The story of the Buddha and his awakening is more than an account of the birth of a religious tradition: it is also one of the great archetypal tales of the spiritual quest, colorful in its many details and thrilling in its depiction of the world transformed by an enlightened human being. Sherab Chödzin Kohn’s retelling of the Buddha’s life is both readable and historically informed, and presents the Buddha’s teachings along with the events of his past lives to final nirvana. Library Journal called it “a splendid combination of biography and instruction.” This new edition of the book previously entitled The Awakened One has been updated to include a short history of Buddhism as well as a selection of resources for further reading.
"Kohn's masterful blend of the life and teachings of the Buddha renders this book a valuable guide for those who would follow the path of the Awakened One."—Publishers Weekly
"A splendid combination of biography and instruction. Highly recommended."—Library Journal
"To enable the modern reader to visualize the Buddha's life so vividly is already quite an achievement. Doubtless an even greater challenge is to present the teachings themselves as part of the narrative flow. The author has succeeded admirably. The principal doctrines are presented in a way that is not only clear and succinct, but that—most importantly—enables the reader to understand them not as abstract doctrine, but as insights which were themselves events in the life of the Buddha."—Parabola
Sherab Chödzin Kohn is coeditor of the best-selling anthology The Buddha and His Teachings. He has been teaching Buddhism and meditation for more than thirty years, and he has edited a number of the books of his teacher, the Tibetan meditation master Chögyam Trungpa. He has also published numerous translations, including an acclaimed version of Hermann Hesse’s Siddhartha. He lives in Boulder, Colorado.
The story of the Buddha and his awakening is more than an account of the birth of a religious tradition: it is also one of the great archetypal tales of the spiritual quest, colorful in its many details and thrilling in its depiction of the world transformed by an enlightened human being. Sherab Chödzin Kohn’s retelling of the Buddha’s life is both readable and historically informed, and presents the Buddha’s teachings along with the events of his past lives to final nirvana. Library Journal called it “a splendid combination of biography and instruction.” This new edition of the book previously entitled The Awakened One has been updated to include a short history of Buddhism as well as a selection of resources for further reading.
Reviews
"Kohn's masterful blend of the life and teachings of the Buddha renders this book a valuable guide for those who would follow the path of the Awakened One."—Publishers Weekly
"A splendid combination of biography and instruction. Highly recommended."—Library Journal
"To enable the modern reader to visualize the Buddha's life so vividly is already quite an achievement. Doubtless an even greater challenge is to present the teachings themselves as part of the narrative flow. The author has succeeded admirably. The principal doctrines are presented in a way that is not only clear and succinct, but that—most importantly—enables the reader to understand them not as abstract doctrine, but as insights which were themselves events in the life of the Buddha."—Parabola
Author
Sherab Chödzin Kohn is coeditor of the best-selling anthology The Buddha and His Teachings. He has been teaching Buddhism and meditation for more than thirty years, and he has edited a number of the books of his teacher, the Tibetan meditation master Chögyam Trungpa. He has also published numerous translations, including an acclaimed version of Hermann Hesse’s Siddhartha. He lives in Boulder, Colorado.
