The Buddha: In History And Tradition

by J.B. Disanayaka

This booklet is about the buddha, the founder of buddhism, one of the greatest of our time. We cannot separate tradition from history if we are to grasp the full significance of the classical Buddha-biography as delineated in Buddhist literature and art, Those who roundly dismiss its so-called "mythological" elements as of a later-day accretions fail to discover the buddha, the enlightened one. Instead, as the venerable Bhikku Sanharakkitha says, they "find a person, no doubt amiable and agreeable who believed that he had gained enlightenment"." This booklet is about the buddha, the founder of buddhism, one of the greatest of our time.

88 pages, Paperback

First published January 1, 2009

About the author

Deshamanya Jayaratna Banda Dissanayake (Born 16 April 1937) is an Emeritus Professor and one of the leading authorities of the Sinhala Language. He is currently Sri Lankan Ambassador to Thailand.

Dissanayake received his primary education at Dharmaraja College, Kandy, secondary education at Ananda College, he graduated from the University of Ceylon, Peradeniya campus in 1961. He would later received a Fulbright scholarship to the University of California, Berkley to read for a Masters in linguistics and obtained a PhD from the University of Colombo.

With a long teaching career of over 40 years as a lecturer of the University of Colombo, he is the author of numerous books on linguistics, culture and history. Prior to his retirement Dissanayake served in the capacity of the Head of the Department of Sinhala at the University.

Reviews

[Hasini | bibliosini · Rating 3 out of 5]

A very insightful look at Buddhism and the Buddha!