The Voice of the Buddha: The Beauty of Compassion (Translation Series)

Rating:
Summary: A traditional recounting of the life of the Buddha
Review: This is based on the Lalitavistara Sutra, which is a traditional telliing of the Buddha Shakyamuni's lifestory written around 2,000 years ago. It starts with his two previous lifetimes, and ends at the time he delivers his first teachings after attaining enlightenment.

The translation is beautifully done, with some very lyrical passages. Those of you who have read other original Buddhist sutras and scriptures may be surprised to find how 'flowery' this is, but it's a delightful change of pace from some of the more repetitive traditional scriptures.

The book also has some gorgeous full-page full-color images (with tissue paper covers to protect them) between some sections that make it worth the unusually high price.

One caveat: if you don't know anything about Buddhism, you might find the more accessible style of Thich Nhat Hahn's "Old Path White Clouds" a little more comprehensible, but if you already have a basic idea of what Buddhism's all about, then the Lalitavistara would be a great addition to your library.

Rating:
Summary: A traditional recounting of the life of the Buddha
Review: This is based on the Lalitavistara Sutra, which is a traditional telliing of the Buddha Shakyamuni's lifestory written around 2,000 years ago. It starts with his two previous lifetimes, and ends at the time he delivers his first teachings after attaining enlightenment.

The translation is beautifully done, with some very lyrical passages. Those of you who have read other original Buddhist sutras and scriptures may be surprised to find how 'flowery' this is, but it's a delightful change of pace from some of the more repetitive traditional scriptures.

The book also has some gorgeous full-page full-color images (with tissue paper covers to protect them) between some sections that make it worth the unusually high price.

One caveat: if you don't know anything about Buddhism, you might find the more accessible style of Thich Nhat Hahn's "Old Path White Clouds" a little more comprehensible, but if you already have a basic idea of what Buddhism's all about, then the Lalitavistara would be a great addition to your library.