Abstract
This article argues for the usefulness of the concept of belief narratives to expose the continuity between the spheres of religion and folklore. Focusing on the example of a number of discourses attributed to the Buddha in the Pāli canon, the idea is developed that an important function of canonical religious scripture is to bring about the institutionalization of belief narratives, which have emerged as central to society’s self-understanding. On the way, the neglected understanding of the folkloric dimension of Buddhist texts is addressed.
Recommended Citation
Shulman, Eviatar
(2021)
"Canonical Belief Narratives of the Buddha: Folklore and Religion in the Early Buddhist Discourses,"
Narrative Culture: Vol. 8:
Iss.
2, Article 3.
Available at:
https://digitalcommons.wayne.edu/narrative/vol8/iss2/3