Book Description

Foreword by Hans Küng

A fascinating look at the founders of the world’s main religions.

The major religious traditions of the world owe their existence to the vision of an ancient founder. This important volume explores the lives of the five founders of major world religions—Moses, Buddha, Confucius, Jesus, and Muhammad—chronicling what is actually known of these charismatic men and introducing readers to the cultural and religious worlds that heard their messages.

Readers in predominantly Christian lands, in addition to learning about the lives of Confucius, Buddha, and Muhammad— whom they might not be familiar with— will also be introduced to modern research now casting fresh light on the careers of Moses and Jesus. Whether studied individually or in comparison with one another, these biographies, together with a chapter on the characteristics of religious leadership, chart the spiritual rivers that continue to feed the diversity of religious expression today. ... Read more

Reviews (2)

Excellent (and Much Needed Just Now)
There has never been a time when interreligious understanding was more needed. And I don't have in mind only the atrocities committed at the Pentagon and the World Trade Center and what seems to be, as I write, an impending war. It's trite to say, but true, that the vast geographical distances that once separated the great religions from one another have vanished, both figuratively in the sense that modern transportation and communication technologies have rendered them insignificant and literally in the sense that, given modern immigration patterns, Hindus and Muslims and Buddhists and Confucianists and Sikhs are very likely to be living in the same neighborhoods with Jews and Christians. It is imperative that we learn to understand one another better.

This book is an important step in that direction. By presenting academically serious, reliable, but still sympathetic portraits of the five great religious founders, it provides a basis for genuine dialogue between the faiths. It is an excellent book. The authors are first-rate, and the writing is generally clear and occasionally even quite good.

I wish it weren't so expensive, but I hope that it will nonetheless have a large readership. I recommend it enthusiastically.

An excellent contemporary review
Contributions from the best contemporary thinkers provide explorations of the lives and beliefs of the five founders of major world religions: Moses, Buddha, Confucius, Jesus and Muhammad. These essays provide new insights into the careers of these individuals, blending biography with spiritual insights. An excellent contemporary review. ... Read more

Amazon.com

Though famed in his time for his playboy image, all purple scarves and modish hairdo, former South Vietnamese prime minister Ky proved over time to have been a man of substance. In this revealing autobiography Ky recounts his rise to and fall from power and the errors great and small that led to his nation's defeat. "Corruption," Ky writes, "permeated every corner of the Vietnamese social order." Ky used his office to root out corruption and carve an independent path, often clashing with the likes of William Westmoreland and Nguyen Van Thieu in the bargain. Proudly relating those struggles, Ky also defends figures whom history has treated harshly, including Lyndon Johnson and General Nguyen Ngoc Loan, "the rarest of Vietnamese birds, the honest cop," who will forever be remembered for executing a Vietcong suspect before Eddie Adams's camera. "My biggest mistake was allowing the wrong man the opportunity to lead a guaranty of defeat. For this I beg forgiveness of those who fled into exile, of those who remained, and from those then unborn." So Ky closes this memoir, a work of considerable interest to students of and participants in Vietnam's long war. --Gregory McNamee ... Read more

Reviews (11)

Opportunity Lost¿Seizing Defeat From the Jaws of Victory
This was, in many ways, a painful book to read. I was in elementary school at a school for missionary children in northern Japan when I read in my Weekly Reader that Nguyen Cao Ky had become the new prime minister of South Vietnam. I remember the news gave me a sense of hopefulness about the war, which we were kept informed of by the Far East Network (armed forces radio) and the Voice of America. I can also remember my feeling of confusion when I read that Theiu had replaced Ky as Vietnam's leader.

Without belaboring the point, I have long been frustrated by the American handling of the war, which, I believe developed out of our abdication in Korea. I don't want to spend time talking about that, because it is a tired and painful subject. Suffice it to say that this book confirmed my feelings, but added some new insight.

