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Buddhacarita

A Dictionary of Buddhism | 2004 | | Copyright

Buddhacarita (Skt., the acts of the Buddha). A biography of the Buddha in the style of Sanskrit epic poetry (mahākāvya) written by Aśvaghoṣa about the 2nd century ce. Of the seventeen cantos which survive in the original only the first thirteen are by Aśvaghosa, the remaining four being added in the 19th century and extending the narrative as far as the Buddha's return home to Lumbinī after his enlightenment (bodhi). The complete version of the epic is preserved in Tibetan and Chinese translations which both extend to 28 cantos. The Buddhacarita is a literary and religious classic, the work of a talented and skilful poet who was also an adherent of the faith. The style is reverent yet restrained and the work is relatively free of the fanciful hagiographic detail found in other sources.

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DAMIEN KEOWN. "Buddhacarita." A Dictionary of Buddhism. 2004. Encyclopedia.com. 27 May. 2012 <http://www.encyclopedia.com>.

DAMIEN KEOWN. "Buddhacarita." A Dictionary of Buddhism. 2004. Encyclopedia.com. (May 27, 2012). http://www.encyclopedia.com/doc/1O108-Buddhacarita.html

DAMIEN KEOWN. "Buddhacarita." A Dictionary of Buddhism. 2004. Retrieved May 27, 2012 from Encyclopedia.com: http://www.encyclopedia.com/doc/1O108-Buddhacarita.html

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Buddhacarita

The Concise Oxford Dictionary of World Religions | 1997 | | Copyright

Buddhacarita. ‘The Acts of the Buddha’, a biography of the Buddha in the style of Sanskrit epic poetry (mahākāvya) written by Aśvaghoṣa about the 2nd cent. CE.

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JOHN BOWKER. "Buddhacarita." The Concise Oxford Dictionary of World Religions. 1997. Encyclopedia.com. 27 May. 2012 <http://www.encyclopedia.com>.

JOHN BOWKER. "Buddhacarita." The Concise Oxford Dictionary of World Religions. 1997. Encyclopedia.com. (May 27, 2012). http://www.encyclopedia.com/doc/1O101-Buddhacarita.html

JOHN BOWKER. "Buddhacarita." The Concise Oxford Dictionary of World Religions. 1997. Retrieved May 27, 2012 from Encyclopedia.com: http://www.encyclopedia.com/doc/1O101-Buddhacarita.html

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