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The Light of Asia

by Edwin Arnold (1832–1904)

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  • Reading level: 7th grade

"The Light of Asia" by Sir Edwin Arnold is a narrative poem published in 1879. It tells the story of Prince Siddharta Gautama's transformation into the Buddha, the Awakened One. Through verse, Arnold presents the Buddha's life, character, and philosophy, tracing his journey from sheltered prince to enlightened teacher. Written when Buddhism was little known in the West, this free adaptation of ancient texts became one of the first works to successfully introduce Buddhist teachings to Western readers, inspiring figures like Mahatma Gandhi and spawning translations into over thirty languages.

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Produced by Jake Jaqua

THE LIGHT OF ASIA

By Sir Edwin Arnold

This volume is dutifully inscribed to the Sovereign,
Grand Master, and Companions of The Most Exalted Order
of the Star of India by The Author.

Book The First

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About this edition

This free edition of The Light of Asia by Edwin Arnold comes from Project Gutenberg eBook #8920, released 2005-09-01. It is in the public domain in the United States, so you can read it here in full at no cost, on any phone, tablet or computer. Genre: Poetry, Mythology, Legends & Folklore, Religion/Spirituality.

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