Tagged: Conversion
Pages with this tag
Fiordalis - Miracles in Indian Buddhist narratives and doctrine (2010)
1The narrative of the Kāśyapa brothers' conversion, a cornerstone of early Buddhist texts like the Mahāvagga, illustrates a "thaumaturgical impasse" where the Buddha initially fails to convert rival ascetics through numerous displays of superhuman power, such as taming a fire-breathing serpent, but fails to convert the ascetic Kāśyapa, who remains convinced of his own spiritual superiority. The impasse is only broken when the Buddha employs telepathy to read Kāśyapa's prideful thoughts and confronts him directly, which finally leads to his conversion and is followed by the Buddha's "Fire Sermon." By comparing alternate versions of this story from different Buddhist schools, the author demonstrates that while some accounts suggest a hierarchy in which telepathy and teaching are superior to physical miracles, other versions blend these categories, indicating that early Buddhists did not hold a single, unified view on the relationship and effectiveness of the three types of miracles—superhuman power, mind-reading, and teaching the Dharma.
Shults - A Note on Refuge in Vedic and Pāli Texts (2016)
2This article explores the concept of refuge (*śaraṇa*/*saraṇa*) by tracing its development from Vedic to Pāli Buddhist texts, arguing that while the motif of a "triple refuge" existed in the *Ṛgveda* and later Vedic literature, it was primarily a ritualistic or protective formula for seeking shelter from gods like Indra. In contrast, early Buddhism repurposed this concept, imbuing it with a profound, personal, and transformative significance. Citing Pāli narratives such as those of Sumanā, Ubbirī, and Aṅgulimāla, the author demonstrates that for Buddhists, "going for refuge" was not merely a formal act but a pivotal "change of heart" marking a dramatic discontinuity in one's life, linked to inner realization, overcoming suffering, and renouncing a sinful past. This shift from a functional, ritualistic notion to an experience of profound personal conversion represents the key Buddhist innovation on the pre-existing Vedic motif.