[Buddha-l] Written and oral traditions.

[Joy Vriens]

Hi Margaret,

>My impression, which is subject to correction, is that the main importance 
>of oral transmission is that it shows clearly you have received the text 
>from an authorised source--the teacher who has recited it to you. In the 
>empowerments I have received, we are then given a printed text to use as 
>the basis for further practice. As far as I am aware, Tibetan Buddhism has 
>nothing that can be called an 'oral tradition', since from the very start 
>it was text-based. 

I heard about studies (Chinese and others) being done with Tibetan bards who sang the epic of Gesar of Ling. If Robin Kornman is still on this list he could tell us more about it no doubt.

Joy