Buddhism -Pali text with English Translation (In Set of 2 Volumes)

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ABOUT THE BOOK Lord Buddha's teachings have a great importance today for the common people to live in peace and to maintain brotherhood in the society. The aim of the present work is to take different ideas and conceptions found in Pali writings and present them to the reader in English. The work also contains original Pali texts along with its translations.

The book is divided into five chapters and more than one hundred sections. The selections of the first chapter are on the Buddha; next follow those which deal chiefly with the doc trine; while others concerning the Order and secular life constitute the closing chapter of the book. The uniqueness of the work lies in the selective presentation of the materials and their systematic organization.

The book is accompanied by Introduction, Preface, Bibliography and general Index. Besides Appendices, an addition of Glossary of Buddhist technical terms is also a notable feature of this work. Hence, this new and enlarged edition would be immensely useful for the students as well as researchers of Páli and Buddhism. Besides, it will also serve a much Larger purpose.

ABOUT THE AUTHOR Dr Narasingha Charan Panda, Reader in Sanskrit, Panjab University, Vishveshvaranand Vishva Bandhu Institute of Sanskrit and Indological Studies, Hoshiarpur, is well-known among the scholars of Indology as a sincere and de voted researcher, who combines in him a comprehensive understanding of scholarly issues, impartial judgement and an exemplary clarity of expression.

After graduating from Utkal University and Post-graduation and M.Phil. degrees from Kuru kshetra University, he obtained Ph.D. degree in Vedic studies from Panjab University, Chandigarh and thus specialized him-self in different Indological branches, like the Vedic Studies, Buddhism and Kashmir Saivism. In due course of time, he has qualified himself with Acharya in Buddhism, Acharya in Darśana Sastra, C.C. in German Langu age and Ayurveda Ratna.

Dr Panda is the joint editor of the 'Kalatattvakośa' (Vol. VI) and the 'Glossary of Key Art Terms' of Indira Gandhi National Centre for the Arts. As an ardent student and a successful researcher of Indology he has contributed nume rous learned research papers and edited some valuable works to his credit.

PREFACE Buddhism, one of the great religions of the world, though started from India, still covered a large portion of Southern and Central Asia, and permeated the ancient religions of Japan and China. Gautama Buddha, the founder of the Buddhist School of Thought, was born some two thousand and six hundred years ago on the full-moon day of Vaisakha, in the city of Kapilavastu. He intently retired to the forest and deeply pursued various existing systems of Indian religious and philosophical disciplines, until he returned to find out for himself his own code of life. Following that and after a stupendous struggle of six strenuous years, in his 35th year Gautama became 'a Buddha' or 'the enlightened one' or awakened one. After obtaining the great knowledge of truth he went about preaching his newly acquired doctrine in Sarnath, Magadha, Kośala and elsewhere till his death, i.e. Mahaparinirvana in Kusinagara.

In the Jataka, twenty-four mythical Buddhas are held to have appeared before Gautama in preceding cycles of time. Many particulars about them are given, including their birth places, the length of their lives and their statures. Gautama himself is said to have met some of them during his transmi grations. Even the sacred trees under which they obtained Su preme Wisdom are enumerated. Their names are: Dipankara, Kaundinya, Mangala, Sumana, Raivata, Sobhita, Anomadarsin, Padma, Närada, Padmottara, Sumedha, Sujata, Priyardarsin, Arthadarsin, Dharmadarsin. Siddhartha, Tisya, Pusya, Vipasyin, Sikhin, Viśvabhů, Kakusandha, Konagamana, and Kasyapa. The Buddhavamsa adds three more names with this list, viz. Tanhankara, Meghankara, Saranankara. Thus, the number goes up to twenty-seven. The Lalitavistara gives a list of fifty five Buddhas, viz. (1) Padmottara, (2) Dharmaketu, (3) Dipankara, (4) Gunaketu, (5) Mahakara, (6) Rsideva, (7) Sritaja, (8) Satyaketu, (9) Vajrasamhata. (10) Sarvabhima, (11) Hemavarna, (12) Atyuccagami, (13) Pravalasagara, (14) Pus yaketu, (15) Vararupa, (16) Sulocana, (17) Rṣigupta, (18) Jinacakra, (19) Unnata, (20) Puspita, (21) Urnateja, (22) Pus kara, (23) Surasmi, (24) Mangala. (25) Sudarsana, (26) Mahasinhateja, (27) Sthitabuddhidatta, (28) Vasantagandhi, (29) Satyadharmavipulakirti, (30) Tisya, (31) Pusya, (32) Lokasundara, (33) Vistirnateja, (34) Ratnakirti, (35) Ugrateja, (36) Brahmateja, (37) Sughoșa, (38) Supuşya, (39) Sumanojuaghosa, (40) Suceştarûpa, (41) Prahasitanetra, (42) Gunarasi. (43) Meghasvara, (44) Sundaravarna, (45) Ayustejä, (46) Salilagajagami, (47) Lokabhilasita, (48) Jitaśatru, (49) Sanpujita, (50) Vipasyi, (51) Sikhi, (52) Viśvabhů, (53) Krakucchanda, and (54) Kanakamuni.

The earliest account of the life of Gautama Buddha is contained in Mahapadana Sutta of the Digha Nikaya and it is said to contain an autobiography of Buddha also. In addition to the numerous legends about the life of Buddha, which some times are contradictory with each other, there are five ancient works giving us the glimpses of the life of Buddha, viz. (1) The Mahāvastu, (2) the Lalitavistara, (3) the Buddhacarita, (4) the Nidanakatha, (5) the Abhinishkramana Sütra. Besides these. there are stray pieces in Sanskrit and Pali, depicting certain periods or events in the life of Buddha. From these old records as well as from the traditions and legends that have easily come down to us, we are in a position to reconstruct, more or less accurately, the life of Gautama Buddha.

**Contents and Sample Pages**