Celestial Ascent among Hindus and Buddhists

Hindu

Ascent of the "Munis"

1 Rig Veda 10.136 [= Griffith, Ralph T. H. The Hymns of the Rgveda. (rpt. Motilal Banarsidass, 1973), pp. 636-7] [ BL 1112.52 .E53 1973]

Ritual Sacrifice as Ascent among the Indo-Aryans

2 Shatapatha Brahmana 5.2.1.1-25 [= Eggeling, Julius, tr. The Satapatha-Brahmana, vol. 3, in Sacred Books of the East, vol. 41, (Oxford 1894, rep. Motilala Banarsidass, 1963), pp. 30-6.] [NA]

3 Shatapatha Brahmana 8.7.4.1-21 [= Eggeling, 4:144-9.] [NA]

4 Taittiriya Sanhita 1.7.9 and 6.6.4 [= Keith, Arthur Berriedale, tr. The Veda of the Black Yajus School entitled Taittiriya Sanhita (Harvard, 1914), pp. 108, 550-1] [PK 2971 .H3]

5 Brhadaranyaka Upanishad 3.3 [= Olivelle, Patrick, Upanisads, (Oxford, 1996), p. 38 [older translation = BL 1120 .A3 H8 1971]

Rajasuya: Shatapatha Brahmana 5.2.3.1 ff. [= Eggeling, 3:42 ff.]; Taittiriya Sanhita 1.8.1-22 [= Keith, 113-132]; Heesterman, J. C. The Ancient Royal Indian Concecration (Mouton, 1957) [NA]

Arjuna's Ascents

6 Mahabharata,Vana Parva 3.37-47, [=Van Buitenen, J. A. B. The Mahabharata, vol. 2 (Chicago, 1975), pp. 294-314] [NA]

7 Mahabharata, Drona Parva 7.80-81 [= Ganguli, Kisari Mohan, tr. The Mahabharata, 5th ed. (Munshiram Manoharlal, 1992), 6:154-9 ] [complete translation NA]

Yudhisthira's Ascent

8 Mahabharata, Mahaprasthanika Parva, 2 [= Ganguli, Kisari Mohan, tr. The Mahabharata, 5th ed. (Munshiram Manoharlal, 1992), 12:3-7 ] [complete translation NA]

Bhrgu's cosmic vision of Hell

9 Jaiminiya Brahmana 1.42-44 [= Bodewitz, H. W. Jaiminiya Brahmana I, 1-65: Translation and Commentary (Brill, 1973), pp. 99-109] [BL 1119.5 .J34 E53 1973]

Buddhism

General

10 Jones, Edward T. "A Comparative Study of Ascension Motifs," in Spencer Palmer, ed. Deity and Death (BYU, 1978), pp. 79-105, esp 90-3. [BX 8630.1 .P182d 1978]

Jataka tales (earlier incarnations of the Buddha) [Jones, 90-91]

four bhikkhus who ascended to Heaven: Sadhina, Mandhata, Nimi, Guttilla

11 Jataka 494, 258, 541, 243 [= Cowell, E. B., et al.The Jataka: or Sotries of the Buddh's Former Births 3 vols. (Cambridge, 1985-1907), Pali Text Society (rept. 1981)] [BL 1411 .J3 C6]

The Buddha Teaches in Paradise in 7th year of Enlightenment [Jones 92-3]

Ayogula sutta, Samyutta Nikaya 5.282-4 [= Rhys Davids, C. A. F. and Woodward, F. L. The Book of the Kindred Sayings, 5 vols. (London, 1917-30)] [NA]

Mahapadana sutta, Digha Nikaya 2.50-2 [= Rhys Davids, T. W. and Rhys Davids C. A. F. Dialogues of the Buddha. 3 vols. (London, 1899-1921)] [NA]

Bakabrahma sutta, Samyutta Nikaya 1.142

12 Fa-hsien, Travels. [= H. A. Giles, tr.The Travels of Fa-Hsien (399-414 A.D.), or Record of the Buddhistic Kingdoms. (Routledge and Paul, 1956, rept. Greenwood, 1981), pp. 24-27]

Anuruddha (disciple of the Buddha) [Jones 91-2]

Uposatha sutta, Anguttara nikaya, 2.183 [= Woodward, F. L. and Hare, E. M. The Book of the Gradual Sayings. 5 vols. (London 1932-36)

Iddhi sutta, Samyutta Nikaya, 5.303

Moggallana = Mugalan (disciple of the Buddha) [Jones, 91-2]

Vimanavatthu

Anguttara Nikaya 3.331-2, 4.75-8

Samyutta Nikaya 5.366-9

Tibetan Buddhism

Ascent and the Primordial Tibetan Kings

13 Gyaltsen, Sakyapa Sonam, tr. McComas Taylor and Lama Choedak Yuthok, The Clear Mirror: A Traditional Account of Tibet's Golden Age. (Snow Lion, 1996), pp. 80-83. [NA]

Ascent of the Tibetan Delok

14 Pommaret, Francoise. "Returning from Hell," in Donald S. Lopez, Jr. Religions of Tibet in Practice (Princeton, 1997), 499-510 [BQ 7620 .R45 1997]

Background Bibliography on Hinduism

Flood, Gavin. An Introduction to Hinduism. (Cambridge, 1996) [BL 1202 .F56 1996]

Klostermaier, Klaus K. A Survey of Hinduism. 2nd ed. (SUNY, 1994) [BL 1202 .K56 1994]

Lopez, Donald S. Religions of India in practice. (Princeton 1995) [BL 2001.2 .R384 1995]

Background Bibliography on Buddhism

Harvey, Peter. An Introduction to Buddhism: Teachings, History and Practices. (Cambridge, 1990)

Lopez, Donald S. Buddhism in Practice. (Princeton, 1995)

Skilton, Andrew. A Concise History of Buddhism. (Windhorse, 1994)

Yoshinori, Takeuchi. Buddhist Spirituality. (Crossroad, 1995)