Link: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/%C4%80gama_(Buddhism)
In Buddhism, an āgama (Sanskrit and Pāli for "sacred work"[1] or "scripture"[2]) is a collection of Early Buddhist scriptures.
In Buddhism, the term āgama is used to refer to a collection of discourses (Sanskrit: sutra; Pali: sutta) of the early Buddhist schools, which were preserved primarily in Chinese translation, with substantial material also surviving in Sanskrit and lesser but still significant amounts surviving in Gāndhārī and in Tibetan translation.
The various āgamas
There are four extant collections of āgamas, and one for which we have only references and fragments (the Kṣudrakāgama).
In Buddhism, an āgama (Sanskrit and Pāli for "sacred work"[1] or "scripture"[2]) is a collection of Early Buddhist scriptures.
The five āgamas together comprise the Sūtra Piṭaka of the early Buddhist schools.
The various schools had different recensions of each āgama.
In the Pali Canon of theTheravada school, the term nikāya is used in place of āgama.
Āgamas of various schools are preserved in Chinese translation, and portions also survive in Tibetan translation, and in Sanskrit.
In Buddhism, the term āgama is used to refer to a collection of discourses (Sanskrit: sutra; Pali: sutta) of the early Buddhist schools, which were preserved primarily in Chinese translation, with substantial material also surviving in Sanskrit and lesser but still significant amounts surviving in Gāndhārī and in Tibetan translation.
These sutras correspond to the first four Nikayas (and parts of the fifth) of the Sutta-Pitaka of the Pali Canon, which are also occasionally called agamas.
In this sense, āgama is a synonym for one of the meanings of nikaya.
Sometimes the word āgama is used to refer not to a specific scripture, but to a class of scripture.
Sometimes the word āgama is used to refer not to a specific scripture, but to a class of scripture.
In this case, its meaning can also encompass the Sutta-pitaka, which the Theravada tradition holds to be the oldest and most historically accurate representation of the teachings of Gautama Buddha, together with the Vinaya-pitaka.[3]
In the 4th century Mahāyāna abhidharma work Abhidharmasamuccaya, Asaṅga refers to the collection which contains the āgamas as theŚrāvakapiṭaka, and associates it with the śrāvakas and pratyekabuddhas.[4]
In the 4th century Mahāyāna abhidharma work Abhidharmasamuccaya, Asaṅga refers to the collection which contains the āgamas as theŚrāvakapiṭaka, and associates it with the śrāvakas and pratyekabuddhas.[4]
Asaṅga classifies the Mahāyāna sūtras as belonging to theBodhisattvapiṭaka, which is designated as the collection of teachings for bodhisattvas.[4]
The various āgamas
There are four extant collections of āgamas, and one for which we have only references and fragments (the Kṣudrakāgama).
The four extant collections are preserved in their entirety only in Chinese translation (āgama: 阿含經), although small portions of all four have recently been discovered in Sanskrit, and portions of four of the five āgamas are preserved in Tibetan.
Madhyama Āgama
The Madhyama Āgama ("Middle-length Discourses," Zhōng Ahánjīng 中阿含經, Taishō 26)corresponds to the Majjhima Nikāya of the Theravada school. A complete translation of the Madhyama Āgama of the Sarvāstivāda school was done by Saṃghadeva (僧伽提婆) in the Eastern Jin dynasty (東晉) in 397-398 CE. The Madhyama Āgama of the Sarvāstivāda school contains 222 sūtras, in contrast to the 152 suttas in the Pāli Majjhima Nikāya. Portions of the Sarvāstivāda Madhyama Āgama also survive in Tibetan translation.
Saṃyukta Āgama
The Saṃyukta Āgama ("Connected Discourses", Zá Ahánjīng 雜阿含經 Taishō 2.99) corresponds to the Saṃyutta Nikāya of the Theravada school.
There is also an incomplete Chinese translation of the Saṃyukta Āgama (別譯雜阿含經 Taishō 100) of the Kāśyapīya (飲光部) school by an unknown translator, from around the Three Qin (三秦) period, 352-431 CE.
Ekottara Āgama
Main article: Ekottara Agama
The Ekottara Āgama ("Numbered Discourses," Zēngyī Ahánjīng, 增壹阿含經 Taishō 125)
Kṣudraka Āgama or Kṣudraka Piṭaka
The Kṣudraka Āgama ("Minor Collection") corresponds to the Khuddaka Nikāya, and existed in some schools.
The five Āgamas are:
Dīrgha Āgama
The Dīrgha Āgama ("Long Discourses," Cháng Ahánjīng 長阿含經 Taishō 1) corresponds to the Dīgha Nikāya of the Theravada school.
Dīrgha Āgama
The Dīrgha Āgama ("Long Discourses," Cháng Ahánjīng 長阿含經 Taishō 1) corresponds to the Dīgha Nikāya of the Theravada school.
A complete version of the Dīrgha Āgama of the Dharmaguptaka (法藏部) school was done Buddhayaśas (佛陀耶舍) and Zhu Fonian (竺佛念) in the Late Qin dynasty (後秦), dated to 413 CE.
It contains 30 sūtras in contrast to the 34 suttas of the Theravadin Dīgha Nikāya.
A "very substantial" portion of the Sarvāstivādin Dīrgha Āgama survives in Sanskrit, and portions survive in Tibetan translation.
