The Eight Great Caityas and their Cult
By P. C. Bagchi
Summary
This study examines a set of Buddhist texts, preserved mostly in Tibetan and Chinese translations, that describe eight great caityas (astamahāsthanacaityas)—pilgrimage sites associated with episodes in the Buddha’s life. The author lists the key texts: two hymns attributed to Nāgārjuna (Astamahāsthanacaityastotra) preserved in the Tibetan Bstan ’gyur; the Chinese sūtra “Fo shuo pa ta ling t’a ming hao ching” translated by Fa‑t’ien in the tenth century; its Sanskrit original (Paṭṭaśrīcaityastotra) reconstructed by Sylvain Lévi; and a Tibetan hymn linked to King Harsadeva of Kashmir and translated by the Indian scholar Jñānamitra. Each text praises eight holy stūpas located at Lumbinī, Bodhgayā, Sārnāth, Kuśinagara, Jetavana, Veṇuvana, Rājagṛha and Vaiśālī. The article explains that these caityas were not relic stupas but commemoration sites linked to events such as the Buddha’s birth, enlightenment, first sermon, death and miracles. The cult of the eight caityas appears to have developed in north‑west India and spread to Tibet and China, where pilgrim‑monks sought to identify equivalent sites in their own lands. The author compares the lists of caityas in different texts, noting variations in the eighth site (sometimes Meghavana in Śrāvastī, sometimes the Gandhāra capital) and discusses the confusion between the term “eight great caityas” and later lists of “eight auspicious caityas” in Mahāyāna Buddhism. Palaeographical remarks suggest that the hymns may date to the seventh or eighth century. The paper argues that understanding the cult of the eight caityas is essential for tracing early Buddhist pilgrimage patterns and the transmission of sacred geography across cultures. By assembling scattered sources and evaluating their provenance, the author reconstructs an important strand of devotional Buddhism that linked India to Tibet and China.
Conclusion
The eight great caityas were among the earliest Buddhist pilgrimage circuits, venerating sites associated with key moments in the Buddha’s career. Although later traditions sometimes conflated them with other auspicious lists, careful comparison of Tibetan and Chinese sources shows a coherent core tradition. The article highlights how this cult fostered trans‑regional connections and demonstrates the need to study Tibetan and Chinese translations to understand the diffusion of Indian Buddhism.