Early Giithaa sculptures

[N. Ganesan]

<<<<
 And if
bhakti could be traced to the practices which are described in ancient
Jaina and Buddhist sources, then it would also be wrong to think of
bhakti as a specifically Tamil phenomenon, even if Tamil authors gave
the bhakti movement an impetus. After all, the kind of phenomena which
Embree mentions are also found in Prakrit, Sanskrit and Kannada Jaina
texts from Karnataka. (And of course definitions of 'bhakti' differ from
one religious tradition to another.)
>>>>

  In my little readings on Buddhism, especially Mahayana,
  I could see bhakti-like phenomenon towards Bodhisattvas/Avalikta.

  Is a similar process observable in Jain texts of say,
   1-5th centuries AD?

  Of course, within the Hindu religion, Tamil authors made bhakti
  into a mass movement from 5th centuries AD. This is a major
  transformation of Hinduism. Nowadays, Hinduism is mostly bhakti.
  Quite an achievement.

  Regards,
  N. Ganesan



______________________________________________________
Get Your Private, Free Email at http://www.hotmail.com