RG ST 12 Lecture Notes - Lecture 13: Bhavacakra, Devata, Purgatory
Document Summary
Expansion of buddhism 4th c. bce to 5th e. ce. Found today in se asia, sri lanka. Pali canon = three baskets of teachings: Live in isolation, but influence human society (sangha) Provide laity with spiritual guidance, occasions for almsgiving. King bimbisara leaves his capital to meet the buddha, sanchi, 1st c. ce. Merit (pu a) of generous acts can be accumulated, transferred (pattidana) Hindu sraddha, chinese death rites, catholic suffrages. Living offer alms to intermediary, who transfers benefits to dead. Suffrages currency for transactions between living and souls in purgatory. Assembled family of church as reserve bank . Pu a currency for transactoins between living and invisible petas. In theravada, merit transferred to petas, hungry ghosts . Petas rescued from peta world through transferred merit. If you do something really bad, you die on the spot. Petas flit amongst living, but are invisible to them. Depending on living, because no food in peta world.
