author
Paul Ambroise Bigandet
1813–1894
A French Catholic missionary who spent more than fifty years in Burma, he became known not only as a church leader but also as a careful writer on Burmese life and Buddhism. His best-known work helped introduce many Western readers to the history and teachings of Gaudama, the Buddha.
2 Audiobooks
The Life or Legend of Gaudama, the Buddha of the Burmese (Volume II)
by Paul Ambroise Bigandet
The Life or Legend of Gaudama, the Buddha of the Burmese (Volume I)
by Paul Ambroise Bigandet
About the author
Ordained in France in 1837 after training with the Paris Foreign Missions Society, he was first sent to Malacca and then moved to Burma, where he spent most of his life in missionary work. Over the years he rose to become a bishop and a leading Catholic figure in Lower Burma, serving through a period of major political and social change.
He is remembered today as much for his writing as for his religious work. His books, especially The Life or Legend of Gaudama, drew on long firsthand experience in Burma and offered English-language readers a detailed account of Buddhist traditions, customs, and beliefs.
Born on 13 August 1813 in France and dying in Rangoon in 1894, he left behind a record that is still useful to historians of Myanmar, religion, and colonial-era cultural exchange. His life stands out for its unusual mix of pastoral work, scholarship, and close observation of the society around him.