Buddhacarita

[Will]

From the Chinese, the famous life of Buddha by Ashvagosha. Supposedly more prosaic than the lyrical Sansksrit - Numata 2009.

They also have it online, for free, in PDF: https://www.bdkamerica.org/digital/dBET ... a_2009.pdf

[Will]

Maybe I am the most (surely not the only) bookish chap here, but if there are others who have studied any of the titles mentioned in the Book Review section, then chime in with your thoughts. Or add a notice of some other titles that have passed your way.

For example, has anyone read the Johnston translation (I think it was) Buddhacarita from the Sanskrit?

[Kare]

Maybe I am the most (surely not the only) bookish chap here, but if there are others who have studied any of the titles mentioned in the Book Review section, then chime in with your thoughts. Or add a notice of some other titles that have passed your way.

For example, has anyone read the Johnston translation (I think it was) Buddhacarita from the Sanskrit?

I read part of it along with studying the Sanskrit text years ago. But I have not looked at it since, so at the moment I really couldn't say much about it.

[Astus]

Not too long ago I've read a partial (some later chapters were missing) Hungarian translation made from the Sanskrit. The whole text is as kitschy and Bollywood-Indian as it can be. It wasn't a pleasure to read. Although the chapter on Kantaka (the Buddha's horse) was so absurd that it was funny. Well, I guess Kantaka is my favourite character in the entire story.