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śramaṇa
śramaṇa (Skt., striver; Pāli, samaṇa). One who exerts himself in the quest for religious knowledge, typically as a mendicant or homeless wanderer. Somewhat before the time of the Buddha such individuals constituted a movement of religious seekers who rejected the orthodox teachings of Brahmanism and typically formed themselves into small groups around a particular teacher or leader. It is out of this amorphous community that groups like the Jains (see Jainism), Ājivakas, and Buddhists subsequently emerged. In the Pāli Canon the Buddha is frequently referred to as ‘the samaṇa Gotama’ and the Indian religious community is summed up in the phrase ‘Samaṇas and Brāhmaṇas’, referring to unorthodox and the orthodox religious practitioners respectively.
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DAMIEN KEOWN. "śramaṇa." A Dictionary of Buddhism. 2004. Encyclopedia.com. 11 Feb. 2012 <http://www.encyclopedia.com>. DAMIEN KEOWN. "śramaṇa." A Dictionary of Buddhism. 2004. Encyclopedia.com. (February 11, 2012). http://www.encyclopedia.com/doc/1O108-ramaa.html DAMIEN KEOWN. "śramaṇa." A Dictionary of Buddhism. 2004. Retrieved February 11, 2012 from Encyclopedia.com: http://www.encyclopedia.com/doc/1O108-ramaa.html |
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Śrāmaṇa
Śrāmaṇa (Skt.; Pāli, sammana; Chin., shamen). In Eastern religions, the name given to members of male communities (usually translated as ‘monks’) or ascetics; the feminine (‘nuns’) is śrāmani. The śrāmaṇas were numerous at the time of the Upaniṣads, and may have been precursors of Jains and Buddhists.
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JOHN BOWKER. "Śrāmaṇa." The Concise Oxford Dictionary of World Religions. 1997. Encyclopedia.com. 11 Feb. 2012 <http://www.encyclopedia.com>. JOHN BOWKER. "Śrāmaṇa." The Concise Oxford Dictionary of World Religions. 1997. Encyclopedia.com. (February 11, 2012). http://www.encyclopedia.com/doc/1O101-rmaa.html JOHN BOWKER. "Śrāmaṇa." The Concise Oxford Dictionary of World Religions. 1997. Retrieved February 11, 2012 from Encyclopedia.com: http://www.encyclopedia.com/doc/1O101-rmaa.html |
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