The Buddha

• Titel: The Buddha
• Titelzusatz: a storied life
• Mitwirkende: Sasson, Vanessa R. [HerausgeberIn]
• Mitwirkende: Scheible, Kristin [HerausgeberIn]
• Verf.angabe: edited by Vanessa R. Sasson and Kristin Scheible
• Verlagsort: New York, NY
• Verlag: Oxford University Press
• E-Jahr: 2024
• Jahr: [2024]
• Umfang: xx, 253 Seiten
• Illustrationen: Illustrationen
• Fussnoten: Includes bibliographical references and index
• ISBN: 978-0-19-764947-3
• ISBN: 978-0-19-764946-6
• Schlagwörter: (p)Buddha / (s)Hagiografie / (g)Asien
• Dokumenttyp: Aufsatzsammlung
• Sprache: eng
• Sach-SW: Asian history
• Sach-SW: Asiatische Geschichte
• Sach-SW: Buddhism
• Sach-SW: Buddhismus
• Sach-SW: Geschichte der Religion
• Sach-SW: HISTORY / Asia / General
• Sach-SW: History of religion
• Sach-SW: RELIGION / Buddhism / General (see also PHILOSOPHY / Buddhist)
• Sach-SW: RELIGION / Buddhism / History
• K10plus-PPN: 1853730343

Abstract

"Retellings of the Buddha's lifestory have animated and sustained Buddhist thought and practice through roughly 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. Buddhists embody the story when they meditate, and when novices shear their hair, don robes, and ask permission to leave home. His story is the model for hagiographies of exemplary Buddhists to follow, from experiencing a moment of insight akin to the Four Sights, to the experience of tearing themselves away from their families to make a great departure, to a period of searching, to the moment when awakening is finally accomplished. The Buddha's story is therefore not just the Buddha's story; it is the story upon which the tradition rests. In this volume, we articulate the Buddha Blueprint, the underlying and foundational pattern that holds the lifestory of a buddha together. We retell the episodes of Buddha Gautama's extended lifestory, keeping in mind the cosmic arc of his narrative. The contributors are all prominent scholars of South Asian texts and traditions who 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. Our book, using multiple perspectives, voices and sources, underscores the multivalent centrality of this story"--

Abstract

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