Rediscovering the Buddha: The Legends and Their InterpretationsHans Penner takes a new look at the classic stories of the life of the Buddha. In the first part of the book, he presents a full account of these stories, drawn from various texts of Theravada Buddhism, the Buddhism of South and Southeast Asia. Penner allots one chapter to each of the major milestones in Buddha's life, with titles such as: Birth and Early Life, Flight from the Palace, Enlightenment and Liberation, Last Watch and Funeral. In the process, he brings to the fore dimensions of the myth that have been largely ignored by western scholarship. In Part II, Penner offers his own original interpretations of the legends. He takes issue with Max Weber's assertion that "Buddhism is an other-worldly ascetic religion," a point of view that remains dominant in the received tradition and in most contemporary studies of Buddhism. His central thesis is that the "householder" is a necessary element in Buddhism and that the giving of gifts, which creates merit and presupposes the doctrine of karma, mediates the relation between the householder and the monk. Penner argues that the omission of the householder - in his view one-half of what constitutes Buddhism as a religion - is fatal for any understanding of Buddha's life or of the Buddhist tradition. This boldly revisionist and deeply learned work will be of interest to a wide range of scholarly and lay readers. |
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aeons Ananda Anathapindika Angulimala Anuruddha ascetic asked attained became become beginning believe Bimbisara biography birth Book of Discipline Brahmin Buddha Buddha replied Buddhism chapter cosmology cosmos Cunda death Devadatta Doctrine of karma episodes existence final liberation forest four quarters fully enlightened future Buddha Gotama grove happiness head heaven historical Buddha householder Kapilavatthu karma Kassapa king king’s Kusavati Kusinara Lamotte language legends liminal live Long Discourses Lord Maddi Mahasudassana Mara marks Mauss meal meaning meditation merit mind Moggallana monks myth mythical Nagasena narrative night once One’s opposite ordained palace Pali paradise path Perfected prince quest Rajagaha rebirth received tradition religion renouncer rite of passage ritual robes royal rules Sakka Sariputta Savatthi scholars story Sujata superhuman agents teach the Doctrine tells texts things thirty-three gods thought Tipitaka told tree truth Tushita Universal Monarch Vesali Vessantara wheel-turning monarch wife wilderness words Yasa