For example, this book adds some insight into the resentment that many Vietnamese nationals felt toward the French, whose colonialism was largely exploitive, and financed by the Americans in amounts that Everett Dirksen would call "Real Money." In addition to that, I did not know, until I read this book, that Westmoreland was fully informed of the North Vietnamese intention to stage a major invasion during Tet, but decided to keep this from the South Vietnamese army! This appalling mismanagement of the crisis produced a disastrous and completely unnecessary problem for the Cao Ky, but it was a challenge that the South Vietnamese met and overcame. While Tet had a demoralizing effect on the American public, it was actually a victory for South Vietnam, and a major defeat for the North Vietnamese.

The book also addresses some more familiar themes, such as the legendary ineptitude of McNamara, but the most poignant event in this book is Nguyen Cao Ky's impulsive decision to abdicate leadership in favor of Thieu. Nobody (including Nguyen Cao Ky himself) knows why he did this. Perhaps it really was a selfless act of a patriot who had no interest in promoting himself, and was just trying to do what was best for his country. Or, perhaps, he had become bored with the monotony of leadership, and decided to abandon his responsibility, just as he discarded his wives, one after another, when he got tired of them.

To his credit, Nguyen Cao Ky takes full responsibility for his fateful decision. And it would not be fair to say that he abandoned his country completely, because he was always ready to serve, and to lead when the chips were down. In that sense, we must give credit where credit is due, and call him a patriot. But this is small comfort for the painful realization that the war effort was doomed by his decision, although I am still not sure if I believe that it was more significant than the moral exhaustion of the American culture, which rendered the Americans all but impotent to save Vietnam.

Read this book. Nguyen Cao Ky is a very good storyteller, and a man of adventure who liked to live on the edge. You will almost certainly come away better informed about the first war the Americans lost. It is a sad story, but one which can have a certain measure of redeeming value if we are able to learn from our mistakes, and adapt to the very different place that east Asia has become.

Fascinating at times
This is a must-read book for those who want to understand that period of history when the United States
became mired in the Vietnamese quagmire. It is an easy read, despite some obvious spelling and grammatical errors,
and it is a unique look into the life of one of the most colorful players in the Byzantine game of Vietnamese politics
of that era.

Westerners, usually from the media but also others as well, often describe Nguyen Cao Ky as flamboyant,
when they are not using other words such as "swell-headed" or "shallow". He lives up to his reputation
in this book, and some of the stories that he tells, from his courtship of a young woman in the seaside town of Nha Trang
to his dealings with American generals and politicians, are indeed fascinating, even if some anecdotes are not
sufficiently detailed. The book is rather thin for this genre, but there is no presumption that it is scholarly,
or that it should be pored over by academicians in search of another explanation as to why the most powerful country in the world
could not overcome the Communist violent takeover of South Vietnam. Rather, it presents the point of view of a man
who at a young age came to lead his young nation in its darkest moments.

History is not kind to losers, and we in America have a tendency to think that the good guys usually win. But once
in a while, those who were defeated have a decent story to tell, and Ky is trying to do that with his book. He explains
the dilemma of Vietnamese patriots who wanted to fight against the French but could not swallow Communist
ideology, even at the cost of a twenty-year civil war. He is most clear-sighted when he points out that a good majority
of the South Vietnamese leadership consisted of French-trained men who took greed, religious, and regional rivalries to
extremes, even at the detriment of their struggling nation. He also asks some interesting questions that beg for answers from
those who had a hand in conducting the war in this country: at the start of the 1968 Tet offensive, why did US forces
not come to the help of their South Vietnamese allies until the morning after? Why did the US wait until 1968 to begin
giving more modern weapons to the same allies, while the Communist soldiers from the North had the best from Soviet and Chinese arsenals?

At the end of the book, Ky pleads for the Vietnamese diaspora, which numbers some 3 million people living outside of their
native country, to forgive and forget because the old Communist hard-liners in Hanoi are disappearing through natural attrition.
He wants the younger generations to go to Vietnam to help their counterparts inside the country rebuild it. But as a man who has
traveled widely throughout the world since the fall of Saigon, it is telling that Ky himself has not found the time to go back to the country of his birth.

Important historical book
How could it be anything else being written by one of the players. I think Cao Ky Nguyen confirmed many truths and it was important for that to come from a South Vietnamese leader. All that you need to do is keep in mind that he is trying to portray himself in a more favorable light than he deserves as he was just as politically immature as the rest of the inept leaders he comments on.

