Zur Gestalt der Erde im Weltbild des frühen Buddhismus

Summary In the gths of the Miglopa-Jtaka and the Gijjha-Jtaka an old Indian narrative is handed down in two basically identical versions which, however, differ from each other, in that the first and older one ascribes a square shape to the earth while the second one conceives it in the form of a wheel. Searching for an explanation for the coexistence of these seemingly contradictory cosmographic pictures in a canonical collection of Buddhist texts, the author of this article discusses in general the archaic cosmological concept of the flat circular disk of the earth, compares relevant sources from vedic and brahmanic literature, and points to some non-Indian tales which are of special interest particularly in regard to the Jtaka versions.     

Maithrimurti,Mudagamuwe, Wohlwollen,Mitleid, Freude und Gleichmut. Eine ideengeschichtliche Untersuchung der vier apramānas in der buddhistischen Ethik und Spiritualität von den Anfängen bis hin zum frühen Yogācāra

Indo-Iranian Journal -     

David Warren Sabean. Landbesitz und Gesellschaft am Vorabend des Bauernkriegs: Eine Studie der sozialen Verhältnisse im südlichen Oberschwaben in den Jahren vor 1525

In conventional approaches to computer analysis of historical sources, one must represent the data in structured formats in which content and context are discarded. Extensible markup language (XML), developed for data transfer on the Internet, permits preservation of the full text of irregular historical sources without sacrificing the ability to conduct systematic analysis. Related querying tools offer most functions of a relational database management system, including data transformation facilities for coding, standardizing, and aggregating nominal data. An XML database permits multiple interpretations of the data because the unit of analysis and the coding schemes are not defined at entry. In a case study of probate inventories, the author demonstrates how structured analysis of domestic interiors can be performed and introduces approaches to studying semistructured data.