The Buddha-Karita Of Asvaghosha (1893)

By Aśvaghoṣa, E.H. Johnston, Samuel Beal

Book Overview

The Buddha-Karita of Asvaghosha is a book written by the Indian philosopher and poet Asvaghosha in the 1st century CE. The book is a biography of the Buddha, and it is considered one of the earliest and most important works of Buddhist literature. The book begins with the birth of Siddhartha Gautama, the prince who would become the Buddha, and follows his life through his enlightenment, his teachings, and his death. The book is written in verse form, and it includes many stories and parables that illustrate the Buddha's teachings. Asvaghosha's writing is highly poetic and lyrical, and it is considered a masterpiece of Sanskrit literature. The book has been translated into many languages, and it has been widely read and studied by scholars and practitioners of Buddhism. Overall, The Buddha-Karita of Asvaghosha is a fascinating and insightful look at the life and teachings of one of the world's most influential spiritual leaders. It is a must-read for anyone interested in Buddhism or Eastern philosophy.This scarce antiquarian book is a facsimile reprint of the old original and may contain some imperfections such as library marks and notations. Because we believe this work is culturally important, we have made it available as part of our commitment for protecting, preserving, and promoting the world's literature in affordable, high quality, modern editions, that are true to their original work.

• Format: Paperback
• Language: English
• ISBN: 116553519X
• ISBN13: 9781165535194
• Release Date: September 2010
• Publisher: Kessinger Publishing
• Length: 200 Pages
• Weight: 1.02 lbs.
• Dimensions: 0.4" x 8.3" x 11.0"

Customer Reviews

EH Johnstone's landmark translation of Ashvaghosha's scintillating retelling of the Buddha's life

Recently this translation and edition has been superceded by Olivelle's version of Buddhacarita in the Clay Sanskrit Series, yet Johnstone's landmark translation remains a towering edifice in the corpus of Mahayana Buddhism. The work is deeply and profoundly moving and the spiritual investiture from imbibing the work is inexpressible. A pure treasure of religion and world literature.

A great way to understand The Buddha

I ordered this book because it is used as a textbook for my Buddhism class. After reading it, I understand much more about the culture and religion, as well as appreciate the artistic poeticism that is behind the story of the Buddha's life.

Reprint of 1936 edition of Asvaghosa's Buddhacarita

This book is the paperback edition (cloth is ISBN 8120810295) of the reprint of the 1936 Lahore edition of Asvaghosa's Buddhacarita, translated in English by E.H. Johnston. Part I is the complete Sanskrit text of Cantos I to XIV, using as its chief authority a Sanskrit manuscript dating from app. 1300 AD, supplemented by the Tibetan version and a fifth century A.D. Chinese translation. Part I: Sanskrit Text of I-XIV Part II: English translation of I-XIV Part III: English translation of XV-XXVIII Part II includes a lengthy introduction by the translator on Asvaghosa's life and works. The book includes the original Sanskrit text of Sargas I-XIV, but not the original Tibetan and Chinese texts used for part III.