The American lessons from Vietnam in essence are the old sayings that you can lead a horse to water but you can't make him drink, and that if you want something done right do it yourself. When you put Nguyen's rationalizations in a more accurate perspective, he makes this clear.

I could not put this book down.
It is hard to know where to start in writing a review about this book; in one weekend, you will learn over two decades of intricate history; so few Americans, including myself, understood the VietNam Conflict. After you read this book, you will want to go and meet the authors; it is like they are talking to you in your living room. The book is a fair review of the corruption on the South and the brutality of the north. It has numerous pearls about leadership and life as well as a great historical read.

Breaking silence - Long awaited South Vietnamese perspective
Hindsight is always 20/20, especially with over 3,200 published titles on the Vietnam War and its outcome. American journalists, politicians, and veterans have been pointing the finger at the inept South Vietnamese and its shady leaders. "Blame corruption for our loss in Southeast Asia." Without a voice, America's former friends led silent, unremarkable, sometime angry lives in exile since the end of the war. Buddha's Child is an exceptional reflection by one of South Vietnam's top leaders 27 years after Soviet-made North Vietnamese tanks clanked unopposed through downtown Saigon.

My family lived across the street from Gen Ky during the waning days of South Vietnam. My father flew with the South Vietnamese Air Force and served under the General for many years. Many revered him. Beneath the flair is a leader of integrity with plenty of loyalists even to this day. His story reveals a young officer serving a divided country led by inexperienced men caught in a middle of a civil war backed by two superpowers. One has to wonder if Gen Ky ever felt safe after the assassination of Pres Diem? Gen Ky also regrets not pursuing better PR in America during the war. It is doubtful that he would have resonated with Americans amid the social turbulence of the time.

The book's final pages cover Gen Ky's poignant departure from Saigon and his difficult early years in America. When the war ended, his American peers went home, wrote bestsellers, led corporations, ran for Congress, and retired as four-star generals. Gen Ky had to start his life over in America like the million plus refugees who fled Vietnam. This is a must read book for those who want to understand the mistakes made in Vietnam by all involved. ... Read more

Book Description

Hang on for a Wild Journey through the Political and Spiritual Adventures of the Baby-Boom Generation

Join Wes "Scoop" Nisker as he takes us on a hilarious, wild ride through the heyday of the Beats and the Hippies and the birth of the modern environmental movement, and the surge of Buddhism in the West.

Reviews (4)

A Personal Story of Spiritual Journey
Wes Nisker has here presented a rather light-hearted account of his own spiritual journey into Buddhism. He takes us through the Beat, Hippie, and New Age movements to the present, more mature, spiritual association with Eastern philosophy and Buddhism in particular. While not a deep book, it does give some insight into the history of the Buddhist movement in the United States and why Buddhism is as popular as it is now.To a large degree this popularity is due to the common sense approach of Buddhism to every day life and the unspectacular claims it makes. It also does not require exact literal belief and is thus quite open to science. In essence we are told that there is nothing to be gained because we have the ability for enlightenment within each of us.We need only connect to that awareness within. Despite this apparent simplicity, the practice of Buddhist meditation is far from easy.It requires commitment that takes time to develop, yet is open to everyone.

I do not agree with Nisker on every detail (it would be unusual if I did).For example, I'm not sure that I would quite give the blank check he gives to the evolutionary psychologists. This is, however,a minor quibble. I don't expect him to be one with all of the scientific arguments of the day.

All in all this book is a very enjoyable read and I very much recommend it to be read if you are on an airplane as I was when I read it.

