Barlaam and Josaphat: A Christian Tale of the Buddha

A new translation of the most popular Christian tale of the Middle Ages, which springs from the story of the Buddha.

When his astrologers foretell that his son Josaphat will convert to Christianity, the pagan King Avenir confines him to a palace, allowing him to know only the pleasures of the world, and to see no illness, death, or poverty. Despite the king's precautions, the hermit Barlaam comes to Josaphat and begins to teach the prince Christian beliefs through parables. Josaphat converts to Christianity, angering his father, who tries to win his son back to his religion before he, too, converts. After his father's death, Josaphat renounces the world and lives as a hermit in the wilderness with his teacher Barlaam.

Long attributed to the eighth-century monk and scholar, St. John of Damascus, Barlaam and Josaphat was translated into numerous languages around the world. Philologists eventually traced the name Josaphat as a derivation from the Sanskrit bodhisattva, the Buddhist term for the future Buddha, highlighting this text as essential source reading for connections between several of the world's most popular religions.

The first version to appear in modern English, Peggy McCracken's highly readable translation reintroduces a classic tale and makes it accessible once again.

For more than seventy years, Penguin has been the leading publisher of classic literature in the English-speaking world. With more than 1,700 titles, Penguin Classics represents a global bookshelf of the best works throughout history and across genres and disciplines. Readers trust the series to provide authoritative texts enhanced by introductions and notes by distinguished scholars and contemporary authors, as well as up-to-date translations by award-winning translators.

Author: Gui de Cambrai
Publisher: Penguin Publishing Group
Published: 02/25/2014
Pages: 224
Binding Type: Paperback
Weight: 0.40lbs
Size: 7.60h x 5.10w x 0.60d
ISBN: 9780143107019
Audience: Young Adult


Review Citation(s):
Books & Culture 03/01/2015 pg. 28

About the Author
Gui de Cambrai was a medieval writer from the north of France who lived from the mid-twelfth century until the thirteen century.

Peggy McCracken is a professor of French, women's studies, and comparative literature at the University of Michigan.

Donald S. Lopez, Jr., is a professor of Buddhist and Tibetan Studies at the University of Michigan.