Meditative Listening in the Pāli Buddhist Canon
Issued Date
2023-01-01
Resource Type
ISSN
00295973
eISSN
15685276
Scopus ID
2-s2.0-85150634569
Journal Title
Numen
Volume
70
Issue
2-3
Start Page
254
End Page
285
Rights Holder(s)
SCOPUS
Bibliographic Citation
Numen Vol.70 No.2-3 (2023) , 254-285
Suggested Citation
Giustarini G. Meditative Listening in the Pāli Buddhist Canon. Numen Vol.70 No.2-3 (2023) , 254-285. 285. doi:10.1163/15685276-20231693 Retrieved from: https://repository.li.mahidol.ac.th/handle/20.500.14594/81587
Title
Meditative Listening in the Pāli Buddhist Canon
Author(s)
Author's Affiliation
Other Contributor(s)
Abstract
This article addresses the intersection of the oral tradition with textual contents in Pāli Buddhist literature, by focusing mostly on the Suttapiaka. Lexicon and stylistic features can be seen as intentional strategies to enhance specific mnemonic and meditative qualities in the disciples, thus working symbiotically with the instructions they convey. By examining selected passages, I will demonstrate a functional interrelationship of three main factors: The lexicon of listening, the emphasis on attention, and meditative instructions. These three factors, in turn, rely upon the authoritative power of the scriptures, which is constructed and reinforced with specific rhetorical stratagems to raise and enhance meditative qualities in the disciples. Keywords