Revealing the real Buddha

zidangus

Has anyone read this book 'A Spoke In The Wheel - A Novel About The Buddha' by Amita Kanekar, I am thinking about reading it, as it looks quite interesting. So just seeing if anyone has read it and recommends it.

http://www.buddhistchannel.tv/index.php?id=10,1258,0,0,1,0

Cheers in advance

vinlyn

I'm curious why your thread is entitled "Revealing the real Buddha", but you are asking about a novel.

zidangus

@vinlyn, read the link I gave reviewing the book, its titled 'Revealing the real Buddha'

vinlyn

@vinlyn, read the link I gave reviewing the book, its titled 'Revealing the real Buddha'

Okay, but the concept bothers me. The author is using fiction to "strip away layer by layer such fanciful stories...."

zidangus

@vinlyn I am going to read it and see what its like, I was just wondering if anyone else had read it. Also it cannot be that bad, its a Buddhist website which reviewed it and it gave a pretty good review I thought, it sounds like a really good book from the review.

dharma

Is the author who " reveals" the Buddha a Hindu ? It is nothing new, they usually try to portray the Buddha as just an avartar of the deva Vishnu, if that fails they will try to portray him as just another man. Either way, it is contrary to what the Buddha said about himself. in one life he was a deva born in a deva plane and therefore a deva, in another life he was born in a human plane and therefore a human. So how does the author decide if he was a man or a deva. Besides, after awakening one doesn't identify with any of these temporary identities as self. For example , being some one in such and such plane ( human or deva ).

zidangus

come on its a novel, and it got a good review on Buddhist website, so it cannot be that bad.

Amita Kanekar answers some questions here, to give an idea of her motives.

http://www.bookdepository.co.uk/Spoke-Wheel-Amita-Kanekar/9788172235741

dharma

@zidangus , Just because it is a Buddhist channel who post it doesn't mean that it is reliable. Take a look at the type of misleading article that gets through:

http://www.buddhistchannel.tv/index.php?id=42,10384,0,0,1,0

Here someone had to correct the misleading article that was posted :

http://www.buddhistchannel.tv/index.php?id=22,10395,0,0,1,0
Wrong depiction of Buddhist history in India

As vinlyn said, it is a novel, that means she is " using fiction" to reveal the real Buddha. Even the tittle is misleading.

We haven't seen anyone write a novel " Revealing the Real Shiva and Vishnu" yet.

vinlyn

@vinlyn I am going to read it and see what its like, I was just wondering if anyone else had read it. Also it cannot be that bad, its a Buddhist website which reviewed it and it gave a pretty good review I thought, it sounds like a really good book from the review.

Yes, I look forward to your review for us!

Mountains

It's just words... No fear.

dharma

Of course not, they have been saying that for years. Let's see the kind of thing being written about the Buddha.

Gui

Does it matter what the Buddha was or if he even existed? Buddhism is what is important.

zidangus

@dharma its a novel, a story, its not to be taken as fact, there really is no need to overreact to its story. Anyway maybe you should read it before you start jumping in and saying its rubbish or words to that effect. I know I intend to read it, as it looks interesting.

Anyway what is wrong with saying Buddha was an ordinary man ? am I not a Buddhist if I believe that Buddha was an ordinary man that discovered through his own effort and determination the way to end suffering, and am i not a Buddhist if I believe that Buddha was not a deity. Believe it or not @dharma some Buddhist do not believe that Buddha was a deity but an ordinary man who discovered through his own effort and determination the way to end suffering, me included, and guess what Buddha did not want to be seen as a deity either.

dharma

@dharma its a novel, a story, its not to be taken as fact, there really is no need to overreact to its story. Anyway maybe you should read it before you start jumping in and saying its rubbish or words to that effect. I know I intend to read it, as it looks interesting.

Anyway what is wrong with saying Buddha was an ordinary man ? am I not a Buddhist if I believe that Buddha was an ordinary man that discovered through his own effort and determination the way to end suffering, and am i not a Buddhist if I believe that Buddha was not a deity. Believe it or not @dharma some Buddhist do not believe that Buddha was a deity but an ordinary man who discovered through his own effort and determination the way to end suffering, me included, and guess what Buddha did not want to be seen as a deity either.

It's true that after awakening the Buddha doesn't identify with his past as being a deity or being a such and such a person in the human plane because all these are part of samsara . These are temporary identies. When asked, he said : "Remember me, brahmin, as 'awakened/ Buddha.'

I usually don't see Buddhist writing about Revealing the real Shiva , that is why I am curious when I see this . I wonder if the author writes a book about "Revealing the Real Muhammad also.

Cinorjer

Eh, using fiction to explore alternate versions of history and historical characters is a time honored and valid artistic expression. From Jesus Christ Superstar, to Siddhartha by Hermann Hesse, it's just people playing a game of "what if?" Sounds like an intersting book.