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**darieBarexish** · 10-07-2011, 05:32 AM

Hi all you lovelies. Apologies for taking so long to get back to you. Am very time poor, but impressed by all the discussion our question has provoked. To put our quote into context, here is a quote from the workbook which is devised and set for us by the examining body OCR:

"Are Buddhist scriptures revealed texts?

In most religions, scriptures are considered sacred because they contain the truths revealed by God. Since Buddhists do not believe in a creator God, their scriptures are not considered to be divinely revealed. Some may therefore question whether they can have the same status and authority as scriptures in other traditions.

Although Buddhist scriptures are not revealed by God they might be considered to be revealed by the Buddha. Certainly, early scriptures such as the sutta pitaka of the Pali Canon will be viewed in this way. Since the Buddha is a human being, are they still regarded as revealed texts, i.e. texts that reveal ultimate truths that may otherwise be inaccessible? Before revealing the dhamma (truths or teachings) which are recorded in the texts, he had gained enlightenment. He was therefore able to access ultimate truths that are hidden from most people. It could therefore be argued that the texts should be seen as revelations. As such the scriptures are highly respected. They are often kept on stands or shelves, and would not be placed on the floor by most Buddhists.

The Buddha did, however, feel that these truths were accessible to others if they followed the correct paths, and he encouraged Buddhists to test his teachings against their own experiences, only accepting them if they were found to be true by other means. This has led to an open and critical approach towards the teachings within the scriptures of Buddhism.

FOR DEBATE

What do we mean by ‘divine’? If Buddhist scriptures are not revealed by God, can they be regarded as divine? If Buddhist scriptures are not divinely revealed, can they have the same status and importance as scriptures in other religions?
How are the scriptures used and studied? Buddhism is a vast tradition, and as such, the use of the scriptures varies tremendously between different Buddhist."

10-07-2011, 05:32 AM	#21
darieBarexish Join Date Oct 2005 Posts 428 Senior Member	Hi all you lovelies. Apologies for taking so long to get back to you. Am very time poor, but impressed by all the discussion our question has provoked. To put our quote into context, here is a quote from the workbook which is devised and set for us by the examining body OCR: "Are Buddhist scriptures revealed texts? In most religions, scriptures are considered sacred because they contain the truths revealed by God. Since Buddhists do not believe in a creator God, their scriptures are not considered to be divinely revealed. Some may therefore question whether they can have the same status and authority as scriptures in other traditions. Although Buddhist scriptures are not revealed by God they might be considered to be revealed by the Buddha. Certainly, early scriptures such as the sutta pitaka of the Pali Canon will be viewed in this way. Since the Buddha is a human being, are they still regarded as revealed texts, i.e. texts that reveal ultimate truths that may otherwise be inaccessible? Before revealing the dhamma (truths or teachings) which are recorded in the texts, he had gained enlightenment. He was therefore able to access ultimate truths that are hidden from most people. It could therefore be argued that the texts should be seen as revelations. As such the scriptures are highly respected. They are often kept on stands or shelves, and would not be placed on the floor by most Buddhists. The Buddha did, however, feel that these truths were accessible to others if they followed the correct paths, and he encouraged Buddhists to test his teachings against their own experiences, only accepting them if they were found to be true by other means. This has led to an open and critical approach towards the teachings within the scriptures of Buddhism. FOR DEBATE What do we mean by ‘divine’? If Buddhist scriptures are not revealed by God, can they be regarded as divine? If Buddhist scriptures are not divinely revealed, can they have the same status and importance as scriptures in other religions? How are the scriptures used and studied? Buddhism is a vast tradition, and as such, the use of the scriptures varies tremendously between different Buddhist."
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