The Thousand and One Lives of the Buddha

The Thousand and One Lives of the Buddha PDF Author: Bernard Faure
Publisher: University of Hawaii Press
ISBN: 0824893549
Category : Religion
Languages : en
Pages : 332

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Book Description
Praise for the French edition “This is a book that should be read by all those who are interested, whether near or far, in Buddhism, its history and its interpretations. . . . [Faure] proposes considering the ‘Life of the Buddha’ as a kind of treasure that never ceases to be reinvented and experienced, from story to story, from language to language, from culture to culture.” —Roger-Pol Droit, Le Monde Many biographies of the Buddha have been published in the last 150 years, and all claim to describe the authentic life of the historical Buddha. This book, written by one of the leading scholars of Buddhism and Japanese religion, starts from the opposite assumption and argues that we do not yet possess the archival and archaeological materials required to compose such a biography: All we have are narratives, not facts. Yet traditional biographies have neglected the literary, mythological, and ritual elements in the life of the Buddha. Bernard Faure aims to bridge this gap and shed light on a Buddha that is not historical but has constituted a paradigm of practice and been an object of faith for 2,500 years. The Thousand and One Lives of the Buddha opens with a criticism of the prevalent historicism before examining the mythological elements in a life of the Buddha no longer constrained by an artificial biographical framework. Once the search for the “historical Buddha” is abandoned, there is no longer any need to limit the narrative to early Indian stories. The life—or lives—of the Buddha, as an expression of the creative imaginations of Buddhists, developed beyond India over the centuries. Faure accordingly shifts his focus to East Asia and, more particularly, to Japan. Finally, he examines recent developments of the Buddha’s life in not only Asia but also the modern West and neglected literary genres such as science fiction.

The Thousand and One Lives of the Buddha

The Thousand and One Lives of the Buddha PDF Author: Bernard Faure
Publisher: University of Hawaii Press
ISBN: 0824893549
Category : Religion
Languages : en
Pages : 332

Get Book Here

Book Description
Praise for the French edition “This is a book that should be read by all those who are interested, whether near or far, in Buddhism, its history and its interpretations. . . . [Faure] proposes considering the ‘Life of the Buddha’ as a kind of treasure that never ceases to be reinvented and experienced, from story to story, from language to language, from culture to culture.” —Roger-Pol Droit, Le Monde Many biographies of the Buddha have been published in the last 150 years, and all claim to describe the authentic life of the historical Buddha. This book, written by one of the leading scholars of Buddhism and Japanese religion, starts from the opposite assumption and argues that we do not yet possess the archival and archaeological materials required to compose such a biography: All we have are narratives, not facts. Yet traditional biographies have neglected the literary, mythological, and ritual elements in the life of the Buddha. Bernard Faure aims to bridge this gap and shed light on a Buddha that is not historical but has constituted a paradigm of practice and been an object of faith for 2,500 years. The Thousand and One Lives of the Buddha opens with a criticism of the prevalent historicism before examining the mythological elements in a life of the Buddha no longer constrained by an artificial biographical framework. Once the search for the “historical Buddha” is abandoned, there is no longer any need to limit the narrative to early Indian stories. The life—or lives—of the Buddha, as an expression of the creative imaginations of Buddhists, developed beyond India over the centuries. Faure accordingly shifts his focus to East Asia and, more particularly, to Japan. Finally, he examines recent developments of the Buddha’s life in not only Asia but also the modern West and neglected literary genres such as science fiction.

Michael Kenna: Buddha

Michael Kenna: Buddha PDF Author: Ira Stehmann
Publisher: National Geographic Books
ISBN: 3791385089
Category : Photography
Languages : en
Pages : 0

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Book Description
Michael Kenna’s black-and-white photographs of Buddha statues featured in this book are a restorative, inspiring antidote to a chaotic modern world. Michael Kenna is celebrated for his mysterious and exquisite black-and-white natural and industrial landscapes. He is especially revered for his images of Asia, where he has traveled to some of the world's most beautiful locations. It is no wonder that among Kenna's prolific creations are numerous images of the Buddha from countries such as Cambodia, China, Japan, India, Korea, Laos, Myanmar, Thailand and Vietnam. Captured in shrines, temples, sanctuaries, private homes, and museums, these images are quiet, uncluttered, and striking in the interplay of dark and light, line and shadow. Also included in the book are a selection of Kenna's Asian landscape photography, an essay about Buddhism, and excerpts from Buddhist scriptures. Fans of Kenna's distinctive evocative style will savor the myriad perspectives of the Buddha's singular form, while anyone inspired by the Buddha's message will be drawn to this photographic journey towards enlightenment.

