful about these movements ...
Suminda Sirinath S. Dharmasena's user avatar
6 votes
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The Oldest Traditional Buddhist Lineage?

Every "official" Chan/Zen master (that is, a master recognized and authorized by an older master) keeps a list of his ancestral teachers going back all the way to the Buddha Shakyamuni. I have such ...
Andriy Volkov's user avatar
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5 votes
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Buddhism in ancient Arabic regions

Wikipedia's Ashoka article includes this map: Its western border is the Seleucid empire which appears to be where modern-day Iran is (note that Iran I think might be ethnically Persian rather than ...
ChrisW's user avatar
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5 votes

Did Buddhism oppose Vedic religion?

From my reading it appears he didn't oppose Vedic religion though he dismissed the Brahmins of his times as being false Brahmins. In the brāhmaṇavagga of the aṅguttara nikāya 5. 20, and the Dhp. 26 ...
Buddho's user avatar
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5 votes
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Who were the first followers of the Buddha?

A Sketch of the Buddha's Life quotes MN 26, which includes the following passage: He wonders: To whom should I teach this Dhamma first? Then the thought occurred to me, 'To whom should I teach the ...
ChrisW's user avatar
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5 votes
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What is the Origin and History of Milindapanha?

Summarizing briefly from the introduction to the translation and analysis by A.V. Paribok: The ancient parts are Book 2 and parts of Book 1 -- most likely written in Punjab (North-Western India) ...
Andriy Volkov's user avatar
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5 votes

How do I refute the claim that the Buddha was actually preaching Vedanta?

This is a modified version of the answer that I posted on Hinduism.SE comparing the Buddhist Madhyamaka (by Nagarjuna) and the Hindu Advaita Vedanta (by Adi Shankara). Usually, the emptiness in ...
ruben2020's user avatar
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5 votes

How is possible that monks memorised 10.000 sutras?

The way the Pali Canon was transmitted was by oral tradition. The composition is in a poetic form, using mnemonic formulae for memorization and recitation. The recitation would have also served a ...
ruben2020's user avatar
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5 votes

What is known about enlightenment before the lifetime of the Buddha? Are there any claims that he was the first?

Good householder, there had been serial Buddhas before our Gotama Buddha. In a world/cosmos-period there might appear a Samma-Sambuddha who is capable to point out the way out of suffering, Samsara. ...
Samana Johann's user avatar
5 votes

Did the Buddha invent any words?

The Buddha invented his own terms and defined them, using everyday words that already existed in the local dialects. First, discussion on the language he used, is found in "The Authenticity of ...
ruben2020's user avatar
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4 votes

Why is Buddhism followed mainly outside of India when it originated there?

Buddhism declined from India in the past, due to assimilation. Firstly, Buddhism had flourished in ancient India, Pakistan and Afghanistan, but eventually, the Buddhist locals became subject to "hard"...
ruben2020's user avatar
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4 votes

Were the oldest Buddhists evangelical?

Adding to Jayantha's very good answer: One needs to look at Indian society at the time of the Buddha. There were many masters profounding various siddhāntas(established and accepted view of a ...
Bharat's user avatar
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4 votes
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How and when did the name "Buddhism" appear?

How and when did the name "Buddhism" appear? I'm not an expert, but here's what I found this evening: the article SCHOPENHAUER AND BUDDHISM by Peter Abelson says, When the tenets of Buddhism ...
ChrisW's user avatar
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4 votes

Has there ever been a systematic persecution of Buddhist heretics?

King Asoka liked the Dhamma so much that he lavished the monks with robes, food and medicine... This attracted many fake monks... Monks were beheaded in an effort to find the imposters but that didn'...
Lowbrow's user avatar
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4 votes

Was the historical Buddha infallible?

Yes, a Sammasambuddha does not make mistakes as they are omniscient and do not have any Vāsanā remainders.
Sankha Kulathantille's user avatar
4 votes
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How to survive Buddhism ? Buddha, Dhamma and Sangha

I see one aspect of your question is practice of rites and rituals much like other religions. This is also important for Buddhism to be socially and culturally integrated, but this does not give you ...
Suminda Sirinath S. Dharmasena's user avatar
4 votes

Is there any historical evidence or sayings that Buddha went to America and Africa continent for some discourses or teachings

No. There is no indication the Buddha ever left north-eastern India (now Uttar Pradesh, Magadha, and Nepal.)
Wayfarer's user avatar
  • 219
4 votes

Which suttas in the Pali canon are relatively early or late?

I can't translate the whole of question, however I tried to answer as I can do. Layers of pali literature already being in buddha-living-period. There are many pali literature in buddha's time, such ...
Bonn's user avatar
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4 votes

Is it true that Lord Buddha was born in Sri Lanka?

There's no truth in it. But people usually like to hear new things. So any new idea presented with some make-belief evidence can get a following.
Sankha Kulathantille's user avatar
4 votes

Should Buddhists in India celebrate diwali (New moon of November)?

It's a Hindu festival. So a Buddhist should not be a part of the religious aspect of the festival if those activities are incompatible with Buddhism. That does not mean a Buddhist cannot meet up with ...
Sankha Kulathantille's user avatar
4 votes
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Ancient texts on Meditation Techniques?

Please see the English translation of the Anapanasati Sutta (Majjhima Nikaya 118 or MN 118) on the Buddhist mindfulness of breathing technique. The transliterated Pali version can be found here. ...
ruben2020's user avatar
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