Hindu idea of "hidden" verses in heaven

[Christian K. Wedemeyer]

Not just Hindu at all, nor just Tantric.

I discuss the range of these narratives at some length in chapter three of my forthcoming book, _Making Sense of Tantric Buddhism: History, Semiology and Transgression in the Indian Traditions_ (Columbia Univ. Press, due out autumn 2012).

An outstanding treatment of the subtending issues regarding intellectual/cultural organization that are implicit in such concepts may be found in: S. Pollock, "The Theory of Practice and the Practice of Theory in Indian Intellectual History," JAOS, vol. 105, no. 3, pp. 499-519.


On Feb 14, 2012, at 9:35 AM, Paul Hackett wrote:
> On Feb 14, 2012, at 10:16 AM, Dean Michael Anderson wrote:
> Does anyone know the origin of this idea of a large heavenly corpus in 
>> contrast to a smaller earthly one? Or have any citations for texts that 
>> mention it?
> 
> This is a standard story found in Buddhist tantras -- the Kalacakra-tantra and Guhyasamaja-tantra being two of the more notable ones.  In these accounts, longer discourses were given in various 'heavens' or other locations of uncertain identity, while only abbreviated versions of the teachings are transmitted to the human realm.
>   The stories relating such, are found in the commentarial literature to those tantras.

--
Christian K. Wedemeyer
Associate Professor of the History of Religions
Chair, History of Religions Area
University of Chicago Divinity School
1025 E 58th Street
Chicago, IL 60637
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