RELIGST 2I03 Study Guide - Buddhacarita, Dharma, Aghori
Document Summary
Corresponding readings: the paradigmatic life of the buddha. If i did not make this clear last class, and i think that i didn"t, the buddha"s biography serves as a model for proper conduct renunciation of the world in the pursuit of spiritual knowledge is necessary. We"ll see the same thing with the jain tradition renunciation is necessary for spiritual salvation. In the larger vedic/brahmanic/hindu tradition we have been studying, there is an ongoing debate that we tried to understand. But with the remaining traditions we will study, there really is no debate over whether it is better to renounce the world or remain engaged. You have chapters 2-5 of a text called the buddhacarita, or acts of the buddha. A circa 1stcentury ce full biography of the buddha in 28 chapters. In it, we see a lot of what i described in the slides (chapter/canto 3 in particular describes the first three sights old age, sickness and death)