Reading the Mahāvamsa: The Literary Aims of a Theravada Buddhist History

by Kristin Scheible

Vamsa is a dynamic genre of Buddhist history filled with otherworldly characters and the exploits of real-life heroes. These narratives collapse the temporal distance between Buddha and the reader, building an emotionally resonant connection with an outsized religious figure and a longed-for past. The fifth-century Pali text Mahavamsa is a particularly effective example, using metaphor and other rhetorical devices to ethically transform...

• Format: Hardcover
• Language: English
• ISBN: 0231171382
• ISBN13: 9780231171380
• Release Date: November 2016
• Publisher: Columbia University Press
• Length: 240 Pages
• Weight: 0.95 lbs.
• Dimensions: 0.8" x 5.9" x 9.1"
• Grade Range: Postsecondary and higher