As It Is
This book endeavours to discuss about Buddha-nature with humour and using the author's life experiences.The author's life could be considered as colourful as he travelled to the East various times seeking for the truth, a DJ-journalist-activist, an ex-hippie who embraced the peace & loving messages.He talked candidly about science & spirituality, of how they intertwine with one another & how prophetic the Eastern philosophies are as they mentioned what's been proven or suggested by contemporary scientists thousands of years before; he questioned about the benefits of knowing the absolute truths & if they do bring any betterments to our well-beings; pondering the question of why do we feel so empty even when our standard of living is far superior than five decades ago; consumerism; George W. Bush & the world that we are living now after 9-11; suggesting USA to resign from its post as the world's superpower & back to its origin & perhaps, this world would become a better place; how the world is becoming smaller & assimmilations of various religions & beliefs; relevancy of spirituality towards saving our precious environment, & so forth.Wes writes differently from Jack Kornfield (another established author upon spirituality), who happens to be his friend as well.Overall, this is quite a enchanting book to read.As Buddha-nature, we have to sense "the" moment.Whilst this book doesn't fully convey the Buddha-nature, it does give us some insight about the ups & downs of keeping up with the practice in order to embrace this world fully.Highly recommended

A Fine Spiritual History of the Baby Boomer Generation
Wes "Scoop" Nisker, a self-professed Buddhist traces the spiritual history of a generation from the questioning of our parents values to living under the current George W. Bush conservative climate.

He cover the beatniks, hippies, drugs, the importance of music, the disillusionment with the sixties, the turn towards introspection and fascination with eastern philosophies, the "me" decade of the eighties and the subsequent current apathy.

This is a fine documentation of a unique generation that grew up during a time of unprecedented prosperity and had trouble figuring out what to do with it.The author is not only a witness to this process but is also a participant and shares many personal stories from each many eras. As a former disk jockey from the once very progressive San Francisco KSAN radio station, he met and interacted with key players who influenced this generation like Allen Watts.He is also honest enough to write about his own doubts, misgivings and personal confusion, which is symbolic of this generation.

In many ways this generation path, in this reviewer's opinion, was predicted by the psychology of Abraham H. Maslow who postulated a hierarchy of needs(this used to be taught in Psych. 101 courses, I wonder if it still is?).A human being is always in dynamic interaction with its environment and once basic needs such as air, water, food and shelter have been met, then new needs emerge; belonging, relationships, the need for self expression and the need to understand our relationship to the rest of the universe.It's easy to understand when your hungry and you need food, however it is not as easy to understand what you need when you seemingly have everything and yet have an underlying feeling of restlessness and dissatisfaction.Indeed, there is no universal agreement about the meaning of one of Maslow's most famous postulation, the need for "self actualization".

Scoop's book does a nice job of capturing the essence of a generation faced with dealing with questions that were mostly unprecedented, at least on a mass scale, by any previous generation.Unfortunately, it seems like the beginning of the new century is more about dwindling resources and back to the concerns of basic survival needs.The subtitle of this book could also have been, in the words of rock star-philosopher David Crosby,(It Was) " A Long Time coming, Gonna Be A Long Time Gone".

A great book!
I found this book to be hilarious, insightful, fun and informative. The sheer scope of Mr. Nisker's life experiences is mind-boggling and his retelling of these adventures and explorations makes for a very entertaining experience for the reader.

I'm at the tail end of the Boomer generation but I found plenty to relate to. Music, politics, religion, mysticism, culture...it's all there. And Mr. Nisker's wonderful sense of humor shines through every page. At times laugh-out-loud-funny, I would highly recommend this book to anyone interested in popular culture and world events. ... Read more

Book Description

The thrilling story of a prince who renounced worldly luxury to find the way to self-perfection and became the Buddha.

More than 2,500 years ago, an Indian prince, Siddhartha, achieved enlightenment and became the Buddha, "the Awakened One." However extraordinary he was, he was no divinity but a self-perfected human being who brought a radical message to mankind.

Walter Henry Nelson, a renowned scholar and author, offers readers perhaps the most uniquely accessible and authoritative life of Buddha and his teachings. In an essential, gripping, and inspiring introduction, Buddha explores the ancient legends surrounding Buddha. It looks at how the simple story and profound struggle of Prince Siddhartha, who died 500 years before the birth of Christ, was transformed into one of the world's great religions. From tales of incredible feats of Gautama's strength to the intervention of gods in his journey, Nelson takes the reader through the life and principles that are the foundation of a religion and philosophy of vital importance to all those searching beyond materialism for the true aim of life.

