Words After Emerging from Samadhi (出定後語)

About 出定後語

by 富永仲基著

30,042 · about 100 min

Tominaga Nakamoto was a Buddhist scholar of Japan's Edo period, whose work "Shutsujō Kōgo" critically examines the formation and evolution of Buddhist scriptures. Completed in the 18th century, this text employs historical and textual analysis to study Buddhist canons, arguing that Mahayana sutras were not directly spoken by the Buddha but were products of later gradual expansion. Nakamoto proposed the theory of "layered additions," suggesting that scriptural content accumulated over time through successive layers. This perspective challenged the traditional authority of Buddhism. As a pioneering work in early Buddhist textual criticism, "Shutsujō Kōgo" holds groundbreaking significance in the history of Buddhist studies, laying the foundation for modern academic research on Buddhism and influencing later reflections on the authenticity of Buddhist scriptures.