Narrating Karma and Rebirth: Buddhist and Jain Multi-Life Stories
Buddhism and Jainism share the concepts of karma, rebirth, and the desirability of escaping from rebirth. The literature of both traditions contains many stories about past, and sometimes future, lives which reveal much about these foundational doctrines. Naomi Appleton carefully explores how multi-life stories served to construct, communicate, and challenge ideas about karma and rebirth within early South Asia, examining portrayals of the different realms of rebirth, the potential paths and goals of human beings, and the biographies of ideal religious figures. Appleton also deftly surveys the ability of karma to bind individuals together over multiple lives, and the nature of the supernormal memory that makes multi-life stories available in the first place. This original study not only sheds light on the individual preoccupations of Buddhist and Jain tradition, but contributes to a more complete history of religious thought in South Asia, and brings to the foreground long-neglected narrative sources.
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Other editions - View all
Narrating Karma and Rebirth: Buddhist and Jain Multi-Life Stories Naomi Appleton No preview available - 2014 |
Narrating Karma and Rebirth: Buddhist and Jain Multi-Life Stories Naomi Appleton No preview available - 2015 |
Common terms and phrases
Ājīvika animal realm Apadāna arhats ascetic ascetic practice aspiration attain moks.a Avadānaśataka bad karma become Bodhi Bodhisattva brahmin buddhahood Buddhist and Jain Buddhist narratives Buddhist texts Buddhist tradition Chapter characters contrast demonstrate destiny Devadatta Digambara discussion divine doctrinal eventually example Fausbøll focus fruits Gautama Buddha generosity gift gift-giving gods Gosāla Granoff heaven realm heavenly rebirth hell realms hell-beings human idea individuals Jain narratives Jain stories Jain texts Jain traditions Jaini Jainism jātaka stories Jātakatthavan˙n˙anā jinahood jinas karmic karmic load killed king king’s Mahāvideha Mahāvīra Mahāyāna memory of past merit transfer monk multi-life stories multiple lives nāga Nāgasena Nārada Nārada-jātaka narrated Nikāya nirvān˙a omniscience one’s Pāli Pārśva past lives past-life memory path Petavatthu pratyekabuddha predictions pretas Rāvan˙a realms of rebirth reborn religious renounce renunciation result Ṛs.abha Rucā Śakra scriptures Sītā spirit-deities suffering Summarised supernormal Sūtra Sutta Śvetāmbara teaching Theravāda time-cycle translation Tris.as.t.iśalākāpurus.acaritra understanding vāsudeva Vimānavatthu vows wife