[Buddha-l] New book by one of our members

[jkirk]

His message on the list today today reminded me that I had intended to post
this:

Joel Tatelman, (Translator). _The Heavenly Exploits: Buddhist Biographies
from the Divyavadana_. New York University Press, February 2005.

 FROM THE PUBLISHER
"The "Divyavadana," or Heavenly Exploits, is a collection of thirty-eight
Buddhist biographical stories. The genre of narratives of an individual's
religiously significant deeds is as old as Buddhism, and its manifestations
are as widely spread across Buddhist Asia, in classical and vernacular
languages, down to the present day." Volume One contains the stories of
Shrona Koti-karna, Purna, Prince Sudhana and Makandika. The first two
stories are fine examples of the type of tales about adventurous seafaring
merchants whose moral virtue and religious observance lead to material
wealth. Sudhana's is a prince's long and dangerous heroic quest, while the
brahmin ascetic Makandika offers his nubile daughter to the Buddha in
marriage.
--------------

Having wondered for some time about the avadanas, now I have a chance to
check some out. Yum.
Joanna