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

[Piya Tan]

Hi Joanna,

This message is also for Joel.

Joel is an old friend who visited me while I was still a Theravada monk in
Malaysia. I am very happy when he published the "Glorious Deeds of Purna"
(which only reached the public libraries) here last year, but I glad it did, so
that I finally had the chance to read it.

I am glad again, even proud, that he has published another volume, which looks
very interesting indeed. Congratulations are in order. As before, I will wait
for the arrival of the book in Singapore bookshops and libraries.

Although my special area is early Buddhism (the 4 Nikayas), I am also part of a
network of monastics and scholars who are interested in the comparative study
of Buddhism, esp between the Nikayas and the Sanskrit/Chinese Agamas. Ajahn
Sujato is working on setting up the Sutta-Central in this connection.

I am now teaching Buddhism and meditation full time with Brahm Education Centre
(teaching facility of the Buddhist Fellowship); otherwise enjoying the great
outdoors with my wife and two young sons.

Sukhi

Piya
 
 
 

jkirk wrote:

> 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
>
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