2003/01/01 by Peter Skilling · 1 citation
Arts and Humanities · Social Sciences · Mathematics · #Indian and Buddhist Studies #Chinese history and philosophy #Eurasian Exchange Networks #Dharma #Sanskrit #Gautama Buddha #Buddhism #Inscribed figure #Ancient history #Hittite language #Colophon #Mainland #History #Sculpture #Art #Classics #Archaeology #Literature #Mathematics
paper · doi:10.3406/befeo.2003.3615
openalex publication_date 2003/01/01 · openalex created_date 2025/10/10 · openalex updated_date 2026/08/01
Peter Skilling Traces of the Dharma: Preliminary reports on some ye dhammā and ye dharmā inscriptions from Mainland South-East Asia The ye dharmā stanza is encountered in inscriptions throughout the ancient Buddhist world. A four-line summary of the Buddha's teaching, it was regarded as the 'dharma- relic' of the Blessed One and installed within caityas and images. It was also inscribed on stūpas and images of Buddhas and bodhisattvas, and recited in consecration rites. The study of ye dharmā inscriptions contributes to our understanding of the dissemination of Buddhist practices and languages. Numerous ye dharmā inscriptions have been discovered in mainland and insular South-East Asia. The article presents several examples of the formula from the mainland, most of which have not been published before in a European language. The examples— from Thailand and Vietnam, with one of unknown provenance—are written in several scripts in Pāli, Sanskritized Prakrit, and Sanskrit. They date from approximately the seventh to the tenth centuries.