Year: 2002
Type: article
Abstract: The Buddha's lifespan is discussed in many Mahāyāna sūtras and śāstras. An analysis of these texts shows that it became a problem when the Mahāyānists emphasized more and more the merit of the Buddha as a result of Bodhisattva practice. The authors of these texts tried to solve the problem by saying that the lifespan of the true Buddha in fact is infinite. The historical Buddha is only a manifestation for the sake \nof sentient beings through skilful means. These discussions finally contributed to the formulation of the sa bhogakāya, the reward body of the Buddha.
Authors: Xiong Guang, 廣興
Language: English
Topic: Indian and Buddhist Studies
Subfield: Religious studies
Field: Arts and Humanities
Domain: Social Sciences
Open Access status: green
OpenAlex ID: W2228195047