Publication
Imprint: Berkeley, Calif. : Parallax Press, c1991. Context: Originally published as Duong xua may trang. Responsibility: Thich Nhat Hanh, translated from the Vietnamese by Mobi Ho.. Physical: Text : 1 volume : 599 pages : illustrations, map ; 24 cm. Features: Includes appendices.
Call number
Biography / Buddh
ISBN
0938077260 / 9780938077268
Original publication date
1987
Collections
CSS Library Notes
Alternate title: Đường xưa mây trá̆ng : Duong xua may trang .
Description: Old Path White Clouds presents the life and teachings of Gautama Buddha. Drawn directly from twenty-four Pali, Sanskrit, and Chinese sources, and retold by Thich Nhat Hanh in his inimitably beautiful style, this book traces the Buddha's life slowly and gently over the course of eighty years, partly through the eyes of Svasti, the buffalo boy, and partly through the eyes of the Buddha himself. Old Path White Clouds is destined to become a classic of religious literature. -- from back cover
FY1994 /
Description: Old Path White Clouds presents the life and teachings of Gautama Buddha. Drawn directly from twenty-four Pali, Sanskrit, and Chinese sources, and retold by Thich Nhat Hanh in his inimitably beautiful style, this book traces the Buddha's life slowly and gently over the course of eighty years, partly through the eyes of Svasti, the buffalo boy, and partly through the eyes of the Buddha himself. Old Path White Clouds is destined to become a classic of religious literature. -- from back cover
FY1994 /
Physical description
599 p.; 24 cm
Description
Old Path White Clouds presents the life and teachings of Gautama Buddha. Drawn directly from twenty-four Pali, Sanskrit, and Chinese sources, and retold by Thich Nhat Hanh in his inimitably beautiful style, this book traces the Buddha's life slowly and gently over the course of eighty years, partly through the eyes of Svasti, the buffalo boy, and partly through the eyes of the Buddha himself. Old Path White Clouds is destined to become a classic of religious literature.
Language
Original language
Vietnamese
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User reviews
LibraryThing member kukulaj
Thich Nhat Hanh retells the story of the Buddha Shakyamuni. This is truly a wonderful book. It starts off a bit like a fairy tale or a children's story, very simple. It might seem too simple to be worth reading. A little patience is appropriate! Very gradually, one is drawn into the story, and then
This book is a summary of many teachings of the Pali canon. It doesn't bring up any of the more cosmic dimensions of the Mahayana or Vajrayana. So this is hardly the full range of Buddhist teaching. But this book covers the foundations very accessibly. These are the roots that the wider reaches of the Dharma grow from.
I suppose the danger here is that the teachings are presented so simply that a reader might completely miss their profundity. After all, that is the nature of the Buddha's teaching - it doesn't get entangled in metaphysical elaboration! Of course, there is metaphysical elaboration aplenty, but the project is always liberation from entanglement. The intricacy of the cure is just a reflection of the intricacy of the disease!
I think again of chapter seventy-six. King Ajatasattu has dug himself into such a deep pit of misdeed, he despairs of any possibility of escape. Yet the Buddha opens the door of liberation for him. This is not so unlike our modern industrial society. We are so far from the simple direct encounter with the elements of life - and yet, all our elaborate conceptualization are truly insubstantial and reality is as close as the palm of our hand. For me, the simplicity and profundity of this book were almost frightening. If liberation is like that, what am I doing with my crazy life?
Yes, pause, be mindful of breathing, of the sensations and feelings and emotions that are present, that come and go, that flow. Just look deeply at the present moment.
This is truly an inspiring book!
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as the story evolves it slowly shifts into Dharma teaching of ever greater depth. In the later chapters there are some wonderful reprises, wonderful summaries that lead from the most elementary to the most profound teachings in just a couple pages - I am thinking in particular of chapter seventy-six, "The Fruits of Practice". This book is a summary of many teachings of the Pali canon. It doesn't bring up any of the more cosmic dimensions of the Mahayana or Vajrayana. So this is hardly the full range of Buddhist teaching. But this book covers the foundations very accessibly. These are the roots that the wider reaches of the Dharma grow from.
I suppose the danger here is that the teachings are presented so simply that a reader might completely miss their profundity. After all, that is the nature of the Buddha's teaching - it doesn't get entangled in metaphysical elaboration! Of course, there is metaphysical elaboration aplenty, but the project is always liberation from entanglement. The intricacy of the cure is just a reflection of the intricacy of the disease!
I think again of chapter seventy-six. King Ajatasattu has dug himself into such a deep pit of misdeed, he despairs of any possibility of escape. Yet the Buddha opens the door of liberation for him. This is not so unlike our modern industrial society. We are so far from the simple direct encounter with the elements of life - and yet, all our elaborate conceptualization are truly insubstantial and reality is as close as the palm of our hand. For me, the simplicity and profundity of this book were almost frightening. If liberation is like that, what am I doing with my crazy life?
Yes, pause, be mindful of breathing, of the sensations and feelings and emotions that are present, that come and go, that flow. Just look deeply at the present moment.
This is truly an inspiring book!
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LibraryThing member bob3000
Beautiful. Gently told story of Shakyamuni, from infant prince to dead Buddha. Illustrated with line drawings. Excellent bedtime story material.
LibraryThing member JamesBlake
A 570-page fictionalised biography of the Buddha, drawn from both Pali and the equivalent Sanskrit/Chinese texts. Worthwhile though over-long, the best parts are those entirely invented by Thich Nhat Hanh, such as the early passages seen from viewpoint of the buffalo-boy Svasti. Includes line
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drawings by Nguyen Thi Hop. Show Less
LibraryThing member weeksj10
Wow I never thought a book this size, especially a biography, could hold my interest so completely, but it did. I can't even say what was so great about it because EVERYTHING was amazing. If you have an interest in Buddhism or the Buddha then read it.
LibraryThing member gra29
This was an easy to read book. It gives a detailed but simple biography of Buddha’s life. This also introduces the reader to some of the fundamental principles of Buddhism.
LibraryThing member Awdhesh
This is one of the good book written on the life of Buddha. The author does not present Buddha as God but like an enlightened being as he truly was. I enjoyed reading the book.(less)
LibraryThing member BooksForDinner
Read this on and off for the past year. Some very beautiful writing at times. Got about 3/4 of the way through it and finally gave up, though. Wonderful of course, but this could seriously have been three hundred pages shorter without losing a single thing. Very repetitive. I think if Thay would
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have written this 20 years later, it would have been much shorter. Show Less
LibraryThing member renbedell
Wonderful telling of Buddha's life and his teachings. It is a philosophical and religious telling of how Siddhartha became the Buddha and how he taught and brought people to enlightenment. At times it is a story that you get to experience, at others it is a teaching that you are taught in a
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straightforward fashion. It is great book if you are interested in Buddhism, philosophy, or religion in general. Show Less
LibraryThing member GreatWind
This is a wonderful book, beautifully written and illustrated. Thich Nhat Hanh's gentle prose tells the story of the Buddha and his teachings in an accessible manner. I have recommended this book to people wanting to learn about Buddhism, and they have enjoyed it a great deal.