Barlaam and Ioasaph

Saint John Of Damascus

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• Publié par: thiwyang
• Publié le: 08 décembre 2010
• Nombre de lectures: 43
• Langue: English

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The Project Gutenberg EBook of Barlaam and Ioasaph, by St. John of Damascus
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Title: Barlaam and Ioasaph
Author: St. John of Damascus
Posting Date: August 16, 2008 [EBook #749]
Release Date: December, 1996
Language: English
Character set encoding: ISO-8859-1
*** START OF THIS PROJECT GUTENBERG EBOOK BARLAAM AND IOASAPH ***
Produced by Douglas B. Killings. HTML version by Al Haines.
Barlaam and Ioasaph
by
St. John Damascene (?)
("St. John of Damascus")
c. 676-749 A.D.
It is not known where or when this story was written, but it is believed to have been
translated into Greek (possibly from a Georgian original) sometime in the 11th Century
A.D. Although the ultimate author is usually referred to as "John the Monk", it has been
traditionally ascribed to St. John of Damascus.
The text of this edition is based on that published as ST. JOHN DAMASCENE:
BARLAAM AND IOASAPH (Trans: G.R. Woodward and H. Mattingly; Harvard
University Press, Cambridge MA, 1914). This text is in the PUBLIC DOMAIN in he
United States.This electronic edition was edited, proofed, and prepared by Douglas B. Killings
([e-mail]), November, 1996.
PREPARER'S NOTE: Readers of this work will note some startling similarities
between the story of Ioasaph and the traditional Tale of Buddha. The work seems to be a
retelling of the Buddha Legend from within a Christian context, with the singular
difference that the "Buddha" in this tale reaches enlightenment through the love of Jesus
Christ.
The popularity of the Greek version of this story is attested to by the number of
translations made of it throughout the Christian world, including versions in Latin, Old
Slavonic, Armenian, Christian Arabic, English, Ethiopic, and French. Such was its
popularity that both Barlaam and Josaphat (Ioasaph) were eventually recognized by the
Roman Catholic Church as Saints, and churches were dedicated in their honor from
Portugal to Constantinople. It was only after Europeans began to have increased contacts
with India that scholars began to notice the similarities between the two sets of stories.
Modern scholars believe that the Buddha story came to Europe from Arabic, Caucasus,
and/or Persian sources, all of which were active in trade between the European and
Indian worlds.
--DBK
SELECTED BIBLIOGRAPHY:
ORIGINAL TEXT--
Woodward, G.R. & H. Mattingly (Ed. & Trans.): "St. John Damascene: Barlaam and
Ioasaph" (Harvard University Press, Cambridge MA, 1914). English translation with
side-by-side Greek text.
RECOMMENDED READING--
Lang, David Marshall (Trans.): "The Balavariani: A Tale from the Christian East"
(California University Press, Los Angeles, 1966). Translation of the Georgian work that
probably served as a basis for the Greek text.
BARLAAM AND IOASAPH
AN EDIFYING STORY FROM THE INNER LAND OF THE ETHIOPIANS, CALLED THE LAND
OF THE INDIANS, THENCE BROUGHT TO THE HOLY CITY, BY JOHN THE MONK (AN
HONOURABLE MAN AND A VIRTUOUS, OF THE MONASTERY OF SAINT SABAS);
WHEREIN ARE THE LIVES OF THE FAMOUS AND BLESSED BARLAAM AND IOASAPH.
INTRODUCTION
"As many as are led by the Spirit of God they are sons of God" saith the inspired
Apostle. Now to have been accounted worthy of the Holy Spirit and to have become
sons of God is of all things most to be coveted; and, as it is written, "They that have
become his sons find rest from all enquiry." This marvellous, and above all else
desirable, blessedness have the Saints from the beginning won by the practice of thevirtues, some having striven as Martyrs, and resisted sin unto blood, and others having
struggled in self-discipline, and having trodden the narrow way, proving Martyrs in will.
Now, that one should hand down to memory the prowess and virtuous deeds of these,
both of them that were made perfect by blood, and of them that by self-denial did
emulate the conversation of Angels, and should deliver to the generations that follow a
pattern of virtue, this hath the Church of Christ received as a tradition from the inspired
Apostles, and the blessed Fathers, who did thus enact for the salvation of our race. For
the pathway to virtue is rough and steep, especially for such as have not yet wholly
turned unto the Lord, but are still at warfare, through the tyranny of their passions. For
this reason also we need many encouragements thereto, whether it be exhortations, or the
