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Secondary sourceBook1875

The Romantic Legend of Sakya Buddha

Samuel Beal · 1875

An 1875 English translation by Samuel Beal of a Chinese-Sanskrit text telling the legendary story of the Buddha's youth and renunciation.

A legendary retelling of the Buddha's youth and renunciation, translated from Chinese sources.

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The Romantic Legend of Sakya BuddhaPDF · 416 pages
Samuel Beal (trans.), The Romantic Legend of Sakya Buddha, 1875. Scanned book, Internet Archive.

About this source

What it is

This book is Samuel Beal's 1875 translation of a Chinese version of the Abhinishkramana Sutra, a legendary account of the Buddha's early life and his decision to leave his royal life behind. Beal found the Chinese copy in the India Office Library and based his English translation on it.

Why it matters

This text is part of a tradition of legendary biographies that grew up around the Buddha long after his death, blending historical memory with storytelling. Its translation into English in the 19th century was part of a broader effort by scholars like Samuel Beal to bring Buddhist texts to Western readers. It shows how stories about the Buddha's youth and renunciation were shaped and reshaped across centuries and cultures.

Look closer

  • Why might this account be called a 'legend' rather than a strict historical record?
  • What does the translator's dedication reveal about his motivations for this work?
  • How might a story like this change as it passes from one language and culture to another?

This book is part of the curated material that grounds the AI version of Buddha on Humy.ai — when students ask about related events, the AI can quote it and cite it.

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