The Buddha: Biography of a Myth

The Buddha: Biography of a Myth - Hardcover

$28.00
Sale price  $28.00 Regular price 
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The Buddha: Biography of a Myth

The Buddha: Biography of a Myth - Hardcover

$28.00
Sale price  $28.00 Regular price 

Book Overview

From one of the world's leading Buddhist scholars, a deeply researched and unprecedented portrait of the Buddha

Like Jesus and Muhammad, the Buddha is one of the most significant figures in history. But is he a historical figure? In this revelatory book, Donald S. Lopez Jr. explores this question and considers what is at stake in the answer. Using stories of the Buddha's life--drawn from the earliest biographies, the work of other scholars, and his own research--Lopez traces a single narrative from the Buddha's birth to his enlightenment to his passage into nirvana.

Unlike those who transformed the Buddha into a rationalist philosopher, Lopez seeks to "remythologize" the Buddha, restoring the rainbow that encircled the Buddha for centuries, radiating his teachings around the world. Complementing traditional Buddhist sources with insights from Gustave Flaubert, Oscar Wilde, George Eliot, and others, Lopez produces a rich, accessible, and unprecedented portrait of one of the world's most important religious figures.
ISBN9780300234275
Author Donald S. Lopez
PublisherYale University Press
GenreBiography, Religion & spirituality, and History
FormatHardcover
PublishedSeptember 2025
LanguageENG- English
Pages256
Weight1.0 lb
Target AudienceAdults
Print SizeStandard Print

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About Donald S. Lopez

Donald S. Lopez Jr. is the Arthur E. Link Distinguished University Professor of Buddhist and Tibetan Studies at the University of Michigan. He is the author, translator, or editor of more than twenty books, including The Scientific Buddha: His Short and Happy Life, The Story of Buddhism, and the award-winning Princeton Dictionary of Buddhism.

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