record of the lives of them that have travelled on the road before us; which latter draweth
us towards it the less painfully, and doth accustom us not to despair on account of the
difficulty of the journey. For even as with a man that would tread a hard and difficult
path; by exhortation and encouragement one may scarce win him to essay it, but rather
by pointing to the many who have already completed the course, and at the last have
arrived safely. So I too, "walking by this rule," and heedful of the danger hanging over
that servant who, having received of his lord the talent, buried it in the earth, and hid out
of use that which was given him to trade withal, will in no wise pass over in silence the
edifying story that hath come to me, the which devout men from the inner land Of the
Ethiopians, whom our tale calleth Indians, delivered unto me, translated from trustworthy
records. It readeth thus.
CONTENTS
CHAPTER I CHAPTER CHAPTER CHAPTER CHAPTER
II III IV V
CHAPTER CHAPTER CHAPTER CHAPTER CHAPTER
VI VII VIII IX X
CHAPTER CHAPTER CHAPTER CHAPTER CHAPTER
XI XII XIII XIV XV
CHAPTER CHAPTER CHAPTER CHAPTER CHAPTER
XVI XVII XVIII XIX XX
CHAPTER CHAPTER CHAPTER CHAPTER CHAPTER
XXI XXII XXIII XXIV XXV
CHAPTER CHAPTER CHAPTER CHAPTER CHAPTER
XXVI XXVII XXVIII XXIX XXX
CHAPTER CHAPTER CHAPTER CHAPTER CHAPTER
XXXI XXXII XXXIII XXXIV XXXV
CHAPTER CHAPTER CHAPTER CHAPTER CHAPTER
XXXVI XXXVII XXXVIII XXXIX XL
I.
The country of the Indians, as it is called, is vast and populous, lying far beyond
Egypt. On the side of Egypt it is washed by seas and navigable gulphs, but on the
mainland it marcheth with the borders of Persia, a land formerly darkened with the
gloom of idolatry, barbarous to the last degree, and wholly given up to unlawfulpractices. But when "the only-begotten Son of God, which is in the bosom of the
Father," being grieved to see his own handiwork in bondage unto sin, was moved with
compassion for the same, and shewed himself amongst us without sin, and, without
leaving his Father's throne, dwelt for a season in the Virgin's womb for our sakes, that
we might dwell in heaven, and be re-claimed from the ancient fall, and freed from sin by
receiving again the adoption of sons; when he had fulfilled every stage of his life in the
flesh for our sake, and endured the death of the Cross, and marvellously united earth and
heaven; when he had risen again from the dead, and had been received up into heaven,
and was seated at the right hand of the majesty of the Father, whence, according to his
promise, he sent down the Comforter, the Holy Ghost, unto his eyewitnesses and
disciples, in the shape of fiery tongues, and despatched them unto all nations, for to give
light to them that sat in the darkness of ignorance, and to baptize them in the Name of the
Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Ghost, whereby it fell to the lot of some of the
Apostles to travel to the far-off East and to some to journey to the West-ward, while
others traversed the regions North and South, fulfilling their appointed tasks then it was,
I say, that one of the company of Christ's Twelve Apostles, most holy Thomas, was sent
out to the land of the Indians, preaching the Gospel of Salvation. "The Lord working
with him and confirming the word with signs following," the darkness of superstition
was banished; and men were delivered from idolatrous sacrifices and abominations, and
added to the true Faith, and being thus transformed by the hands of the Apostle, were
made members of Christ's household by Baptism, and, waxing ever with fresh increase,
made advancement in the blameless Faith and built churches in all their lands.
Now when monasteries began to be formed in Egypt, and numbers of monks banded
themselves together, and when the fame of their virtues and Angelic conversation "was
gone out into all the ends of the world" and came to the Indians, it stirred them up also to
the like zeal, insomuch that many of them forsook everything and withdrew to the
deserts; and, though but men in mortal bodies, adopted the spiritual life of Angels. While
matters were thus prospering and many were soaring upward to heaven on wings of
gold, as the saying is, there arose in that country a king named Abenner, mighty in riches
and power, and in victory over his enemies, brave in warfare, vain of his splendid stature
and comeliness of face, and boastful of all worldly honours, that pass so soon away. But
his soul was utterly crushed by poverty, and choked with many vices, for he was of the
Greek way, and sore distraught by the superstitious error of his idol-worship. But,
al