The Divyavadana is an enormous compendium of Indian Buddhist narratives written in Sanskrit from the early centuries of the Common Era, whose stories have since spread throughout Asia, as both narrative and narrative art, leaving an indelible mark on Buddhist thought and practice. The stories in the collection were frequently used in the education of both monastics and laity in premodern Asia, exerting a powerful influence as moral exempla and legal precedent, and they were considered by many to be the word of the Buddha himself. These stories were likewise canonical in their influence on Buddhist art.
Representations of these stories can be found across Asia, from Kizil in China to Sanchi in India to Borobudur in Indonesia. It is no hyperbole to say that these are some of the most influential stories in the history of Buddhism. The stories presented here, among the first texts to be inscribed by Buddhists, highlight the moral economy of karma, illustrating how gestures of faith, especially offerings, can bring the reward of future happiness and ultimately liberation.
Divine Stories: Divyavadana, Part 1, Andy Rotman (Translator) , Wisdom Publications, Paperback, 502 Pages, $24.95
Andy Rotman is a professor in the Religion Department and Buddhist Studies program at Smith College in Northampton, Massachusetts. He received his PhD in South Asian languages and civilizations from the University of Chicago in 2003. His research concerns the ways in which narratives and images in South Asia function as a part of social history and material culture. He is the translator of the inaugural volume in Wisdom�s Classics of Indian Buddhism series, Divine Stories: Divyavadana Part 1, and of Divine Stories: Divyavadana Part 2.
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Contents: Divine Stories: Divyavadana |
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Preface |
ix |
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Map of Indian Places in the Divyavadana |
xiv |
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Technical Notes |
xvii |
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Introduction |
1 |
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A Summary of the Stories |
31 |
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THE DIVYAVADANA |
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1. |
The Story of Kotikarna |
39 |
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Kotikarna-avadana |
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2. |
The Story of Purna |
71 |
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Purna-avadana |
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3. |
The Story of Maitreya |
119 |
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Maitreya-avadana |
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4. |
The Story of a Brahman's Daughter |
135 |
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Brahmanadarika-avadana |
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5. |
The Story of a Brahman's Panegyric |
143 |
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Stutibrahmana-avadana |
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6. |
The Story of a Brahman Named Indra |
151 |
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Indrabrahmana-avadana |
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7. |
The Story of a Woman Dependent on a City for Alms |
161 |
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Nagaravalambika-avadana |
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8. |
The Story of Supriya |
177 |
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Supriya-avadana |
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9. |
The Chapter on the Great Fortune of the Householder Mendhaka |
223 |
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Mendhakagrhapativibhuti-pariccheda |
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10. |
The Story of Mendhaka |
235 |
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Mendhaka-avadana |
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11. |
The Story of Asokavarna |
243 |
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Asokavarna-avadana |
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12. |
The Miracle Sutra |
253 |
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Pratiharya-sutra |
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13. |
The Story of Svagata |
289 |
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Svagata-avadana |
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14. |
The Story of a Wretched Pig |
325 |
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Sukarika-avadana |
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15. |
The Story of One Foretold to Be a Wheel-Turning King |
329 |
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Cakravartivyakrta-avadana |
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16. |
The Story of Two Parrot Chicks |
333 |
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Sukapotaka-avadana |
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17. |
The Story of Mandhata |
337 |
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Mandhata-avadana |
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APPENDIXES |
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1. |
Addendum to Mendhakagrhapativibhuti-pariccheda |
373 |
2. |
The Cosmos According to the Divyavadana |
377 |
3. |
Divyavadana and Mulasarvastivada-vinaya Concordance |
381 |
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Notes |
385 |
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Glossary |
445 |
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Bibliography |
467 |
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Index |
487 |
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About the Translator |
503 |
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