[Buddha-l] Sanskrit speaking Buddha

[L.S. Cousins]

James,

Lore Sander is more cautious in her published statement and suggests 
'probably into the second half of the third century B.C.' (Jens 
Braarvig et al., Buddhist Manuscripts, Vol I p. 288). But it is not 
too precise and a date in the late second century is also possible.

I do not understand why Kazunobu thinks that this proves the 
existence of a prior Prakrit version. There seems no reason to rule 
out the possibility that it was written down in BHS from the 
beginning. That of course would not rule out a prior oral version.

Lance

>Hi Lance and Stephen,
>
>I haven't been able to see the published Schøyen Bamiyan texts yet, 
>but I did note the following from Matsuda Kazunobu:
>
>"Next, Dr. Sander and Professor Braarvig found some 40 folio 
>fragments of the A.s.tasaahasrikaapraj~naapaaramitaa among palm-leaf 
>manuscripts in Ku.saa.na script. Dr. Sander infers that these 
>fragments date back to the second century. The language in the text 
>is a kind of Buddhist Sanskrit, a dialect similar to that of the 
>Mahaavastu. For example, "eva.m vutte" represents "evam ukte." The 
>second century is not far from the date when the text of 
>Praj~naapaaramitaa suutras has been established, and now actual 
>evidence has appeared. It proves the fact that the earliest 
>Praj~naapaaramitaa was not completed as a genuine Sanskrit text from 
>the beginning, but that fairly vulgar Prakrit versions of the suutra 
>existed in India preceding the Sanscritized texts. To say the least, 
>these are the earliest Mahaayaana texts which are extant today and 
>written in the beautiful Ku.saa.na script."
>
>http://ccbs.ntu.edu.tw/FULLTEXT/JR-JOS/jos94088.htm
>
>Best wishes,
>
>James Ward