The Buddha: A Storied Life

by Sasson (Editor)

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.

Genres: Buddhism, Religion

276 pages, Paperback

Published October 24, 2023

Reviews

[Razi · Rating 3 out of 5]

Quite a lot of jargon in Sanskrit, Pali and even Chinese languages in there. If you can deal with that then it is a good source of knowledge that covers diverse aspects of Buddha's life using different ancient sources. Obviously not for the beginners like me.

[Paul Narvaez · Rating 3 out of 5]

This book has some virtues in that it focused on various stories associated with Buddhism and Buddhist culture as well as other topics such as a section at the end on Buddah relics. Typically, the book often would offer a story and then contextualize it which I appreciated. This is not a really a starter book on learning about Buddhism. It's not really an academic book (even though it's from OUP) but it's also not dumbed down for a popular readership either. It's just an assortment of scholars focusing on different aspects of Buddhist stories and culture.