Today, with life's modern contradictions and paradoxes, one can find order and wisdom in Buddhism's teachings. Indeed, in the pages of Buddha, the radiance of the enlightened Buddha shines as brightly as ever.

Illustrated with black-and-white photographsGlossaryBibliographyIndexEndnotes ... Read more

Reviews (2)

"Be your own lamps, Your own refuge"
This book is a good introduction to Buddha the man. There are times that it drags a bit, but in general it was a fast read and provided the fundamentals of Buddha's life and a beginning understanding of his teachings. I liked the discussion of the Four Noble truths and the Eightfold path which made the teachings straightforward. All to often we get mired in the ennumerable teachings that exist in a religious/ philosophy/ psychology such as Buddhism or Yoga and forget that the purpose of these teachings was to make our lives simple, balanced, honest and it is not all that hard to do. Reading a book like this brings us back to our essence.

Siddhartha's inner struggle.
In man's "fathom-long body," the Buddha observed, lies the rising of the world and the ceasing of the world. I read this 133-page biography of Siddhartha Gautama today, absorbed, and in a single sitting. (It has been many years since I read Hesse's classic, "Siddhartha," which I also recommend.) Here, Nelson examines the extraordinary life and inner struggle of Siddhartha, from his birth in 563 BCE, to finding enlightenment at age 35, to his final words just before death at age 80, "work out your own salvation through diligence" (p. 120), while also offering an overview of Buddha's teachings. Along the way, Nelson includes many revealing anecdotes about Siddhartha, such as his pre-"Enlightened One" encounter with an injured lamb, whereupon Siddhartha observes that it is "far, far better for a man to comfort even one small animal, than to sit and watch the sorrows of the world, passively among the praying priests" (p.72). I enjoyed reading this book. END ... Read more

Book Description

Written from the perspective of a logic-driven realist transformed by the wisdom of alternative therapies, Buddha in the Waiting Room shares the insights that Paul Brenner gained treating patients with life-threatening diseases. This book contains such practical guidance as how to interview a doctor, how to get straightforward medical advice, and how to change from passive recipient of healthcare to full participant in the process. ... Read more

Reviews (1)

From Surgeon to Solomon: One Man's Quest for Meaning
What happens when an esteemed California gynecologist chisels the "M.D." off his door and announces to his family and stunned colleagues that he is giving up his lucrative medical practice? Find out in this true account of Paul Brenner's personal search for the meaning of life, as he trades his Mercedes, white coat and speculum for a pickup truck, tai chi and poolside chats with terminally ill patients.

In a narrative that allows the reader a rare peak behind the often-intimidating white coat, Brenner reveals personal details of his life as an ob-gyn, his rejection of that life and his quest to recover his lost humanity and passion for living. From his original epiphany at the site of a Guatemalan earthquake to astute observations made watching an anxiety-ridden vegetarian, Brenner expounds on the modern doctor-patient relationship and laments the state of contemporary health care in America.

"Healing the person has been lost to the science of healing the pathology," Brenner writes. "I was tired, burned out, and burned up. I did not have the heart to fight to convince others that caring counts, acupuncture works, the unborn have intelligence, or maternal/child health is more important than mechanical hearts, organ transplants, and most medical research."

Should the avoidance of death at any cost be medicine's primary goal? If life cannot be saved, should death be embraced? What responsibilities do patients have for their own care? These are some of the questions Brenner grapples with as he begins his search.

Brenner turns to a variety of alternative therapies in his pursuit for answers, including acupuncture, meditation, the laying on of hands, journaling and solitary drives across the country. Along the way, Brenner discovers that each person must accept responsibility for his/her own health. He asks himself, "What is healing? What is health? Is it the absence of disease or the presence of passion?" Brenner realizes he has spent his life trying to keep an impossible vow made to God made when his best friend died at the age of ten-that he would never let anyone die again.

Leaving traditional medicine behind, Brenner discovers a new calling--assisting others in becoming responsible for their own healthcare and redefining the meaning of health.

".....[H]ealth is defined by our response to life," Brenner notes, "and just as life changes, so does our health. Health is the acceptance and appreciation of life."

