This biography of the Buddha is drawn from the original Pali texts and arranged in a way that tells the story of the Buddha’s life while explaining his teaching. Though born a prince surrounded by luxury, Gotama Buddha was transformed by realizing that no one escapes suffering. He found, and for the remainder of his life taught, the answer to the great question: Is there a way out of this cycle? This unique biography presents the oldest authentic record of the Buddha’s life and revolutionary philosophy. Vivid recollections of his personal attendant Ananda and other disciples bring the reader into the Buddha’s presence, where his example offers inspiration and guidance on the path to freedom.
Contents: The Birth and Early Years • The Struggle for Enlightenment • After the Enlightenment • The Spreading of the Dhamma • The Two Chief Disciples • Anathapindika, the Feeder of the Poor • The Formation of the Order of Nuns • The Quarrel at Kosambi • The End of the First Twenty Years • The Middle Period • The Person • The Doctrine • Devadatta • Old Age • The Last Year • The First Council
Review By: David Cosentino, Foreword Magazine – October 1, 2001
Arguably the most definitive of the biographies of Siddhartha Gotama, this book is also a fine introduction to the Pali Canon. The Theravadin tradition of Buddhism, whose scriptures are preserved in the Pali Canon, is considered by modern scholars to be the most authentic representation of the teachings spoken by the actual Buddha. Since a chronological sequence in the Canon is far from explicit, the work is then intended to be as accurate a presentation of the Buddha’s life as could be drawn out from the existing materials.
Born Osbert Moore in England in 1905, the author was ordained at the Island Hermitage in Sri Lanka in 1948. He has translated many texts of Theravada Buddhism, including The Path of Purification. In this volume, he attempts to reconstruct a chronology of the Buddha’s life, drawing primarily from the traditional texts.
The Pali Canon itself was preserved by oral tradition for approximately 500 years before it was put down in writing, so the language is rendered in such a way as to make it amenable to memorization. Nanamoli’s text, due to the repetitive nature of the oral tradition that preserved it, is thus written in an austere language that can be, at times, tedious. The work should not be criticized on this account since it was intended to be an accurate translation of the original texts, which were preserved in this fashion. The Life of the Buddha is an excellent introduction to the Pali Canon for those who wish to study the most authentic and ancient of the Buddhist teachings.
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Life of the Buddha, The – eBook PDF