Hello. I'm sorry if this is a very beginner-type question.
Is it known definitively what language the sutras were first recorded in? I know Gandhari was involved, at some point. Did Pali texts predate recorded texts in Gandhari, or were they simultaneous? Or is this being hotly debated?
Thank you for any info you could provide.
What Was Buddhism's First Written Language?
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- Dhammanando
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Re: What Was Buddhism's First Written Language?
Not hotly, but you will find this and ancillary issues coolly discussed in this thread.Dragon Lady wrote:Or is this being hotly debated?
Yena yena hi maññanti,
tato taṃ hoti aññathā.
In whatever way they conceive it,
It turns out otherwise.
(Sn. 588)
tato taṃ hoti aññathā.
In whatever way they conceive it,
It turns out otherwise.
(Sn. 588)
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- Posts: 16
- Joined: Sun Nov 30, 2014 8:31 pm
Re: What Was Buddhism's First Written Language?
Thanks, but I carefully avoided the question of what language did the Buddha speak, as I"m aware that he spoke several languages/dialects. I'm interested in learning what language was first used to record the words of the Buddha, which is something that occurred after the Buddha's death. My understanding (which may be faulty or incomplete, or both, lol ) is that Sanskrit came later, and that the earlier languages used to write down the sutras were Pali and Gandhari. So I was wondering if it's known at this point which one of those came first, or if a definitive answer awaits further archaeological discoveries.
- Dhammanando
- Posts: 6492
- Joined: Tue Dec 30, 2008 10:44 pm
- Location: Mae Wang Huai Rin, Li District, Lamphun
Re: What Was Buddhism's First Written Language?
This is discussed in the thread that I linked to.Dragon Lady wrote:Thanks, but I carefully avoided the question of what language did the Buddha speak, as I"m aware that he spoke several languages/dialects. I'm interested in learning what language was first used to record the words of the Buddha, which is something that occurred after the Buddha's death.
Yena yena hi maññanti,
tato taṃ hoti aññathā.
In whatever way they conceive it,
It turns out otherwise.
(Sn. 588)
tato taṃ hoti aññathā.
In whatever way they conceive it,
It turns out otherwise.
(Sn. 588)
-
- Posts: 16
- Joined: Sun Nov 30, 2014 8:31 pm
Re: What Was Buddhism's First Written Language?
I see. Thank you. That's quite a discussion.Dhammanando wrote:This is discussed in the thread that I linked to.Dragon Lady wrote:Thanks, but I carefully avoided the question of what language did the Buddha speak, as I"m aware that he spoke several languages/dialects. I'm interested in learning what language was first used to record the words of the Buddha, which is something that occurred after the Buddha's death.