Edwin Arnold: Buddhism and Hinduism Studies, Poetry & Plays

This unique and meticulously edited collection of Edwin Arnold's greatest works includes: The Essence of Buddhism_x000D_ Hindu Literature: Comprising The Book of good counsels, Nala and Damayanti_x000D_ Death–And Afterwards_x000D_ The Light of Asia_x000D_ Indian Poetry_x000D_ The Song Celestial or Bhagavad-Gita (from the Mahâbhârata)_x000D_ Light of the World; or, The Great Consummation_x000D_ Potiphar's Wife_x000D_ Adzuma; or, The Japanese Wife_x000D_ Sir Edwin Arnold (1832-1904) was an English poet and journalist, who is most known for his work, The Light of Asia. The literary task which he set before him was the interpretation in English verse of the life and philosophy of the East. His chief work with this object is The Light of Asia, which was translated into various languages such as Hindi._x000D_ The Light of Asia, subtitled The Great Renunciation, is in a form of a narrative poem. The book endeavors to describe the life and time of Prince Gautama Siddhartha, who after attaining enlightenment became The Buddha, The Awakened One. The book presents his life, character, and philosophy, in a series of verses. It is a free adaptation of the Lalitavistara. A few decades before the book's publication, very little was known outside Asia about the Buddha and Buddhism, the religion which he founded, and which had existed for about twenty-five centuries. Arnold's book was one of the first successful attempts to popularize Buddhism for a Western readership.