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title: Title Page / Foreword / Table of Contents
description: "THE LIFE of BUDDHA"
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THE LIFE of BUDDHA

According to the Legends of Ancient India
By
A. FERDINAND HEROLD
Translated from the French by
PAUL C. BLUM
Decorations by Mac Hershberger

p. vii

FOREWORD
This Life of Buddha is not a work of fiction, and I think it would be well to mention the books, both ancient and modern, which I have most frequently consulted.

I have, for the most part, relied upon the LALITA-VISTARA. This book is a jumbled collection of legends and scholastic dissertations, and yet in these pages are preserved many precious traditions regarding the Buddha's origin, his childhood and his youth, and here, likewise, we are told of his early education and of his first deeds.

I have also made great use of an excellent poem, the BUDDHACARITA of Asvaghosa. In a few of the chapters I have repeated the lines almost word for word. The text of the BUDDHACARITA was edited by E. B. Cowell.

In the Life, I have interpolated several JATAKAS. These are stories in which the Buddha recalls his former lives. Some of them will be found in a vast collection, the AVADANASATAKA.

Two modern books: LE BOUDDHA, by H. Oldenberg, translated by A. Foucher, and the HISTOIRE DU BOUDDHISME DANS L』INDE, by

p. viii

H. Kern, translated by Gédéon Huet, have also been very useful to me; as well as other works that have appeared in scientific reviews. Thus, for the touching story of Visvantara, I am indebted to a sogdian version published by R. Gauthiot in the JOURNAL ASIATIQUE.

Finally, I would be guilty of the deepest ingratitude if I did not publicly thank my old friend Sylvain Lévi for his generous and kindly advice.

And may the reader find of interest this marvellous story of Prince Siddhartha who, through meditation, was able to attain supreme wisdom.

A. F. HEROLD

p. ix

TABLE OF CONTENTS

 PART ONE

SECTION
NUMBER

 PAGE

1.
 KING SUDDHODANA AND QUEEN MAYA
 3

2.
 MAYA'S DREAM
 8

3.
 THE BIRTH OF SIDDHARTHA
 12

4.
 ASITA'S PREDICTION
 16

5.
 SIDDHARTHA AT THE TEMPLE
 20

6.
 SIDDHARTHA'S FIRST MEDITATION
 24

7.
 THE MARRIAGE OF SIDDHARTHA
 28

8.
 SIDDHARTHA LEADS A LIFE OF PLEASURE
 38

9.
 THE THREE ENCOUNTERS
 41

10.
 GOPA'S DREAM
 49

11.
 SIDDHARTHA IS EAGER TO KNOW THE GREAT TRUTHS
 55

12.
 SIDDHARTHA LEAVES HIS FATHER'S PALACE
 60

13.
 SIDDHARTHA THE HERMIT
 62

14.
 GOPA AND SUDDHODANA GRIEVE
 68

15.
 THE DOCTRINE OF ARATA KALAMA
 72

16.
 SIDDHARTHA AND KING VIMBASARA
 75

17.
 SIDDHARTHA DESERTED BY HIS FIRST DISCIPLES
 79

18.
 SIDDHARTHA UNDER THE TREE OF KNOWLEDGE
 83

19.
 MARA'S DEFEAT
 89

20.
 SIDDHARTHA BECOMES THE BUDDHA
 96

 p. x

PART TWO

SECTION
NUMBER

 PAGE

1.
 TRAPUSHA AND BHALLIKA
 103

2.
 THE BUDDHA IS PREPARED TO PREACH THE DOCTRINE
 110

3.
 THE BUDDHA LEAVES FOR BENARES
 114

4.
 THE BUDDHA FINDS HIS FORMER DISCIPLES
 117

5.
 THE STORY OF THE HERMIT AND THE HARE
 123

6.
 THE STORY OF PADMAKA
 129

7.
 THE BUDDHA AT THE BAMBOO GROVE
 135

8.
 SARIPUTRA AND MAUDGALYAYANA
 141

9.
 THE BUDDHA PACIFIES THE MALCONTENTS OF RAJAGRIHA
 144

10.
 SUDDHODANA SENDS MESSENGERS TO HIS SON
 147

11.
 THE STORY OF THE CRANE AND THE FISH
 151

12.
 THE STORY OF VISVANTARA
 157

13.
 THE STORY OF DHARMAPALA
 175

14.
 GOPA'S GREAT VIRTUE
 179

15.
 NANDA RENOUNCES ROYALTY
 182

16.
 THE BUDDHA LEAVES KAPILAVASTU
 186

17.
 ANATHAPINDIKA'S OFFERING
 190

18.
 THE NEW DISCIPLES
 196

19.
 NANDA'S PRIDE
 200

20.
 THE DEATH OF SUDDHODANA
 206

PART THREE

1.
 MAHAPRAJAPATI IS ADMITTED TO THE COMMUNITY
 211

2.
 THE BUDDHA EXPOSES THE IMPOSTERS
 217

 p. xi

SECTION
NUMBER

 PAGE

3.
 SUPRABHA
 222

4.
 VIRUPA
 227

5.
 SINCA'S DECEIT
 232

6.
 THE BUDDHA TAMES A WILD BUFFALO
 236

7.
 DISSENSION AMONG THE MONKS
 239

8.
 KUVALAYA THE DANCER
 243

9.
 THE GOD ALAVAKA DEFEATED BY THE BUDDHA
 247

10.
 DEVADATTA EXPELLED FROM THE COMMUNITY
 253

11.
 AJATASATRU'S TREACHERY
 256

12.
 THE DEATH OF DEVADATTA
 261

13.
 PRASENAJIT AND AJATASATRU
 267

14.
 THE BUDDHA TEACHES THE DOCTRINE
 271

15.
 THE BUDDHA AND THE SHEPHERD
 273

16.
 THE BUDDHA INSTRUCTS THE MONKS OF VAISALI
 278

17.
 THE MEAL AT CUNDA'S
 282

18.
 THE BUDDHA ENTERS NIRVANA
 284