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Loading... Buddha (2001)by Karen Armstrong
None. I picked this up expecting it would help me gather, organize and extend what little I knew about Buddhism. This book turned out to be rather helpful for that purpose, and as objective as can be expected (considering it's the biography of a man on whom we have very little "biographical" material). I'm not feeling particularly enthralled or "enlightened", but I'm glad I read it. (  ) beabatllori | Apr 2, 2013 |  A biography of the Buddha that provides useful historical context for both his distress and his subsequent teachings. Armstrong situates the Buddha's ideas and practices in the preceding religious cultures, the shift from agricultural/pastoral society, and the Axial shift of world view occurring in some cultures of the region in that epoch. She brings alive the suffering and restlessness of the era, describing issues such as the rise of a merchant class and the changing faces of religious observance, caste boundaries, and types of poverty that are still very much evident in contemporary India elsewhere. Armstrong does a good job of describing the differing goals of biographers of different eras and pointing out aspects of the Buddha legend that, while not true by the contemporary Western standards for biography, either were true in the world of the Buddha's biographers or were true in the sense that they reflected established tropes for narratives of this type. Armstrong's cultural, linguistic, and philosophical explanations contribute to this book's utility and the reader's enjoyment. For context, read these in this order: [b:The Bhagavad-Gita: Krishna's Counsel in Time of War|91233|The Bhagavad-Gita Krishna's Counsel in Time of War |Anonymous|http://d.gr-assets.com/books/1320482173s/91233.jpg|1492580] for a taste of pre-Axial, pre-Buddhist and more role-stratified, less-individual society; [b:Behind the Beautiful Forevers: Life, Death, and Hope in a Mumbai Undercity|11869272|Behind the Beautiful Forevers Life, Death, and Hope in a Mumbai Undercity|Katherine Boo|http://d.gr-assets.com/books/1315601232s/11869272.jpg|16826575] for contemporary problems identical to those of Buddha's time; this book ([b:Buddha|27304|Buddha|Karen Armstrong|http://d.gr-assets.com/books/1309204347s/27304.jpg|585602]) as commentary on the previous two and an introduction to the Buddha's teachings; and the 14th Dalai Lama's [b:How to See Yourself As You Really Are|104949|How to See Yourself As You Really Are|Dalai Lama XIV|http://d.gr-assets.com/books/1171533250s/104949.jpg|415545], which is an excellent and accessible introduction to the empirical practices of Buddhist philosophy. (  ) OshoOsho | Mar 30, 2013 | A decent sketch of the guy's life. (8/10) ( ) Tullius22 | Feb 27, 2012 | Wow. Straight forward. Simplistic (not in a bad way) but in a way that challenges you to go deeper in understanding the history of the Buddha. I always said that I embraced buddhism but could not explain it. Now I can express it. I wish I could give it away to others who have a misunderstanding about what buddhism is. As well as give it to those new to the practice. (  ) seki | Feb 28, 2011 | short, dense, concise and well worth a second reading. ( )1  Sandydog1 | Jan 23, 2011 | no reviews | add a review
Amazon.com Amazon.com Review (ISBN 0143034367, Paperback)Books on Buddhism may overflow the shelves, but the life story of the Buddha himself has remained obscure despite over 2,500 years of influence on millions of people around the world. In an attempt to rectify this, and to make the Buddha and Buddhism accessible to Westerners, the beloved scholar and author of such sweeping religious studies as A History of God has written a readable, sophisticated, and somewhat unconventional biography of one of the most influential people of all time. Buddha himself fought against the cult of personality, and the Buddhist scriptures were faithful, giving few details of his life and personality. Karen Armstrong mines these early scriptures, as well as later biographies, then fleshes the story out with an explanation of the cultural landscape of the 6th century B.C., creating a deft blend of biography, history, philosophy, and mythology.At the age of 29, Siddhartha Gautama walked away from the insulated pleasure palace that had been his home and joined a growing force of wandering monks searching for spiritual enlightenment during an age of upheaval. Armstrong traces Gautama's journey through yoga and asceticism and grounds it in the varied religious teachings of the time. In many parts of the world during this so-called axial age, new religions were developing as a response to growing urbanization and market forces. Yet each shared a common impulse--they placed faith increasingly on the individual who was to seek inner depth rather than magical control. Taoism and Confucianism, Hinduism, monotheism in the Middle East and Iran, and Greek rationalism were all emerging as Gautama made his determined way towards enlightenment under the boddhi tree and during the next 45 years that he spent teaching along the banks of the Ganges. Armstrong, in her intelligent and clarifying style, is quick to point out the Buddha's relevance to our own time of transition, struggle, and spiritual void in both his approach--which was based on skepticism and empiricism--and his teachings. Despite the lack of typical historical documentation, Armstrong has written a rich and revealing description of both a unique time in history and an unusual man. Buddha is a terrific primer for those interested in the origins and fundamentals of Buddhism. --Lesley Reed (retrieved from Amazon Thu, 03 Jan 2013 18:10:10 -0500) Born around the 5th century B.C. on the borders of present day Nepal and India, the Buddha was of noble provenance. Karen Armstrong describes how this rich young man developed and learned and eventually became enlightened. |
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