The Light of Asia:

Poetic rendering of Buddha's life story

By Premasara EPASINGHE

Sir Edwin Arnold's The Light of Asia, the immortal songs of light, life and love, have enjoyed a high degree of popularity, unparalleled in the world of literature. The main reason for this popularity lies in the greatness and charm of Gautama Buddha and the beautiful poetical language that covers the Light of Asia. Never before in English language, has the life story of Gautama Buddha more beautifully portrayed. These poems depict the life story of Gautama Buddha.

He begins Light of Asia, chapter one
The scripture of the saviour of the world
Lord Buddha – Prince Siddhartha styled in the world
In Earth and Heavens and Hells in comparable,
All honoured, wisest, best, most pitiful,
the Teacher of Nirvana and the law
Then came he to be born again for men.

Gautama Buddha lived in India, in the 6th century before the birth of Jesus Christ. In many parts of the world, it was an age of intellectual activity. Radical changes were taking place in social and religious sphere in Greece and Rome. To name a few, out of many Heraclitus was teaching Panta Phei

Spread of Buddhism

It was during great Emperor Ashoka's reign, 236 years after the Buddha's Parinibbana Buddhism spread to many Asian countries. The earliest ideas of Buddhism to England and Germany and other European countries were spread through books, but not by missions.

As the month of Poson (June) marks the advent of Buddhism to Sri Lanka, this is the ideal time to study one of the greatest Buddhist authors who propagated Buddhism through his brilliant creative writings.

He was Sir Edwin Arnold (1832-1904) the 19th century scholar and writer, who published The Light of Asia. This was published in 1879 and it popularised Buddhism.

Sir Edwin Arnold

In my recent visit to the United Kingdom, I noticed, some of the European Buddhists as well as English bhikkhus still value the great book The Light of Asia. For them Light of Asia is like the “Buddhist Bible”.

Sir Edwin Arnold, was born in England. He studied at King's College in London. He was a brilliant student who won a scholarship to the University College of Oxford. It is the second oldest surviving University in the world and the oldest in the English speaking world.

Career

After passing out from Oxford, he started his career as a teacher and later became the principal of Deccan College in Poona, India. He published his first book of verse in 1853, translated texts from Sanskrit and even compiled a Turkish Grammar book in 1877.

He was the most outstanding Sanskrit scholar at the time. Sir Edwin Arnold, became internationally famous with his master piece – The Light of Asia published in 1877. It depicts the life and times of Gautama Buddha.

The book became so popular in Europe that it was re-printed 60 times in England and 80 times in the United States of America. Eight years after the first publication of The Light of Asia, its 24th print was translated into German by Dr. Arthur Frangsti. In 1903, Albert Sorpher translated it into Germany, for the third time.

Erudite Scholar Sir Edwin Arnold, enlightened the world with The Light of Asia. It was translated into Dutch (1898), French (1899), Chechoslovakian (1900) and Swedeish in 1909. The light of Asia, was produced as a drama in California in 1918. In 1929 a film was produced based on the book.The Light of Asia is the first ever Internationally recognised Buddhist book in the world.

Early beginnings

Sir Edwin Arnold began his career as a poet, winning the Newdigate Prize at the University College, Oxford. In 1856, he assumed duties as the Principal, Deccan College, Poona.

Later, he was made a Fellow of Bombay University. After returning to England, he became the leader writer for the Daily Telegraph and then wrote The Light of Asia.

The language of The Light of Asia is so fascinating that once you begin to read it, you will continue to do so without stopping. This is how he describes Prince Siddhartha's foster mother.

“Princess Mahaprajapati – her breast, nourished with noble milk the lips of Him, whose lips comfort the world”.The first Buddhist mission to England was led by the Ven. Ananda Metteyya Maha Nayaka Thera. Allan Bennet, an Englishman received ordination as a bhikkhu in Burma. It was Sir Edwin Arnold's The Light of Asia, that attracted Allan Bennet to Buddhism at a young age of 18 years.

In England, Ven. Ananda Metteyya was assisted by scholars such as Dr. and Mrs. Rhys Davids, Sir Edwin Arnold and Dr. E.R. Rost in propagative Buddhism.

Awards

The great Buddhist scholar was knighted in Britain's and in 1872 Siames King bestowed Edwin Arnold with the title of “Dhawalagajapati”.

He was a close associate of Anagarika Dharmapala. At the request of the latter, Sir Edwin Arnold too became a life member of the Mahabohi Society of Britain. Sir Edwin Arnold served as Editor of the London Telegraph. He was well versed in 19 oriental, eastern and western languages.

Some scholars believe that he wrote The Light of Asia, while travelling by train to office. Some of the other works of Sir Edwin Arnold were The Book of Good Counsel, from the Sanskrit Hitopadesa (1861), Indians song of songs Gita – Govida of Jayadeva, (1875), Indian Idylls (1883), Song Celestial (1885), both from Mahabharatha and Pearls of Faith. He also wrote a narrative poem on the light of Jesus Christ entitled “Light of the World” and a history of the administration of British India under Lord Dalhoulie (1862-1864).

Last days

In his last days Sir Edwin Arnold lived in Japan, with his third wife He died on March 24, 1904.