Literature, Performance, and Loving the Buddha in the Avadanasataka

This paper presents three literary strategies used in the portrayal of the Buddha in the Avadanasataka and asks what they tell us about the text, the Buddha, and the ways in which we as scholars should approach Buddhist literature. Through formulaic passages, audience responses, and glimpses of humanity counterbalancing the glories of the superhuman Buddha, this particular text offers a literary Buddha that is transformative for those he encounters both inside and outside the text. As such, this literary Buddha raises questions about the interface between literary creativity and Buddhist textual practice.