Relics, Rubies and Ritual : Some Comments on the Distinctiveness of the Buddhist Relic Cult

Abstract

This paper explores a wide range of early and medieval Indian texts to argue that relic worship, far from being a uniquely Buddhist phenomenon, has parallels across Indian religions. At an early period the bodily remains of a god or demon were thought to be capable of transformation into powerful substances. Thus the bones of the gods turn into pearl shell in the Atharva Veda, and in that form have the power to grant long life. Such beliefs continue in Purāṇic sources, where the presence of bodily remains turn an ordinary place into a sacred site. The origins of miracle-working gemstones are traced to the blood and bones of various beings. The diversity of these sources indicates a widespread belief in the power of bodily remains, which, this paper argues, should be seen as a pan-Indic rather than specifically Buddhist constellation of beliefs.