On one of many light notes, Brenner observes the agony of a strict vegetarian as he picks through spinach salad searching for the "sinister bacon bits." When Brenner jokingly tells him, "You just swallowed a bacon bit!" the man is horrified. The doctor-turned-philosopher points out that while to some people, a bacon bit is a delicious morsel of nourishment to savor, to others it becomes, in their own minds, a poison to be avoided at all costs.

Today's sterile clinics are populated by doctors obsessed with charts and fear of lawsuits, according to Brenner, and patients who need compassion as much or more so than prescriptions and invasive procedures. Both doctor and patient need to relearn to trust each other.

"An essential bond must exist between the healer and the healee in order to initiate the healing process," Brenner writes. "This bond is a bond of trust. Trust has a healing effect because it creates an emotional response."

As marvelous as gene therapy, antidepressants and online medical care may be, they will never replace wisdom, values and perspective. When modern doctors want to surgically divide the disputed baby/life/disease, then it is time for the wisdom of Solomon to determine ownership of life. Imparting that wisdom is part of healing, according to Brenner.

In his observations, Brenner injects common sense, trust and humanness back into medicine and life. Rather than continually fighting disease and natural body processes, such as growing older, doctors and patients should once again embrace the indigenous wisdom within themselves and rediscover the wonder mirrored all around them, whether it is found in a birthing room, on a deathbed or in a simple bacon bit.

After decades of delivering babies for patients, Paul Brenner has brought forth his own gift to his profession and clients-a book replete with wisdom gleaned from powerful encounters with souls on the journey known as "life." ... Read more

Book Description

Compiled from rare sources, this scholarly work offers a fascinating examination of the lore surrounding the life of Buddha. From his ancestry, birth, and youth to his final days, it chronicles Buddha’s preaching, his 20 years’ wandering, the establishment of rival schools of philosophy, and much more—including thought-provoking perspectives on Buddhism as religion and philosophy, plus its associations with myth, history, and Christianity. "We would recommend this important work to all interested in Eastern philosophy."—Spectator.
... Read more

Reviews (2)

so/so reading material
This book was an impulse buy for me. I saw it wasn't expensive so I thought "why not?" Nothing really in depth about Buddhism. It was all pretty much just historical accounts of the religion. I was not sastified with it at all. Dry reading, not very interesting really. Look else where for a book on the Buddha's wisdom.

The history of Buddha - full of facts.
For a history of Buddha, this book is excellent. Dates, names and cities are listed on almost every page. The pictures are colorful, brilliant and numerous. I enjoy reading a story, but this book was more historical than enjoyable for me. For a history project or for more information on the Buddha, I would recommend this, but for "pleasure reading", I would not. ... Read more

Book Description

This brief text assists students in understanding Buddha's philosophy and thinking so that they can more fully engage in useful, intelligent class dialogue and improve their understanding of course content. Part of the "Wadsworth Philosophers Series," (which will eventually consist of approximately 100 titles, each focusing on a single "thinker" from ancient times to the present), ON THE BUDDHA is written by a philosopher deeply versed in the philosophy of this key thinker. Like other books in the series, this concise book offers sufficient insight into the thinking of a notable philosopher better enabling students to engage in the reading and to discuss the material in class and on paper. ... Read more

Reviews (1)

Good for understanding the Buddha's practical teachings
I show that the Buddha rejected speculative metaphysics and focused on a practical solution to the problem of suffering. Quoting from primary sources, I begin with a clear presentation of the Four Noble Truths, the Eightfold Path, Buddhist ethics, and the Buddha's account of the nature of the self. I also introduce the reader to brief but accurate accounts of loving kindness, compassion, equanimity, mindfulness, meditation, monasticism, the three refuges, "nirodha" (cessation), and dependent origination. I include brief accounts of Zen, Mahayana Buddhism, Vajrayana, and a comparison of Theravada and Mahayana Buddhisms. Throughout the text I addresses several philosophical objections that might be raised against a Buddhist perspective and devote one chapter to a particularly difficult problem (i.e., that a "desire for desirelessness" shows that the aim of Buddhism is ultimately impossible). The aim of the book is to provide a clear presentation of the basic teachings of the Buddha and to lay out the basic method of practice. I use numerous quotations and references that empower the reader to explore the primary texts. ... Read more

Book Description

Harris' book serves as a fresh introduction to Zen for Western readers which never fails to convey the radiant spirit of one of the most remarkable spiritual masters of our time. ... Read more

Reviews (1)

Extensive to extremes but not exhausting
One of the problems of this book is it is too short. It can be finished in two hours flat or around that and contained an astonishing wealth of material including much I did not know. There are such tantalising leads set up about the man, and a voluminous set of follow up sources, but the book itself is turgid.

