Ananda the Man and Monk (An Old and Rare Book)

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This is a modest endeavour, possibly planned for the first time to sketch the biography of Venerable Ananda. In this book within a short compass I have attempted to interpret and ana- lyse several aspects of Ananda's life in a simple and rational manner. The aim of this book is to write in one striving and in a concise form, the different aspects of Ananda's life as revealed in the dialogues between the Buddha and Ananda and other disciples, as available in Pali, Sanskrit, Tibetan, Chinese and Burmese literatures. Voluminous biographies of Buddha and various legends around him have been consulted for this purpose. Ananda's life distinguishes into three clearly demarcated phases, (1) his early youth and renunciation (2) as an attendant of his beloved Teacher when he developed into a seer and his works continued to inspire all men and women who came around him (3) lastly, as an Arahant and patriarch of the Sangha for a pro- longed period. For the purpose of critical study, the book is divided into seven chapters. However, this book is not merely a study of the various influences on Ananda which made him a monk, but also an analysis of his humanism which takes the form of religious universalism. Ānanda is a name that shines appreciably luminous even amongst the galaxy of the Buddha's disciples. He is known to everybody as a monk, a teacher and a guide. However, he will also be remembered as a humanist. In every moment of his life he was always ready to undergo any amount of sacrifice for the benefit of others. Full of love and affection he was unique among the Bhikkhus of his time and his only concern was to benefit the human race.

In Indian history, Ananda played a significant role on the religious and moral impact of the 6th Cent. B. C. He was a vibrant, multifaced and circumspect personality.