The Buddha's Path to Awakening

Sarah Shaw

$61.95

Hardback

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Pali

Harvard University Press
22 September 2025

History of religion; Buddhism

Series: Murty Classical Library of India

The Buddha as man, animal, and god on the path to enlightenment.

According 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 jātakas, 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 Jātakanidāna 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.

The 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.

The Buddha's Path to Awakening 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.

Edited and translated by: Sarah Shaw
Imprint: Harvard University Press
Country of Publication: United States [Currently unable to ship to USA: see Shipping Info]
Dimensions: Height: 203mm, Width: 133mm, Spine: 16mm
Weight: 500g
ISBN: 9780674296527
ISBN 10: 0674296524
Series: Murty Classical Library of India
Pages: 400
Publication Date: 22 September 2025
Audience: Professional and scholarly , Undergraduate
Format: Hardback
Publisher's Status: Active

Sarah Shaw is a faculty member in the Department of Asian and Middle Eastern Studies at the University of Oxford.

Reviews for The Buddha's Path to Awakening

The Murty Classical Library of India deserves kudos for producing such a fine work with the original Pali and the English translation on facing pages, bringing ancient wisdom to new audiences.--Chintan Girish Modi ""The Hindu"" (8/14/2025 12:00:00 AM)

ONLY $9.90 DELIVERY INFO

The Buddha's Path to Awakening

Sarah Shaw

$61.95

Hardback

Reviews for The Buddha's Path to Awakening

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