{"product_id":"the-buddhas-path-to-awakening-sarah-shaw-9780674296527","title":"The Buddha's Path to Awakening","description":"\u003cp\u003e\u003cb\u003eThe Buddha as man, animal, and god on the path to enlightenment.\u003c\/b\u003e \u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003e\u003c\/p\u003eAccording to ancient traditions, it takes countless lifetimes to become a Buddha. The Buddha's own path to complete awakening was chronicled in five hundred and forty-seven stories known as the \u003ci\u003ejātakas, \u003c\/i\u003e which underwent numerous adaptations in the centuries after the Buddha's lifetime. In the fifth or sixth century CE, in the region known as present-day Sri Lanka, an anonymous author wrote an introduction to these, recounting the history of a vow that prompted this great quest. This narrative, titled \u003ci\u003eJātakanidāna\u003c\/i\u003e in Pali, preserves the oral traditions about the Bodhisatta, the one destined to become a Buddha in his final life. The text also functioned for centuries as a gateway to other early Buddhist teachings, offering valuable insights into the Buddha's journey toward enlightenment. \u003cp\u003e\u003c\/p\u003eThe story begins when, in one of his lives as an ascetic named Sumedha, the Buddha vows to delay his own awakening until he can guide others toward their release from the cycle of rebirth. This vow sets him on a long series of lives--as man, animal, and god. At the culmination of his spiritual journey, he recalls his past lives, his teachings, and the establishment of the monastic community that would preserve and spread these teachings.\u003cbr\u003e\u003ci\u003eThe Buddha's Path to Awakening\u003c\/i\u003e has become one of the most significant biographical works in the Buddhist tradition. This volume presents a new, authoritative translation, accompanied by the original Pali text.\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003cb\u003eAuthor:\u003c\/b\u003e Sarah Shaw\u003cbr\u003e\u003cb\u003eISBN-10:\u003c\/b\u003e 0674296524\u003cbr\u003e\u003cb\u003eISBN-13:\u003c\/b\u003e 9780674296527\u003cbr\u003e\u003cb\u003ePublisher:\u003c\/b\u003e Harvard University Press\u003cbr\u003e\u003cb\u003eLanguage:\u003c\/b\u003e English\u003cbr\u003e\u003cb\u003ePublished:\u003c\/b\u003e 05\/13\/2025\u003cbr\u003e\u003cb\u003ePages:\u003c\/b\u003e 400\u003cbr\u003e\u003cb\u003eFormat:\u003c\/b\u003e Hardcover","brand":"Sarah Shaw","offers":[{"title":"Hardcover","offer_id":46526486348031,"sku":"9780674296527","price":35.0,"currency_code":"USD","in_stock":true}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0662\/2982\/9887\/files\/img_83b8922c-c05e-4b14-aa4c-016b8f45bb2d.jpg?v=1737556321","url":"https:\/\/www.whiterainbookhouse.com\/products\/the-buddhas-path-to-awakening-sarah-shaw-9780674296527","provider":"WR Book House","version":"1.0","type":"link"}