The Light of Asia - wikipedia The Light of Asia For the film, see Prem Sanyas. For other uses, see The Light of Asia ( oratorio ). The Light of Asia, subtitled The Great Renunciation, is a book by Sir Edwin Arnold. The first edition of the book was published in London in July 1879. In the form of a narrative poem, the book endeavors to describe the life and time of Prince Gautama Siddhartha, who after attaining enlightenment became The Buddha, The Awakened One. The book presents his life, character, and philosophy, in a series of verses. It is a free adaptation of the Lalitavistara. A few decades before the book 's publication, very little was known outside Asia about the Buddha and Buddhism, the religion which he founded, and which had existed for about twenty - five centuries. Arnold 's book was one of the first successful attempts to popularize Buddhism for a Western readership. The book has been highly acclaimed from the time it was first published, and has been the subject of several reviews. It has been translated into several languages, including Hindi. Contents 1 Adaptations 2 Chapters 3 References 4 External links Adaptations A film adaptation of the poem directed by Franz Osten and Himansu Rai was made in 1928, titled Prem Sanyas ( The Light of Asia in English ). Dudley Buck used the book as the basis for an oratorio, The Light of Asia, first performed in 1887. In the 1945 movie version of Oscar Wilde 's The Picture of Dorian Gray ( 1891 ), as the protagonist turns to a life of depravity, a friend tries to turn him back to a good life by lending him a copy of The Light of Asia. Chapters The first six chapters deal with the early part of Buddha 's life -- his birth as Siddhartha, prince of Kapilavastu ; his gaining first - hand knowledge of the sufferings of mankind ; his resorting to meditation ; and his ultimate transformation as the `` Enlightened One '' after long years of meditation. The subsequent chapters speak of the Buddha 's travels and the important elements of the message he spread are discussed -- for instance, that suffering is a built - in aspect of existence ; that craving for sensuality and identity is the root of suffering ; and that suffering can be ended. It calls for right understanding ; right thought ; right speech ; right action ; right livelihood ; right effort ; right mindfulness ; and right concentration. Throughout his peregrinations, mostly in eastern India, Gautama Buddha was joined by thousands of disciples and admirers from all walks of life. References Jump up ^ Sutin, L. : All is Change : The Two - Thousand Year Journey of Buddhism to the West, Little, Brown and Company, 2006. See pages 141 to 143. Jump up ^ Harvey, P. : An Introduction to Buddhism, Cambridge University Press, 1990. See page 303. Jump up ^ Prem Sanyas on IMDb Jump up ^ Orr, N. Lee ( 2008 ). Dudley Buck, p. 98. University of Illinois Press Clausen, C., `` Sir Edwin Arnold 's Light of Asia and Its Reception, '' Literature East and West, XVII ( 1973 ), 174 - 191. External links The Light of Asia at Project Gutenberg Bengali Drama Based on The Light of Asia Gautama Buddha Buddhism Core teachings Four Noble Truths Noble Eightfold Path Middle Way sayings Disciples ten principal disciples Four sights Family Places Lumbini, Bodh Gaya, Bodhi Tree, Mahabodhi Temple pilgrimage sites Miracles Birthday Prophesied Physical characteristics Death Relics Cetiya tooth footprint Buddha statues Iconography Films Gautama Buddha in world religions Hinduism Commons Wikiquote Retrieved from `` https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=The_Light_of_Asia&oldid=803822291 '' Categories : 1879 books Buddhism studies books Narrative poems Books adapted into films Cultural depictions of Gautama Buddha Epic poems in English Talk Contents About Wikipedia Wikisource বাংলা Français မြန်မာဘာသာ ਪੰਜਾਬੀ پنجابی Polski Русский Srpskohrvatski / српскохрватски தமிழ் ไทย Edit links This page was last edited on 4 October 2017, at 21 : 21. Text is available under the Creative Commons Attribution - ShareAlike License ; additional terms may apply. By using this site, you agree to the Terms of Use and Privacy Policy. Wikipedia ® is a registered trademark of the Wikimedia Foundation, Inc., a non-profit organization. About Wikipedia

Question: who is known as the light of asia
Answer: Prince Gautama Siddhartha, who after attaining enlightenment became The Buddha, The Awakened One