Digital Rare Book:
Legends and Miracles of Buddha, Sakya Sinha
Translated from the Avadan Kalpalata (Former lives and good deeds of Buddha) of Bodhi-Sattwas, of the great Sanskrit poet Kshemendra (11 century)
By Nobin Chandra Dasa
Published by Jadu Nath Seal, Calcutta - 1895
Read Book Online:
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Download pdf Book:
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Kshemendra (c. 990 – c. 1070 CE) was a Kashmirian poet of the 11th century, writing in Sanskrit.
Born into an old, cultured, and affluent family, both his education and literary output were broad and varied. He studied literature under "the foremost teacher of his time, the celebrated Shaiva philosopher and literary exponent Abhinavagupta". He also studied — and wrote about — both Vaishnavism and Buddhism. His literary career extended from at least 1037 (his earliest dated work, Brihatkathāmanjari, a verse summary of the lost "Northwestern" Bṛhatkathā; itself a recension of Gunadhya's lost Bṛhatkathā — "Great Story") to 1066 (his latest dated work, Daśavataracharita, "an account of the ten incarnations of the god Visnu"). In addition to the genres listed below, Kshemendra also composed plays, descriptive poems, a satirical novel, a history, and possibly a commentary on the Kāma Sūtra (all now known only through references in other works)
- Wiki
Image:
Gods and Animals in a Landscape, Fragment from a Scene of Buddha Shakyamuni's Sermon to Indra
Pakistan, Peshawar Division (?), Gandhara region
2nd-early 3rd century
Sculpture
Gray schist with traces of paint
Credit: Museum Associates, dba Los Angeles County Museum of Art
In the Jataka tales, Buddha ..in his previous incarnations.. Overcomes adversities through logic and good thoughts/words/deeds..he does not perform miracles.. Only in two instances, he resorts to the power of truth..to overcome the hurdle..that is a storm while in a boat..the path to enlightenment ..is through logic and understanding.. Not magic and miracles.. Or violence..
There is also fragment of a grey coloured stone sculpture depicting birth of Buddha at the Freer Gallery of Art at the Smithsonian Instituition in Washington D.C. Stylistically it is very similar to this one.
Anand Babu
Don Bronson