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  • Published: 22 April 2015
  • ISBN: 9780143107200
  • Imprint: Penguin Classics
  • Format: Paperback
  • Pages: 160
  • RRP: $37.99
Categories:

The Life of the Buddha



The story of Shakyamuni Buddha, the founder of Buddhism who lived two and a half thousand years ago, is perhaps the most important narrative in the Tibetan Buddhist tradition. Yet it is a story that, like the Buddha himself, exists in manifold incarnations. Tenzin Chögyel's The Life of the Buddha follows the traditional twelve-act form of the story of the Buddha to give an captivating classical acount of his life. It is a story of commonalities shared by man and god alike the cycle of life, suffering, and rebirth. The Buddha was a god descended to live among men. Born into the lap of luxury and destined for a godly kingship, he came to understand the frailty of all human life that disgregards class and wealth. By way of daring escape, he became an ascetic until the physical cost of that life became too great. He then undertook a journey to Bodhgaya where he vanquished the Demon Mara in battle before famously achieving pure enlightenment beneath the Bodhi Tree. In his remaining years, he traveled as a teacher, revealing his understanding of the nature of human suffering and creating the Buddhist tradition. His death--preceded by a memorable reunion with his son depicted here with heart-wrenching grace--catalyzed the spread of Buddhism.

Originally written for the Buddhist novice, Tenzin Chögyel's The Life of the Buddha is a storyteller's rendition: full of wisdom, yet intended to be enjoyed for its compelling, poignant narrative. Unskewed by modern interpretations, it returns us to a full classical understanding of the Buddha and what his life meant. This full picture is not just one of men, but of gods as well. Whereas many tellings of this story eliminate the gods, Chögyel's gods are almost Homeric in their exercise of influence and interference. Translator Kurtis Schaeffer faithfully renders Chögyel's lively, clear language into English, presenting a tale at once majestic in scale, yet also revealing of microscopic detail. Destined to become a standard and beloved religious studies text, The Life of the Buddha is a quintessential story with the power to engage people across cultures at a simple, deeply human level.

A blueprint for a life of mindfulness, dedicated to the easing of suffering both for oneself and for others

The story of Shakyamuni Buddha’s epic journey to enlightenment is perhaps the most important narrative in the Buddhist tradition. Tenzin Chögyel’sThe Life of the Buddha, composed in the mid–eighteenth century and now in a vivid new translation, is a masterly storyteller’s rendition of the twelve acts of the Buddha. Chögyel’s classical tale seamlessly weaves together the vast and the minute, the earthly and the celestial, reflecting the near-omnipresent aid of the gods alongside the Buddha’s moving final reunion with his devoted son, Rahula. The Life of the Buddha has the power to engage people through a deeply human story with cosmic implications.

For more than seventy years, Penguin has been the leading publisher of classic literature in the English-speaking world. With more than 1,700 titles, Penguin Classics represents a global bookshelf of the best works throughout history and across genres and disciplines. Readers trust the series to provide authoritative texts enhanced by introductions and notes by distinguished scholars and contemporary authors, as well as up-to-date translations by award-winning translators.

  • Published: 22 April 2015
  • ISBN: 9780143107200
  • Imprint: Penguin Classics
  • Format: Paperback
  • Pages: 160
  • RRP: $37.99
Categories:

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