Scribe Warning: You are not logged in. Your IP address will be publicly visible if you make any edits. If you log in or create an account, your edits will be attributed to your username, along with other benefits.Anti-spam check. Do not fill this in! == South Asia == <!--[[File:BKK Wat Rakhang Ho Trai.jpg|thumb|Library ''([[ho trai]])'' of [[Wat Rakhang]], a [[Thai Buddhist]] temple complex in [[Bangkok]], built on stilts to protect the Tipiṭaka (scriptures)]]--> The Buddhist [[Tripiṭaka]] emerged at the beginning of the first century. Buddhist texts were treasured and sacred throughout Asia and were written in different languages. Buddhist scribes believed that, “The act of copying them could bring a scribe closer to perfection and earn him merit.”<ref>{{Cite book |last=Lyons |first=Martyn |url=https://www.worldcat.org/oclc/857089276 |title=Books: a living history |date=2013 |publisher=Thames & Hudson |isbn=978-0-500-29115-3 |location=London |pages=33 |oclc=857089276}}</ref> Rather later, Hindu texts were written, although the most sacred, especially the [[Veda]]s, were [[Vedas#Chronology,_transmission,_and_interpretation|not written down until much later]], and were learnt by heart by the priestly [[Brahmin]]s. Writing in the several scripts of [[Indo-Aryan languages|Indic languages]] was generally not regarded as a distinct artistic form, in a situation similar to Europe, but different from East Asian traditions of [[calligraphy]]. Summary: Please note that all contributions to Christianpedia may be edited, altered, or removed by other contributors. If you do not want your writing to be edited mercilessly, then do not submit it here. You are also promising us that you wrote this yourself, or copied it from a public domain or similar free resource (see Christianpedia:Copyrights for details). Do not submit copyrighted work without permission! Cancel Editing help (opens in new window) Discuss this page