Eat the Buddha

Eat the Buddha PDF Author: Barbara Demick
Publisher: Random House
ISBN: 0812998766
Category : Social Science
Languages : en
Pages : 353

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Book Description
A gripping portrait of modern Tibet told through the lives of its people, from the bestselling author of Nothing to Envy “A brilliantly reported and eye-opening work of narrative nonfiction.”—The New York Times Book Review NAMED ONE OF THE BEST BOOKS OF THE YEAR BY Parul Sehgal, The New York Times • The New York Times Book Review • The Washington Post • NPR • The Economist • Outside • Foreign Affairs Just as she did with North Korea, award-winning journalist Barbara Demick explores one of the most hidden corners of the world. She tells the story of a Tibetan town perched eleven thousand feet above sea level that is one of the most difficult places in all of China for foreigners to visit. Ngaba was one of the first places where the Tibetans and the Chinese Communists encountered one another. In the 1930s, Mao Zedong’s Red Army fled into the Tibetan plateau to escape their adversaries in the Chinese Civil War. By the time the soldiers reached Ngaba, they were so hungry that they looted monasteries and ate religious statues made of flour and butter—to Tibetans, it was as if they were eating the Buddha. Their experiences would make Ngaba one of the engines of Tibetan resistance for decades to come, culminating in shocking acts of self-immolation. Eat the Buddha spans decades of modern Tibetan and Chinese history, as told through the private lives of Demick’s subjects, among them a princess whose family is wiped out during the Cultural Revolution, a young Tibetan nomad who becomes radicalized in the storied monastery of Kirti, an upwardly mobile entrepreneur who falls in love with a Chinese woman, a poet and intellectual who risks everything to voice his resistance, and a Tibetan schoolgirl forced to choose at an early age between her family and the elusive lure of Chinese money. All of them face the same dilemma: Do they resist the Chinese, or do they join them? Do they adhere to Buddhist teachings of compassion and nonviolence, or do they fight? Illuminating a culture that has long been romanticized by Westerners as deeply spiritual and peaceful, Demick reveals what it is really like to be a Tibetan in the twenty-first century, trying to preserve one’s culture, faith, and language against the depredations of a seemingly unstoppable, technologically all-seeing superpower. Her depiction is nuanced, unvarnished, and at times shocking.

Buddha's Lions

Buddha's Lions PDF Author: Abhayadatta
Publisher:
ISBN:
Category : Biography & Autobiography
Languages : en
Pages : 434

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Book Description
These life stories of eighty-four Tantric masters who achieved the highest results of the Vajrayana have inspired generations of practitioners. By relying on a qualified teacher, devoted men and women of different backgrounds: cobblers, princes, blacksmiths, and wood-gatherers, were able to take everyday experience as the path and reach enlightenment in a single lifetime. Filled with subtle, concise teachings expressed in the poetic songs of realization of the siddhas. Excellent introduction to the Vajrayana and a good resource for the study of Tibetan. Tibetan text, iconographical notes, with 84 detailed line drawings.

Great Disciples of the Buddha

Great Disciples of the Buddha PDF Author: Nyanaponika (Thera)
Publisher: Simon and Schuster
ISBN: 0861713818
Category : Biography & Autobiography
Languages : en
Pages : 450

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Book Description
This book is a compilation of twenty-four life stories of the closest and most eminent of the Buddha's personal disciples.

One Buddha is Not Enough

One Buddha is Not Enough PDF Author: Thich Nhat Hanh
Publisher: Parallax Press
ISBN: 1935209973
Category : Religion
Languages : en
Pages : 234

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Book Description
This is the ebook version of One Buddha Is Not Enough. How do we learn to believe in ourselves and not just rely on our spiritual teachers? Based on a retreat that Zen Master Thich Nhat Hanh organized but then couldn't attend, One Buddha Is Not Enough is a book on how to become your own teacher and create your own community where you might least expect it. It offers fresh and original insight from emerging Buddhist teachers on topics such as how to handle grief, strengthen our relationships with family and friends, deal with anger and other strong emotions, and find happiness in the present moment. Through letters, stories, poems, calligraphies, and photographs, Thich Nhat Hanh shares his unique insights on illness, health, and different healing modalities. One Buddha Is Not Enough is a true expression of American Buddhism. We already contain all the insight and wisdom we need--and we're surrounded by the people who can help us on our journey. Sometimes all it takes is a wake-up call to remind us of what we are capable.

The Buddha

The Buddha PDF Author: Philip C. Almond
Publisher: Cambridge University Press
ISBN: 1009346822
Category : Religion
Languages : en
Pages : 379

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Book Description
Philip Almond's engaging new book is the first to combine a history of early traditions about the Buddha's life with an account of how he and the philosophy inspired by him went 'global'. It shows how the enchanted mythological figure of Buddhism became the disenchanted historical Buddha of the West.

