The Buddha

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.

About the ContributorsPreface: Learning from John Strong--Multiple Ways of Reading the Many Life Stories of the BuddhaCharles HalliseyIntroduction: The Never-Ending StoryVanessa R. Sasson and Kristin Scheible1. The Vow That Starts the StoryAndy Rotman2. Creative Tensions in the Past Lives of the BuddhaNaomi Appleton3. The Final BirthReiko Ohnuma4. A Timeless Love StoryVanessa R. Sasson5. A Great DepartureKristin Scheible6. Around the Tree of AwakeningTodd Lewis and Jinah Kim7. The Buddha's Teachings and MiraclesDavid Fiordalis8. Sorrow and its Ending in the Buddha's Last DaysMaria Heim9. The Buddha's Story Continues: Afterlives of the RelicsStephen C. Berkwitz10. Overstory: First There is a Buddha, Then There is No Buddha, Then There isJohn S. StrongBibliographyIndex