Items related to Lives: Buddha: His Life and Thought

Lives: Buddha: His Life and Thought - Hardcover

 
9780297646259: Lives: Buddha: His Life and Thought
View all copies of this ISBN edition:
 
 

Buddhism is a faith that commands over 100 million followers throughout the world. Buddha stands with Christ, Confucius and Mohammed as someone who revolutionized the religious ideas of his time to advocate a new way of living.
All that is known about Buddha comes from a collection of ancient writings that fuse history, biography and myth. Karen Armstrong distils from these the key events of Buddha's life: his birth as Siddhatta Gotama in the fifth century BC and his abandonment of his wife and son; his attainment of enlightenment under the Banyan tree (the moment he became a buddha, or enlightened one; his political influence; the divisions among his followers; and his serene death. Armstrong also introduces the key tenets of Buddhism: she explains the doctrine of anatta (no-soul) and the concepts of kamma (actions), samsara (keeping going), dhamma (a law or teaching that reflects the fundamental principles of existence) and the idealised state of nibbana (literally the 'cooling of the ego'). Since it promotes no personal god, Buddhism, writes Armstrong, 'is essentially a psychological faith'. In our own age of secular anxiety, she shows that it has profound lessons to teach about selflessness and the simple life.
Karen Armstrong's short book is a magnificent introduction to the life and thought of this most influential of spiritual thinkers.

"synopsis" may belong to another edition of this title.

Review:
Writing a biography of the Buddha is not the same as writing one of most other people--even other founders of religions--as Karen Armstrong explains at the start of this excellent book, part of a series of lives of significant figures. Armstrong is a former nun who is now probably Britain's best-known popular writer on religion, the author of A History of God and The Battle for God amongst others.

Almost nothing is known about the Buddha's life as Siddhatta Gotama. The main source is the Pali Canon, a collection of texts made about a century after his death, though not written down until much later. This is a huge body of work which contains the Buddha's sermons and verses, rules for Buddhist monks, and philosophical analyses--but, apart from in passing, almost nothing about his life. In some of his discourses the Buddha illustrates a point with a personal anecdote; his "biography" has to be pieced together from these snippets. And Armstrong accepts that many of these may be mythological in nature, rather than historical in the factual sense we might wish for today. But does this matter? "The early Buddhists looked for significance, rather than historically accurate detail, in their scriptures."

Armstrong takes these snippets and puts them in order to tell Siddhatta Gotama's life story--but she does much more than that. The Buddha didn't spring out of nowhere. One of the most valuable things the author does in this book is to set him in his historical context of the changing religious ideas of the time. And in doing that she also gives an excellent explanation of what Buddhism is all about, in terms that a non-Buddhist can understand. Highly recommended. --David V Barrett

Review:
[Armstrong] offers a frequently inspiring look at this exemplary life... Invaluable. ("Los Angeles Times") Destined to become the classic source for anyone delving... into the life and teachings of the religious icon. ("Christian Science Monitor")

"About this title" may belong to another edition of this title.

  • PublisherOrion
  • Publication date2001
  • ISBN 10 0297646257
  • ISBN 13 9780297646259
  • BindingHardcover
  • Edition number1
  • Number of pages208
  • Rating
Buy Used
Dispatched, from the UK, within... Learn more about this copy

Shipping: £ 1
Within United Kingdom

Destination, rates & speeds

Add to Basket

Other Popular Editions of the Same Title

9780143034360: Buddha (Penguin Lives Biographies)

Featured Edition

ISBN 10:  ISBN 13:  9780143034360
Publisher: Penguin Books, 2004
Softcover

  • 9780753813409: Lives: Buddha

    Weiden..., 2002
    Softcover

  • 9780670891931: Buddha: A Penguin Life (Penguin Lives)

    Viking, 2001
    Hardcover

  • 9783878601210: Buddha: Leben und Wirken des Wegbereiters in Indien

    Hardcover

  • 9781407233710: Buddha

    Phoenix, 2002
    Softcover

Top Search Results from the AbeBooks Marketplace

Stock Image

Armstrong, Karen
Published by Orion (2001)
ISBN 10: 0297646257 ISBN 13: 9780297646259
Used Hardcover Quantity: 1
Seller:
Reuseabook
(Gloucester, GLOS, United Kingdom)

Book Description Hardcover. Condition: Used; Good. Dispatched, from the UK, within 48 hours of ordering. This book is in good condition but will show signs of previous ownership. Please expect some creasing to the spine and/or minor damage to the cover. Grubby book may have mild dirt or some staining, mostly on the edges of pages. Seller Inventory # CHL9448575

More information about this seller | Contact seller

Buy Used
£ 1.95
Convert currency

Add to Basket

Shipping: £ 1
Within United Kingdom
Destination, rates & speeds
Stock Image

Armstrong, Karen
Published by WandN (2001)
ISBN 10: 0297646257 ISBN 13: 9780297646259
Used Hardcover Quantity: 2
Seller:
Brit Books
(Milton Keynes, United Kingdom)

Book Description Hardcover. Condition: Used; Good. ***Simply Brit*** Welcome to our online used book store, where affordability meets great quality. Dive into a world of captivating reads without breaking the bank. We take pride in offering a wide selection of used books, from classics to hidden gems, ensuring there is something for every literary palate. All orders are shipped within 24 hours and our lightning fast-delivery within 48 hours coupled with our prompt customer service ensures a smooth journey from ordering to delivery. Discover the joy of reading with us, your trusted source for affordable books that do not compromise on quality. Seller Inventory # 1190015

