Reading Notes: Barlaam and Josaphat: English Lives of Buddha by Joseph Jacobs Part A

These are reading notes over Barlaam and Josaphat: English Lives of Buddha by Joseph Jacobs. This was an interesting read about the lives of Buddha. This reading noticed the connection between the person Josaphat and Buddha. Their names have lingual connections, which was a useful way to illustrate their connection. Also, their stories, when put side by side, are almost exactly the same. Both were born from kings of India and started lives searching out the truth of their existence. There was also discussion about what a parable is, which are used by most spiritual leader in history. It is like a narrative-metaphor, which, the book says, can possibly lead to misunderstandings when taken too far. It is a tool for illustrating a truth but not a truth in and of itself. However, both spiritual entities, Indian and English, used them. Exploring the role of stories in creating the perception of truth and the importance of not being attached to the story is interesting.

Short Story on Max Pixel