This article examines the early development of the theme of the ‘32 Marks of a Great Man’ in the Buddhist tradition. The first part of the article examines the emergence of this theme in the early Buddhist oral tradition, preserved in the sūtras of various surviving versions of the Tripiṭaka. The second part of the article then demonstrates that there are numerous parallels between the Buddhist list of 32 marks and ideas recorded in the chapters on physiognomy and ‘Great Men’ in the 6th century Bṛhatsaṃhitā of Varāhamihira. These parallels strongly suggest that, as the Buddhist texts suggest, there is indeed a relationship between the Buddhist concept of ‘32 Marks’ and Brahmanical physiognomy, although the historical development of that relationship is still poorly understood.
目次
The 32 Marks in the Early Buddhist Tradition 209 The "Triple Veda" Formula 211 The "Fame of Gotama" Formula 215 The "Two Paths of Great Man" Formula 218 The Theme of a Brahman Seeking the 32 Marks of a Great man on The Buddha 221 the Search for a Brahmanical List of 32 Marks 223 Parallels to the 32 Marks in the Brhatsamhita 226 Tracing the History of Brahmanical Physiognomy 240 Conclusions 242 Abbreviations 244 References 244 ABSTRACT 247
