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[pclaus at s1.csuhayward.edu]

New Message
Date: May 14, 1996 
 
Indology List
indology at Liverpool.ac.uk
 
Dear Members
 
I am not at all knowledgeable about ancient Indian religious
literature, but the verses from the atmastutis to which GT refers
seem to describe something like spirit possession or some sort of
shamanistic ritual rather than what I think of as a (formal)
doctrine of either transmigration or reincarnation.  Spirit
possession is a common event in south Indian ritual and shamanism
is common throughout northern India. Both, of course, occur
almost world-wide (shamanism throughout Eurasia and the Americas;
spirit possession throughout south Asia and Africa). If this is
evidence of either a doctrine of transmigration or reincarnation,
then it would seem these are very much older than the 6th
century.
 
But is the "doctrine of transmigration" so vaguely defined that
any form of interparticpation of identity, whether in ritual
drama or mythological intertextuality might serve as evidence for
its existence?  If so, why not contemplate Africa or northern
Asia (because of its prevalence in these regions) as its source?
For that matter, why should one limit oneself to a textual
source, not a belief or a practice for which other kinds of
evidence might be more readily available?
 
Peter J. Claus                        
fax: (510) 885-3353
pclaus at csuhayward.edu