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

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

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.

Buddhism: Being a Sketch of the Life and Teachings of Gautama, the Buddha

Buddhism: Being a Sketch of the Life and Teachings of Gautama, the Buddha PDF Author:
Publisher:
ISBN:
Category :
Languages : en
Pages : 0

Get Book

Book Description


A Thousand Lives Away

A Thousand Lives Away PDF Author: Winston Lee King
Publisher:
ISBN:
Category : Religion
Languages : en
Pages : 248

Get Book

Book Description


The Fortunate Aeon

The Fortunate Aeon PDF Author: Dharma Publishing
Publisher: Dharma Publishing
ISBN:
Category : Buddhism
Languages : en
Pages : 524

Get Book

Book Description
The Fortunate Aeon, the first English translation of the Bhadrakalpika Sutra, recounts the stories of the thousand Buddhas who will reach enlightenment in this fortunate era (Bhadrakalpa). Tibetan text on facing pages, with 1,174 blockprint Buddha images in gold.

The Buddha

The Buddha PDF Author: David Kherdian
Publisher:
ISBN:
Category : Buddhism
Languages : en
Pages : 172

Get Book

Book Description
Here is an opportunity to approach one of the world's greatest spiritual teachers through the timeless tale of his search for enlightenment and the end of suffering. This is the first account of the Buddha's story that blends the elements of history, legend, and Buddhist teachings into a compelling, page-turning narrative.

The Buddha

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

Get Book

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 Life of the Buddha

The Life of the Buddha PDF Author: Henry Clarke Warren
Publisher: Asian Educational Services
ISBN: 9788120606173
Category : History
Languages : en
Pages : 126

Get Book

Book Description
This work deals with Nepal, North India, and presents description on Archaeology, and various antiquities, in the regions of Nepal, Asia; South-Asia; India General; North-India; Oudh / North West Provinces, during the period of 1801-1900 AD; British Period.

The Life of the Buddha

The Life of the Buddha PDF Author: William Woodville Rockhill
Publisher:
ISBN:
Category : Buddha (The concept)
Languages : bo
Pages : 302

Get Book

Book Description


The Life of the Buddha and the Early History of His Order

The Life of the Buddha and the Early History of His Order PDF Author: William Woodville Rockhill
Publisher: Psychology Press
ISBN: 9780415244824
Category : Buddha and Buddhism
Languages : en
Pages : 296

Get Book

Book Description
First Published in 2000. Routledge is an imprint of Taylor & Francis, an informa company.

Buddha

Buddha PDF Author: Walter Henry Nelson
Publisher: Penguin
ISBN: 1440630259
Category : Religion
Languages : en
Pages : 212

Get Book

Book Description
More than twenty-five hundred years ago, an Indian prince achieved enlightenment and became “the Awakened One.” However extraordinary Prince Siddhartha Gautama was, he was no divinity, but a self-perfected human being who brought a sweeping message to mankind. Walter Henry Nelson, a respected historical scholar and author, offers readers a distinctly accessible and authoritative biography of the Buddha and his teachings. In this essential, gripping, and inspiring introduction for the general reader, Buddha explores ancient legends surrounding Buddhism’s founder. It shows how the simple story and profound struggle of Price Siddhartha, who died five hundred years before the birth of Christ, were transformed into one of the world’s great religions. From tales of Gautama’s struggle to parables of the intervention of gods in his journey, Nelson takes readers through the historical existence and ideals at the heart of a religion and philosophy that searches beyond materialism for the true aim of life.