Kashmir, Tamilnadu, Panini, Abhinavagupta, etc.

[Petr Mares]

Dear Mr. Ganesan

> All Chinese and Tibetan Potalaka are secondary derivatives of
> Mt. Potalaka, the abode of Avalokitezvara mentioned in
> GaNDavyUha sUtra for the first time. (2nd century AD).
Is there such old manuscript of GaNDavyUha. I have very
convincing experience that text verysignificantly change  through
the centuries. Unless there is a manuscript or the passage is
repeated in the text that has that old manuscript we should not
claim that it is from from 2nd century. There are very convincing
examples of the Sanskrit Buddhist texts that have counterparts in
much older Chinese mansucripts. I would like to hear some other
experiences and shere the examples.


> "Chinese like to shorten Potalaka as P'u t'o.
Chinese shorten everythink, for example Beijing DaXue (BeiJing -
the city DaXue - university) becomes BeiDa etc..

> They mean one and the same. Even though P'u t'o is an island,
> Chinese always call it Mount P'u t'o" - Chun-fang Yu,
> Prof. of Religion, Rutgers University

Many of the island off the coast of Shanghai are called by name
ending on "Shan" - mountain, but that is the name, it probably
does not suggest there is a mountain there.
>
> "Ganesan, I don't think there is much point in trying to
> distinguish between Potala and Potalaka" - Geoffrey Samuel,
> author of Civilized shamans: Buddhism in Tibetan societies, 1993
> (which I immensely enjoy reading).

The Chinese Are masters of shortening, there is no doubt. Even
Buddha (FuoTa) become just Fuo.

>
> Pl. note the Saivaite link to Mt. Potala here also.
> Potala and Potalaka are one and the same.

Pl;ease note that many Buddhist text were growing through the
centuries and now we have in the Sanskrit manuscripts of Lanka
persons, like Shiva, Ravana, Indra, Katyayana etc.very often
mentioned. But even in the older versions there are many Hindu
gods and godesses, rakshasas etc. The buddhist were certainly
influenced by the cultere that surrounded them. Buddha in
Bhagavat in Lankavatara often identifies himself with Buddha, Indra,
Shiva etc..

Sincerely

Petr Mares
Petr Mares
Lengqie Research
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