The Buddha in the Attic

The Buddha in the Attic PDF Author: Julie Otsuka
Publisher: Anchor
ISBN: 0307700461
Category : Fiction
Languages : en
Pages : 145

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Book Description
NATIONAL BESTSELLER • PEN/FAULKER AWARD WINNER • The acclaimed author of The Swimmers and When the Emperor Was Divine tells the story of a group of young women brought from Japan to San Francisco as “picture brides” a century ago in this "understated masterpiece ... that unfolds with great emotional power" (San Francisco Chronicle). In eight unforgettable sections, The Buddha in the Attic traces the extraordinary lives of these women, from their arduous journeys by boat, to their arrival in San Francisco and their tremulous first nights as new wives; from their experiences raising children who would later reject their culture and language, to the deracinating arrival of war. Julie Otsuka has written a spellbinding novel about identity and loyalty, and what it means to be an American in uncertain times.

Buddhism for Busy People

Buddhism for Busy People PDF Author: David Michie
Publisher: Shambhala Publications
ISBN: 1611803675
Category : Religion
Languages : en
Pages : 257

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Book Description
In this simple and accessible but beautifully written book, David Michie opens the door to the core teachings of Tibetan Buddhism, and shows us how he himself first began incorporating Buddhist practices into his daily life. What does it take to be happy? We've all asked ourselves this question at some point, but few of us have found the path to lasting fulfillment. David Michie thought he had achieved his life's goals--the high-level job, the expensive city apartment, the luxury car, the great vacations--but a small voice was telling him he wasn't really happy. A chance remark from a naturopath sent him to his local Buddhist center. There he began the most important journey of his life. In Buddhism for Busy People Michie explains how he came to understand the difference between the temporary pleasures of ordinary life and the profound sense of well-being and heartfelt serenity that comes from connecting with our inner nature.

A Thousand Hands

A Thousand Hands PDF Author: Nathan Jishin Michon
Publisher:
ISBN: 9781896559315
Category : Religion
Languages : en
Pages : 381

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Book Description
A Thousand Hands is an anthology of 50 articles by Buddhist chaplains, teachers, therapists, and social workers, presenting Buddhist approaches and resources designed to help community leaders respond to the many challenges brought to them by their communities. As a Buddhist community leader--or even a concerned community member--we may have read many sutras, practiced thousands of hours of meditation, or become well versed in Buddhist philosophy, but that does not prepare us for every situation we will face. It is very natural that people turn to a spiritual or religious community in times of trouble, and when such a person comes our hearts may fill with compassion and want to do whatever we can to ease their suffering. However, conversations with Buddhists in the West show that both training and resources in these areas are often lacking. This book is divided into three sections. The first deals primarily with ways to help one's self--ways to help develop one's capacity to be present in an effective way to help others in need, whether that is through listening more effectively or better organizing a group's money in order to keep a temple or organization stable. The second section is more about helping individuals with particular issues, such as cancer, divorce, anger, financial troubles, and depression. The third section contains chapters with broader community themes like group facilitation, leading projects, creating family programs, and volunteering. In each chapter, further resources, recommended reading, and relevant organizations are listed. "The voices contributing to this volume demonstrate that North American Buddhism is awakening from its predominantly inward and private focus and realizing that our strength for the future lies in healthy, whole, and peaceful communities. Yet the forms of suffering that manifest in communities boggle the imagination in their diversity. The essays collected here show that the necessary concern has been aroused and the helping hands of compassion are reaching out, each hand, like that of the bodhisattva Guan Yin, emblazoned with the eye of intelligence that looks into the underlying causes and the prospects for a solution." Ven. Bhikkhu Bodhi "A Thousand Hands provides a remarkably broad set of resources aimed at helping people navigate suffering with greater clarity and ease. The editors have done a wonderful job gathering together many wise voices to share on a host of important topics." Sharon Salzberg, author of Lovingkindness and Real Happiness "Buddhist communities struggle with the reality that we bring the world with us--that walking into the doors of the sangha does not instantly liberate us from our mental illness, addictions, trauma, and emotional woundedness. Even more jarring is confronting the truth that our sanghas are organized to privilege the mental, physical, and fi nancial elite. The Buddha taught a Dharma for all ages, and at its heart is the call for radical loving integrated with truth. This book helps us to hold love and truth together as we move into the profound, beautiful, and very uncomfortable space of meeting people where they are and asking: How can I care for you?" Lama Rod Owens, co-author of Radical Dharma: Talking Race, Love, and Liberation