Home > Society > Religion in India > Buddhist Poets
Buddhist Poets
Buddhist poetry is a type of literature that structures a part of Buddhist discourse. Buddhist scriptures enclose important words that help to understand the main streams and the whole of Lord Buddha and Buddhism.

Share this Article:

Buddhist Poets, Buddhist LiteratureBuddhist Poets framed the Buddhist Literature which helps to understand the main streams and the whole of Lord Buddha and Buddhism. The first examples of Buddhist poetry can be found in traditional scriptures for example the "Dhammapada".

Indian Buddhist Poets
Generally most Buddhist sutras have a prose element supplemented by verses that retell and poetically sum up the themes of earlier prose passages. The Buddhist poetry which is featured to the Lord Buddha himself forms a part of "Buddha Speech".

Monk Asvaghoa used his poetic aptitude and education in "Brahmanic" tradition to create poetry on a variety of Buddhist themes, like the life of the Buddha, the "Buddhacarita". He is considered India"s supreme poet before Kalidasa. When Lord Buddha had preached his first sermon in Varanasi, Ashvaghosha saw the city had been occupied by a Kushana emperor who was a devoted Buddhist. Ashvaghosha was a brilliant orator who spoke at length on "Mahayana" Buddhist set of guidelines at the fourth Buddhist council. His recognition lay mostly in his talent to describe the complicated concepts of "Mahayana Buddhism". The works attributed to him are the "Mahayana-shraddhotpada-shastra" ("The Awakening of Faith in the Mahayana"), the "Buddhacarita" ("The Life of Buddha") and the "Mahalankara" ("Book of Glory").

The philosophical writings of the great "Mahayana" sages, such as Nagarjuna and Asanga stand in the same relation to the "Mahayana" sutras as the "Abhidhamma" treatises do to their "Hinayana" counterparts. Although immensely convincing, they were never collected into a "Pitaka". Many of these Buddhist writings are found in Tibetan texts, Chinese translations, and even in distant North West countries.

This article is a stub. You can enrich by adding more information to it. Send your Write Up to [email protected].


Share this Article:

Related Articles

More Articles in Religion in India


Religion in Indus Valley Civilization
Religion in Indus Valley Civilisation included Hinduism, Buddhism and Jainism. Details about the religion in Indus Valley Civilization have been gathered from archaeological artefacts.
Shaivism Religion
Shaivism is the second largest “religious community” in modern India with its roots deeply seated in the Hindu Vedic belief.
Vaishnavism
Vaishnavism is among the more popular denominations of Hinduism, with its own distinctive ideas about spirituality and morality. Vaishnavism concentrates on worshipping god Vishnu and of his incarnations.
Hinduism Religion
Hinduism is more of a philosophy which is a way of living according to the understanding of the principles of Vedas and Upanishads.
Islam
Islam is a religion that beliefs in Allah as the one and only God and creator of the Universe. Islamic law or Sharia is characterised by the five pillars of Islam which comprise the essential duties of every Muslim.
Christianity
Christianity is a religion based on the teachings and life of Jesus Christ and it is the largest religion in the world.
Buddhism
Buddhism is a religion and a philosophy that encompasses a wide variety of beliefs, practices and traditions that are chiefly based on the teachings of Gautama Buddha and its later disciples.
Jainism
Jainism chronologically preceded the religion of Buddhism. It is considered as one of the oldest religions of India. Jainism in India shared with Hinduism and Buddhism. It is an integral part of South Asian religious belief and practice, but it is not a Hindu sect and not a Buddhist heresy, as earlier scholars believed.
Zoroastrianism
Zoroastrianism, closely related to Judaism, Christianity and Islam was founded by Zoroaster.
Sikhism
Sikhism is a religion started by Guru Nanak in land of Punjab in 15th century A.D.
Iyer Brahmin
Iyer Brahmins are originally from Tamil Nadu of South India. The Iyers have always taken an interest in preserving the arts and sciences.
Barai Caste
Barai Caste is the professional cultivator caste of betel leaf. Tamboli and Pansari are the terms used indifferently for Barai Caste. The diversity of names of the sub-divisions of Barai Caste discloses the mixed elements that formed the caste.
Dangi Caste
Dangi Caste is largely distributed in the high land regions, and the word Dangi is said to have originated from the geographical features of their territory. Main occupation of the members of Dangi Caste is cultivation.
Nadar Caste
One of the most renowned castes of Tamil Nadu is the Nadar caste. The Nadar community is a mixture of sub-castes and classes of different origins, which came under one banner of Nadar caste gradually.
Kumbhakar Caste
Kumbhakar is the potter caste who manufactures all kinds of earthen vessels.
Gujjars in Maharashtra
Gujjars in Maharashtra have several sub-castes. Here, in this state the Gurjars are listed as a separate caste. They are included in the Maharashtra OBC list.
Awasthi Brahmin
Awasthi is a surname or a family name of a particular sub-caste of Brahmins in the Indian continent.
Bhoyar Caste
Bhoyar Caste is largely found in the Central Provinces of the country. Traditional occupation of Bhoyars is agriculture. They are good cultivators and mostly grow sugarcane.
Gujjars in Mughal Era
Gujjars in the Mughal era enjoyed great power. Further their power increased with the decline of Aurangzeb, Mughal emperor.
Origin of Vaishnavism
Origin of Vaishnavism shares its attributes to many sources and religious evolution, dating back to pre-Vedic epoch.