More information about this seller | Contact seller

Buy Used
£ 3.29
Convert currency

Add to Basket

Shipping: FREE
Within United Kingdom
Destination, rates & speeds
Stock Image

Karen Armstrong
Published by Orion 12/04/2001 (2001)
ISBN 10: 0297646257 ISBN 13: 9780297646259
Used Hardcover Quantity: 1
Seller:
Bahamut Media
(Reading, United Kingdom)

Book Description Hardcover. Condition: Very Good. Shipped within 24 hours from our UK warehouse. Clean, undamaged book with no damage to pages and minimal wear to the cover. Spine still tight, in very good condition. Remember if you are not happy, you are covered by our 100% money back guarantee. Seller Inventory # 6545-9780297646259

More information about this seller | Contact seller

Buy Used
£ 3.29
Convert currency

Add to Basket

Shipping: FREE
Within United Kingdom
Destination, rates & speeds
Stock Image

Karen Armstrong
Published by Orion (2001)
ISBN 10: 0297646257 ISBN 13: 9780297646259
Used Hardcover Quantity: 1
Seller:
AwesomeBooks
(Wallingford, United Kingdom)

Book Description Hardcover. Condition: Very Good. Lives: Buddha: His Life and Thought This book is in very good condition and will be shipped within 24 hours of ordering. The cover may have some limited signs of wear but the pages are clean, intact and the spine remains undamaged. This book has clearly been well maintained and looked after thus far. Money back guarantee if you are not satisfied. See all our books here, order more than 1 book and get discounted shipping. . Seller Inventory # 7719-9780297646259

More information about this seller | Contact seller

Buy Used
£ 3.29
Convert currency

Add to Basket

Shipping: FREE
Within United Kingdom
Destination, rates & speeds
Stock Image

Armstrong, Karen
Published by Orion (2001)
ISBN 10: 0297646257 ISBN 13: 9780297646259
Used Hardcover Quantity: 1
Seller:
Goldstone Books
(Llandybie, United Kingdom)

Book Description Hardcover. Condition: Good. All orders are dispatched the following working day from our UK warehouse. Established in 2004, we have over 500,000 books in stock. No quibble refund if not completely satisfied. Seller Inventory # mon0006673721

More information about this seller | Contact seller

Buy Used
£ 3.37
Convert currency

Add to Basket

Shipping: FREE
Within United Kingdom
Destination, rates & speeds
Stock Image

Armstrong, Karen
ISBN 10: 0297646257 ISBN 13: 9780297646259
Used Hardcover Quantity: 1
Seller:
Better World Books Ltd
(Dunfermline, United Kingdom)

Book Description Condition: Very Good. Ships from the UK. Former library book; may include library markings. Used book that is in excellent condition. May show signs of wear or have minor defects. Seller Inventory # 41003844-75

More information about this seller | Contact seller

Buy Used
£ 4.61
Convert currency

Add to Basket

Shipping: FREE
Within United Kingdom
Destination, rates & speeds
Stock Image

Armstrong, Karen
ISBN 10: 0297646257 ISBN 13: 9780297646259
Used Hardcover Quantity: 1
Seller:
Better World Books Ltd
(Dunfermline, United Kingdom)

Book Description Condition: Good. Ships from the UK. Used book that is in clean, average condition without any missing pages. Seller Inventory # GRP92370073

More information about this seller | Contact seller

Buy Used
£ 4.61
Convert currency

Add to Basket

Shipping: FREE
Within United Kingdom
Destination, rates & speeds
Seller Image

Armstrong, Karen
Published by Orion (2001)
ISBN 10: 0297646257 ISBN 13: 9780297646259
Used Hardcover Quantity: 1
Seller:
M Godding Books Ltd
(Devizes, WILTS, United Kingdom)

Book Description Hardcover. Condition: Very Good. Dust Jacket Condition: Very Good Jacket. Posted within 1 working day. 1st class tracked post to the UK, Airmail with tracking worldwide. Robust recyclable packaging. Picture is the actual item. Seller Inventory # 182735

More information about this seller | Contact seller

Buy Used
£ 3.99
Convert currency

Add to Basket

Shipping: £ 2.97
Within United Kingdom
Destination, rates & speeds
Stock Image

Armstrong, Karen
Published by Penguin (2001)
ISBN 10: 0297646257 ISBN 13: 9780297646259
Used Hardcover Quantity: 6
Seller:
WorldofBooks
(Goring-By-Sea, WS, United Kingdom)

Book Description Hardback. Condition: Very Good. The book has been read, but is in excellent condition. Pages are intact and not marred by notes or highlighting. The spine remains undamaged. Seller Inventory # GOR001444755

More information about this seller | Contact seller

Buy Used
£ 9.38
Convert currency

Add to Basket

Shipping: £ 2.80
Within United Kingdom
Destination, rates & speeds
Stock Image

Armstrong, Karen
Published by Penguin (2001)
ISBN 10: 0297646257 ISBN 13: 9780297646259
Used Hardcover Quantity: 1
Seller:
WorldofBooks
(Goring-By-Sea, WS, United Kingdom)

Book Description Hardback. Condition: Fine. Seller Inventory # GOR010958055

More information about this seller | Contact seller

Buy Used
£ 9.38
Convert currency

Add to Basket

Shipping: £ 2.80
Within United Kingdom
Destination, rates & speeds

There are more copies of this book

View all search results for this book