search for the Buddha, The

By Charles Allen

Book Description

For centuries, the profound wisdom of Buddhism remained hidden from Western eyes, locked away by ancient prohibitions and linguistic barriers. Charles Allen unveils the remarkable story of how a determined group of British scholars and adventurers gradually pieced together the lost history of one of the world's great spiritual traditions.

At the center of this extraordinary quest stands Sir William "Oriental" Jones, a British judge whose groundbreaking work in eighteenth-century India shattered the Brahmins' centuries-old ban on teaching Sanskrit to outsiders. Through painstaking examination of mysterious inscriptions carved into pillars and rocks across the Indian subcontinent, Jones began to decode clues that would eventually reveal Buddhism's origins and teachings to the Western world.

Allen chronicles the adventures of this passionate band of seekers, whose dedication to uncovering Buddhism's secrets reads like a thrilling detective story. These often eccentric pioneers faced formidable obstacles as they worked to understand a religion that had been deliberately concealed from foreign eyes. Their discoveries would ultimately introduce millions of Westerners to Buddhist philosophy and practice.

This captivating work of historical detection reveals how ancient wisdom traditions can be rediscovered and shared across cultures. For anyone interested in Buddhism's journey to the West or the fascinating process of cross-cultural spiritual exchange, Allen's account offers both adventure and insight into how transformative teachings find their way into new worlds.