When did the gods become literate? Was: Are the gods literate?

[Swaminathan Madhuresan]

PKM:More specifically, are there references to Buddhism and
PKM:writing in the Ramayana?

  There is not much reference to Buddhism and writing in the Ram.
  The Ram. may predate writing in buddhism.

  Modeled after brahminical religion, the early hinayana concentrates mainly
  on oral transmission. From aural to visual/writing transition happens
  in the mahayana phase of buddhism. Many mahayana sutras are written
  in the Dravidian south, Andhra and Kanchi. Contrasting the northern
  nonpreference for writing with the praise for it in the south, one can say
  buddhist writings got a thrust from the south. The patronage from the
  sea-faring merchant communities of tamil/telugu coasts was important
  for the writing and spread of buddhist sutras to southeast/east asia.
  The southeast asian scripts originate from the Pallava grantha letters.
  Even the earliest buddhist sayings get written down in the far south (Lanka).







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