Relics and Relic Worship in Early Buddhism: India, Afghanistan, Sri Lanka and Burma

Paperback

Main Details

Title Relics and Relic Worship in Early Buddhism: India, Afghanistan, Sri Lanka and Burma
Authors and Contributors      Edited by Janice Stargardt
Edited by Michael Willis
SeriesBritish Museum Research Publications
Series part Volume No. 218
Physical Properties
Format:Paperback
Pages:130
Dimensions(mm): Height 297,Width 210
Category/GenreAsian and Middle Eastern history
Archaeology by period and region
Buddhism
ISBN/Barcode 9780861592180
Audience
Professional & Vocational
Illustrations 75

Publishing Details

Publisher British Museum Press
Imprint British Museum Press
NZ Release Date 31 May 2018
Publication Country United Kingdom

Description

Among world religions, only Buddhism and Christianity attach a central significance to the role of relics. These two traditions, however, are different in both conceptual and material terms. In Buddhism, the most sacred relics are those considered parts of the cremated remains of the Buddha - a hair, a tooth, a small fragment of bone - or the tiny bead-like relics generated by the Buddha before entering nirvana. In contrast, Christianity venerates objects associated with Christ such as the thorns, the cross or his robe. This first generation of relics were later joined by both the bodily relics and items used by the saints. The papers in this volume, the culmination of a research project focussing on relic worship and Buddhism, cover a rich variety of themes. Subjects include a discussion of what constitutes a relic according to primary and secondary sources, as well as an analysis of the special terminology related to relic worship. Other chapters focus on the placement and treatment of relics in situ, in addition to the wider archaeological contexts for relics, relic chambers and reliquaries. New perspectives are also offered on the relics and reliquaries themselves, for example, the golden Bimaran casket from Afghanistan, an exceptional example of metalwork from the 1st century AD. The final chapter explores the spread of Buddhism to Burma and the evidence of the vibrant relic culture that has been found there, including some of the oldest surviving Pali inscriptions in the world, a text on gold leaves deposited in a relic chamber.