Tricycle Talks Revisiting the Story of the Buddha’s Life with Donald S. Lopez Jr.
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Sep 17, 2025 In this intriguing conversation, Donald S. Lopez Jr., a distinguished professor of Buddhist and Tibetan Studies, explores the life of the Buddha through both mythological and historical lenses. He discusses the challenges of narrating the Buddha's journey, emphasizing the mystical elements that define his existence. The dialogue also touches on the Buddha's pivotal encounters with mortality, his battle with Mara during enlightenment, and the ongoing debate about his historical presence versus the value of his teachings. These reflections invite listeners to reconsider the legacy of Buddhism.
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Statues Filled By Worshippers
- Donald Lopez uses the ritual of consecrating hollow Buddha statues as a metaphor for how communities fill the Buddha with meaning.
- We project hopes and beliefs into the Buddha, sealing them as the object of worship.
Too Little And Too Many Sources
- Lopez identifies two core problems in writing a Buddha biography: too little historical data and too many attributed texts.
- We cannot reliably date his life or know which teachings are authentically his.
Re‑Mythologizing The Buddha
- Lopez argues demythologizing strips away the Buddha's extraordinary qualities and reduces him to a mild moral philosopher.
- He proposes re-mythologizing to restore the supernatural, multi-dimensional Buddha central to Buddhist traditions.