Madhyama Āgama
The Madhyama Āgama ("Middle-length Discourses," Zhōng Ahánjīng 中阿含經, Taishō 26)corresponds to the Majjhima Nikāya of the Theravada school. A complete translation of the Madhyama Āgama of the Sarvāstivāda school was done by Saṃghadeva (僧伽提婆) in the Eastern Jin dynasty (東晉) in 397-398 CE. The Madhyama Āgama of the Sarvāstivāda school contains 222 sūtras, in contrast to the 152 suttas in the Pāli Majjhima Nikāya. Portions of the Sarvāstivāda Madhyama Āgama also survive in Tibetan translation.
Saṃyukta Āgama
The Saṃyukta Āgama ("Connected Discourses", Zá Ahánjīng 雜阿含經 Taishō 2.99) corresponds to the Saṃyutta Nikāya of the Theravada school.
A Chinese translation of the complete Saṃyukta Āgama of the Sarvāstivāda (說一切有部) school was done by Guṇabhadra (求那跋陀羅) in the Song state (宋), dated to 435-443 CE.
Portions of the Sarvāstivāda Saṃyukta Āgama also survive in Sanskrit and Tibetan translation.
There is also an incomplete Chinese translation of the Saṃyukta Āgama (別譯雜阿含經 Taishō 100) of the Kāśyapīya (飲光部) school by an unknown translator, from around the Three Qin (三秦) period, 352-431 CE.
A comparison of the Sarvāstivādin, Kāśyapīya, and Theravadin texts reveals a considerable consistency of content, although each recension contains texts not found in the others.
Ekottara Āgama
Main article: Ekottara Agama
The Ekottara Āgama ("Numbered Discourses," Zēngyī Ahánjīng, 增壹阿含經 Taishō 125)
corresponds to the Anguttara Nikāya of the Theravada school.
A complete version of the Ekottara Āgama was translated by Dharmanandi (曇摩難提) of the Fu Qin state (苻秦), and edited by Gautama Saṃghadeva in 397–398 CE.
Some believed that it came from the Sarvāstivāda school, but more recently the Mahāsāṃghika branch has been proposed as well.
According to A.K. Warder, the Ekottara Āgama references 250 Prātimokṣa rules for monks, which agrees only with the Dharmaguptaka Vinaya, which is also located in the Chinese Buddhist canon.
He also views some of the doctrine as contradicting tenets of the Mahāsāṃghika school, and states that they agree with Dharmaguptaka views currently known.
He therefore concludes that the extant Ekottara Āgama is that of the Dharmaguptaka school.
Of the four Āgamas of the Sanskritic Sūtra Piṭaka in the Chinese Buddhist Canon, it is the one which differs most from the Theravādin version.
The Ekottara Āgama contains variants on such standard teachings as the Noble Eightfold Path. According to Keown, "there is considerable disparity between the Pāli and the [Chinese] versions, with more than two-thirds of the sūtras found in one but not the other compilation, which suggests that much of this portion of the Sūtra Piṭaka was not formed until a fairly late date."
Kṣudraka Āgama or Kṣudraka Piṭaka
The Kṣudraka Āgama ("Minor Collection") corresponds to the Khuddaka Nikāya, and existed in some schools.
The Dharmaguptaka in particular, had a Kṣudraka Āgama.
The Chinese translation of the Dharmaguptaka Vinaya provides a table of contents for the Dharmaguptaka recension of the Kṣudraka Āgama, and fragments in Gandhari appear to have been found.
Items from this Āgama also survive in Tibetan and Chinese translation—fourteen texts, in the later case.
Some schools, notably the Sarvāstivāda, recognized only four Āgamas—they had a "Kṣudraka" which they did not consider to be an "Āgama."
Others—including even the Dharmaguptaka, according to some contemporary scholars—preferred to term it a ""Kṣudraka Piṭaka."
As with its Pāḷi counterpart, the Kṣudraka Āgama appears to have been a miscellany, and was perhaps never definitively established among many early schools.
Dear all,
Have you picked up something interesting from the above? :)
Hahaha!
There are people that are So Free as to "Go Around Comparing"!
SZ said: Comparing results in Disputes!
How True!!!
Why do people WASTE TIME in Comparing and Ascertaining which Sutra is Truly Buddha's Teachings?
Didn't Buddha said: I Did Not Turn the Dharmachakra at all! :)
SZ said: I didn't share any Buddha Dharma at all!
Frankly speaking, as per SZ, the Best method for Samadhi is the One that you can really enters Samadhi!
Therefore, the Best or Most Authentic Buddha Dharma is the One that you can Use for Self & All Beings, to Reach and Enter Nirvana!
Why waste time arguing over who is genuine and who is fake?
Like I always said: Cultivation cannot bluff, Have or Don't Have can't Lie! :)
Cheers all
Om Guru Lian Sheng Siddhi Hom
Lama Lotuschef
Hahaha!
There are people that are So Free as to "Go Around Comparing"!
SZ said: Comparing results in Disputes!
How True!!!
Why do people WASTE TIME in Comparing and Ascertaining which Sutra is Truly Buddha's Teachings?
Didn't Buddha said: I Did Not Turn the Dharmachakra at all! :)
SZ said: I didn't share any Buddha Dharma at all!
Frankly speaking, as per SZ, the Best method for Samadhi is the One that you can really enters Samadhi!
Therefore, the Best or Most Authentic Buddha Dharma is the One that you can Use for Self & All Beings, to Reach and Enter Nirvana!
Why waste time arguing over who is genuine and who is fake?
Like I always said: Cultivation cannot bluff, Have or Don't Have can't Lie! :)
Cheers all
Om Guru Lian Sheng Siddhi Hom
Lama Lotuschef
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