Studies in Dhāraṇī Literature II: Pragmatics of Dhāraṇīs

Ronald M. Davidson

doi:10.1017/S0041977X13000943

Studies in Dhāraṇī Literature II: Pragmatics of Dhāraṇīs

Ronald M. Davidson

Fairfield University

Research output: Contribution to journal › Article › peer-review

Abstract

<p> This article is one of a series that reassesses the dh&amacr;raṇ&imacr; texts of Mah&amacr;y&amacr;na Buddhism. The article seeks to examine dh&amacr;raṇ&imacr; texts by using the linguistic tools of pragmatics, especially historical pragmatics, to assist the understanding of their statements. Rather than the meaning of the term dh&amacr;raṇ&imacr; as a subject term, the domain of truth-conditional semantics, this paper examines statements in texts labelled dh&amacr;raṇ&imacr;. Pragmatics examines meaning in context, and the categories of speech acts developed by Searle has been especially helpful in mapping out differences within such texts and the formalization of statements across texts. The grammaticalization of specific speech elements, especially interjections, in the context of mantra-dh&amacr;raṇ&imacr;s is also discussed.</p>

Original language	American English
Journal	Bulletin of the School of Oriental and African Studies
Volume	77
DOIs	https://doi.org/10.1017/S0041977X13000943
State	Published - Feb 1 2014

Keywords

Mantra
Dhāraṇī
Historical pragmatics
Tantra
Buddhism
Speech acts

Disciplines

Arts and Humanities
Religion

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10.1017/S0041977X13000943License: CC BY

Studies in Dh ra Literature II Pragmatics of Dh ra sFinal published version, 561 KBLicense: CC BY

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title = "Studies in Dhāraṇī Literature II: Pragmatics of Dhāraṇīs",

abstract = " This article is one of a series that reassesses the dh\&amacr;raṇ\&imacr; texts of Mah\&amacr;y\&amacr;na Buddhism. The article seeks to examine dh\&amacr;raṇ\&imacr; texts by using the linguistic tools of pragmatics, especially historical pragmatics, to assist the understanding of their statements. Rather than the meaning of the term dh\&amacr;raṇ\&imacr; as a subject term, the domain of truth-conditional semantics, this paper examines statements in texts labelled dh\&amacr;raṇ\&imacr;. Pragmatics examines meaning in context, and the categories of speech acts developed by Searle has been especially helpful in mapping out differences within such texts and the formalization of statements across texts. The grammaticalization of specific speech elements, especially interjections, in the context of mantra-dh\&amacr;raṇ\&imacr;s is also discussed.",

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N2 - This article is one of a series that reassesses the dh&amacr;raṇ&imacr; texts of Mah&amacr;y&amacr;na Buddhism. The article seeks to examine dh&amacr;raṇ&imacr; texts by using the linguistic tools of pragmatics, especially historical pragmatics, to assist the understanding of their statements. Rather than the meaning of the term dh&amacr;raṇ&imacr; as a subject term, the domain of truth-conditional semantics, this paper examines statements in texts labelled dh&amacr;raṇ&imacr;. Pragmatics examines meaning in context, and the categories of speech acts developed by Searle has been especially helpful in mapping out differences within such texts and the formalization of statements across texts. The grammaticalization of specific speech elements, especially interjections, in the context of mantra-dh&amacr;raṇ&imacr;s is also discussed.

AB - This article is one of a series that reassesses the dh&amacr;raṇ&imacr; texts of Mah&amacr;y&amacr;na Buddhism. The article seeks to examine dh&amacr;raṇ&imacr; texts by using the linguistic tools of pragmatics, especially historical pragmatics, to assist the understanding of their statements. Rather than the meaning of the term dh&amacr;raṇ&imacr; as a subject term, the domain of truth-conditional semantics, this paper examines statements in texts labelled dh&amacr;raṇ&imacr;. Pragmatics examines meaning in context, and the categories of speech acts developed by Searle has been especially helpful in mapping out differences within such texts and the formalization of statements across texts. The grammaticalization of specific speech elements, especially interjections, in the context of mantra-dh&amacr;raṇ&imacr;s is also discussed.

KW - Mantra

KW - Dhāraṇī

KW - Historical pragmatics

KW - Tantra

KW - Buddhism

KW - Speech acts

UR - https://digitalcommons.fairfield.edu/religiousstudies-facultypubs/103

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DO - 10.1017/S0041977X13000943

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JO - Bulletin of the School of Oriental and African Studies

JF - Bulletin of the School of Oriental and African Studies

ER -

Studies in Dhāraṇī Literature II: Pragmatics of Dhāraṇīs

Abstract

Keywords

Disciplines

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