The Life of the Buddha and the Early History of His Order

"Here is a comprehensive account of the life of the Buddha and a history of the early Buddhist order as they are depicted in Tibetan sources–something rarely seen in modern translations and courses. The book is divided into six chapters: The history of the world from the time of its renovation up until the reign of Suddhodana, the Buddha’s father. The reign of Suddhodana until the start of Buddha’s ministry. The life of the Buddha from the start of his ministry until the reign of Adjatasatru. The Buddha’s life from then until his death. The history of the Buddhist order during the 110 years following the Buddha’s death. The history of the schools of Hinayana Buddhism. Two additional chapters covering the early history of Tibet and Khoten (an ancient Buddhist kingdom north of Tibet) provides useful background information for readers. This book is primarily a translation of works in those two great collections of Tibetan Buddhist sacred literature, the ‘Bkah-hgyur’ (‘Translation of Buddha-word) and the ‘Bstan-hgyur’ (‘Translation of Teachings’).