Yasodhara, the Wife of the Bodhisattva: The Sinhala

Yasodhara, the Wife of the Bodhisattva: The Sinhala Yasodharavata (The Story of Yasodhara) and the Sinhala Yasodharapadanaya (The Sacred Biography of Yasodhara)

Translations of two works from Sri Lanka on YasodharÄ, the wife of the Buddhaâ€”an allusive and intriguing figure in Buddhist lore and literature.

What about Buddhaâ€™s wife? We all know that Prince Siddhartha left his wife and infant son to begin his journey to enlightenment. The Pali canon does not mention the woman he left behind. YasodharÄ enters the commentarial tradition around the first century CE and lives on in the folk tradition, growing from a shadowy figure to a nun and arahat (an Enlightened One), even gaining magical powers. In this book, Ranjini Obeyesekere offers a translation of two works from Sri Lanka on this intriguing figure. The YasodharÄvata (The Story of YasodharÄ) is a folk poem, whose best-known verses are YasodharÄâ€™s lament over the departure of her husband. The YasodharÄpadÄnaya (The Sacred Biography of YasodharÄ) is an account of YasodharÄ as a nun capable of miracles, who has traveled through sam|sara with the Bodhisattva, and who is praised by him. Obeyesekere places these works within their historical and literary context and provides a glossary of Buddhist terms.

â€œâ€¦a challenging and eye-opening read, and the retelling and sharing of YasodharÄâ€™s story is the most fundamental type of feminist act.â€ â€” Feminist Review

â€œThe translations are fluid, appealing, and quite readable. This book illuminates the â€˜shadowsâ€™ that obscured YasodharÄ from the modernist, essentialized telling of the Buddha story, thereby enriching the growing genre of narratives of women in Buddhism.â€ â€” Donald K. Swearer, author of The Buddhist World of Southeast Asia

â€œIn her beautiful translation, Obeyesekere provides access to a world of Buddhism that has only been available to Sinhala readers. Many people will now be able to read, enjoy, and study these stories as an important aspect of what can be called â€˜devotional Buddhism.â€™â€ â€” George D. Bond, author of Buddhism at Work: Community Development, Social Empowerment and the Sarvodaya Movement

Country	USA
Author	Ranjini Obeyesekere
Binding	Paperback
Brand	Brand: State University of New York Press
EAN	9781438428284
Feature	Used Book in Good Condition
ISBN	1438428286
Label	State University of New York Press
Manufacturer	State University of New York Press
NumberOfItems	1
NumberOfPages	116
PublicationDate	2009-09-24
Publisher	State University of New York Press
Studio	State University of New York Press
ReleaseDate	0000-00-00

Yasodhara, the Wife of the Bodhisattva: The Sinhala Yasodharavata (The Story of Yasodhara) and the Sinhala Yasodharapadanaya (The Sacred Biography of Yasodhara)

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