[Buddha-l] Re: Chronology of Pali texts

[Stephen Hodge]

L.S. Cousins wrote:

> So the early Mahaayaana arises at a time when Buddhism had already
> developed considerable variety, looking only at what we know about.
> And it is highly probable that we know only a small fraction of the
> variations existing in pre-Mahaayaana Buddhism. [snip]. I would think 
> rather in
> terms of the coalescing of a number of different strands to form a
> new synthesis or syntheses which then become the starting-point for
> new developments.
I have just finished reading Joseph Walser's "Nagarjuna in Context" 
(Columbia 2005).  Fortunately this is not yet another book on Nagarjuna's 
MMK, but deals with the strategies that he and early Mahayanists seem to 
have employed to gain acceptance for survival within their home communities. 
A grasp of these strategies provides a very useful tool for understanding 
the way in which early Mahayana sutras were compiled.  It's also worth a 
read, since Walser presents a rationale for the different strands to which 
you allude -- he suggests that doctrinal content was of necessity 
conditioned by social contexts, lay and sectarian monastic.  I recommend 
this thought-provoking book to those who have not yet read it -- for those 
interested, a review was posted on H-Buddhism on 26/01

Best wishes,
Stephen Hodge