History of Buddhism
Where the Mahayana sutras came from
New scriptures presented as the Buddha's word appeared centuries after him. How Buddhists explain that, and why it matters.
The facts
Mahayana sutras begin to appear around the first century BC and first century AD. The earliest Chinese translations, by the monk Lokakshema in the late second century AD, include a Perfection of Wisdom sutra and the Pratyutpanna Samadhi Sutra, which already speaks of the Buddha Amitabha. Scholars agree they were composed long after the Buddha's death.
How Buddhists explain it
Mahayana tradition says these teachings were given by the Buddha but kept hidden, for example by serpent beings (nagas) until Nagarjuna retrieved them, or revealed in visions. Others say whatever is well spoken is the Buddha's word.
Why it matters
A scripture should be tied to its source. The New Testament is the testimony of the apostles and those close to them, written in their lifetime. A revelation that appears centuries later, attributed to a teacher long dead, cannot be checked against his own words.
21“Of the men therefore who have accompanied us all the time that the Lord Jesus went in and out among us, 22beginning from the baptism of John to the day that he was received up from us, of these one must become a witness with us of his resurrection.”
Acts 1:21-22 (WEB) · context
8But even though we, or an angel from heaven, should preach to you any “good news” other than that which we preached to you, let him be cursed.
Galatians 1:8 (WEB) · context
Sources
- Paul Harrison, The Earliest Chinese Translations of Mahayana Buddhist Sutras: Some Notes on the Works of Lokaksema, Buddhist Studies Review 10 (1993).
- Paul Williams, Mahayana Buddhism (2nd ed., 2009).