Mahayana Mahaparinirvana Sutra - Dating

Dating

Though not a specialist on this text, Paul Williams opines that as Mahayana sutra, it is of rather late date (after the 2nd century CE). In contrast to this view, specialist scholars believe that the compilation of the core portion (corresponding to the Faxian and Tibetan translations) must have occurred at an earlier date, during or prior to the 2nd century CE, based internal evidence and on Chinese canonical catalogs. Likewise, the Buddhist scholar and translator of the Tibetan version of the sutra, Stephen Hodge, speculates that it could well date from around 100CE to 220CE. Standard studies of the Buddha's life use the Mahaparinibbana Sutta as the principal source of reference.

Read more about this topic:  Mahayana Mahaparinirvana Sutra

Famous quotes containing the word dating:

    We go on dating from Cold Fridays and Great Snows; but a little colder Friday, or greater snow would put a period to man’s existence on the globe.
    Henry David Thoreau (1817–1862)