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The Buddha

A Storied Life

Vanessa R Sasson editor Kristin Scheible editor

Format:Paperback

Publisher:Oxford University Press Inc

Published:14th Dec '23

Should be back in stock very soon

The Buddha cover

Retellings of the Buddha's life story have animated and sustained Buddhist thought and practice through some 2,500 years of history. To this day, Buddhist holidays and rituals are pinned to the arc of his biography, celebrating his birth, awakening, teaching, and final nirvana. His story is the model that exemplary Buddhists follow. Often, there is a moment of insight akin to the Buddha's experience with the Four Sights, followed by a great departure from home, and a period of searching that it is hoped will lead to final awakening. The Buddha's story is not just the Buddha's story; it is the story of Buddhism. In this book, twelve leading scholars of South Asian texts and traditions articulate the Buddha-life blueprint--the underlying and foundational pattern that holds the life story of a buddha together. They retell the episodes of Buddha Gautama's extended life story, while keeping in mind the cosmic, paradigmatic arc of his narrative. The contributors have dedicated their careers to exploring hagiographical materials, each applying their own methodological and theoretical interests to shed new light on the enduring story of Buddhism. Using multiple perspectives, voices, and sources, this volume underscores the multivalent centrality of this story. The book will be an invaluable resource to practicing Buddhists and students of Buddhist Studies to help them engage in the most foundational story of the tradition.

Drawing on both visual and textual materials, these insightful essays will be a valuable resource for research scholars, but accessible and lively enough to be assigned to students in introductory classes on Buddhism as well. Highly recommended. Lower-division undergraduates through faculty; general readers. * S. Cohen, Choice *
This edited volume comprises ten essays by prominent scholars of Buddhism on various aspects of the life story of the Buddha...Drawing on both visual and textual materials, these insightful essays will be a valuable resource for research scholars, but accessible and lively enough to be assigned to students in introductory classes on Buddhism as well. * Choice *
Drawing on a wide variety of textual and visual sources, this collection offers a nuanced account of the Buddha's life, both individually and collectively, in the context of the supporting cast of characters and the broader Buddha lineage. * Cao Nhut Quang Huynh, Religious Studies Review *

ISBN: 9780197649473

Dimensions: 236mm x 157mm x 16mm

Weight: 467g

280 pages