The Awakened One: A Life Of The Buddha
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Book Overview
The story of the founder of Buddhism is one of the world's great archetypal tales of spiritual awakening. He was born Siddhartha Gautama in the sixth century BCE, the son of a prince who ruled a small kingdom in what is now Nepal. Siddhartha led a sheltered existence until the age of twenty-nine, when he left his life of ease and set out to find a solution to the problem of suffering. For years he wandered as a homeless ascetic, practicing severe austerities that brought him to the brink of death but no nearer to his goal. He then abandoned asceticism for a "middle way." Sitting down under a tree, he vowed to remain there until he realized the truth. After a night of deep meditation, his Enlightenment came at dawn, and he was thereafter known as the Buddha, the "Awakened One."
Format:Paperback
Language:English
ISBN:1570625514
ISBN13:9781570625510
Release Date:February 2000
Publisher:Shambhala
Length:176 Pages
Weight:0.62 lbs.
Dimensions:0.6" x 6.0" x 9.0"
Customer Reviews
3 ratings
Very good scholarly work, easy to read and informative
Published by Thriftbooks.com User , 14 years ago
This is a short, well-written text that covers the major events of the Buddha's life. It's very informative and precise, but not pedantic.
Not a history book......but then again, it doesn't try to be
Published by Thriftbooks.com User , 20 years ago
A wonderful account of The Buddha's earliest traditions that are deeply rooted in Hiduism. The book presents the story in a very straightforward path from prelife to death. Not an introduction to Buddhism itself but simply the stories surrounding the man who was its source. Highly recommended for anyone interested in the most ancient stories of The Buddha.
A highly readable and inspiring historical account
Published by Thriftbooks.com User , 24 years ago
This is an excellent book. Much better for eg. than Paul Carus' Gospel of the Buddha, a perennial bestseller, though it hasn't sold much here. Don't be fooled by the low sales. Kohn manages to convey in extremely readable English, the poetry of the Buddha's life from what is evidently extensive research of the original sources. This is not a book about the Buddha's philosophy, though the when, how and what of his enlightenment is amply covered. It is primarily an account of his life, a biography, and in that, an excellent one. One gets a sense of his life, as also of the times in which he lived. The mythical contexts come alive in a way that one rarely sees, particularly the quaint world-space of the time. All the Buddha's major disciples and those with whom he had significant interactions are covered extensively. The most important thing about this book and what may be seen as it's only limitation is that it is not a scholarly work, but an introduction for the curious seeker.
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