One can be overwhelmed by the amazing range of material and the author does not choose between the plausible and the implausible. Rather he generates a riotous though coherent account combining many sources, treating all the myth with the same deference as the facts (makes a refreshing change). Importantly, he edits and chooses his material well, sectioning the book and ignoring swathes of the Buddha's life from his middle period (when the order of events is obscure).

This is not a biography but a gripping narrative. A sort of splash in the face about an individual, sufficiently admired to have generated so many stories, from the Bodhisatva stages (where the author starts and dwells on- again, very novel)to the nuances of what actually happened as he lay between the Sal trees at Kusinara. One feels the impact of an immense being, and is left fairly breathless and wishing more.

Perhaps a longer book with more historical background could have helped. Extraordinary detail and scholarship from a contributor to "King Asoka and Buddhism".

A very up to date account of current scholarship and interest. ... Read more

Book Description

Here is a Buddha for the rest of us. Before He Was Buddha draws from 2,000-year-old Pali and Sanskrit texts to present a personal picture of the man who became the spiritual leader of one of the world's great religions. Unlike overly reverential biographies that treat him as a distant, divine figure, this book shows a very human seeker who discovers the secrets of life. ... Read more

Reviews (2)

A Good beginning
This is a good beginning book that is a fast, enjoyable read. It doesn't get too bogged down in dry teachings and philosophy, but gives you enough to give one a beginning feeling. It also gives a feeling as to who Buddha the human being was.

Before He Was Buddha
The book was well written with many examples illustrating the message of each chapter. I especially liked the companion pictures and quotes from Buddha which distill the message of each chapter. The book was informative and enjoyable. If you are a first time reader of Buddhasm and want to know about Siddhartha's life as he became an enlightened One, then this book is the one for you. ... Read more

Reviews (1)

Follow the Path to the Light at the End
This book has led me to believe that there is indeed hope for us in the 21st Century to re-discover a spirituality. One that will work in these current times, that is.

What these two authors have done is to present to the reader, four of the most influential sages or saints (depending on your location) and their lives, their thoughts and their personalities.

Armed with this knowledge the reader then finds it extremely possible to undertake the difficult process of finding a sense of grounding in today's turbulent society. ... Read more

Book Description

This beautiful celebration of Buddha brings together centuries of sculpture and painting from the East. The vast selection of photographs, ranging from the Indian subcontinent, to China, Tibet, Japan, and Indonesia, features richly gilded and jeweled bronzes, elaborate and colorful paintings, intricately embroidered silk hangings, and statuesque rock carvings. The artwork is accompanied by essays that explore the story of Buddha and Buddhist art in each region and provide additional information on topics such as the cave complexes of China, where more than a thousand rock carvings pay homage to Buddha. ... Read more

Book Description

On a night more than two thousand years ago, a prince was born in India. He could have been the most powerful rajah in all the world. But instead, the prince chose to become a common beggar, seeking a way to end the suffering he saw around him. He knew riches could not end suffering. He learned that deprivation could not end suffering. Then, under an enormous spreading fig tree, deep in concentration, he found Enlightenment. He understood Dharma, the law governing all things. He had achieved Nirvana, the peace that triumphs over suffering. And he found this knowledge and understanding inside his own mind, nowhere else. He became the Buddha, and taught his way of ending suffering to all who wished to learn. ... Read more

Reviews (2)

Excellent Book!
This is one of the most moving and best books for children about Buddha's life. There are many other good books, but this one is really straight forward and clear in his life's details. I would use this books with others to teach about Buddha, but this book would be the cornerstone while teaching about his life on Earth.

Siddhartha for the Grade School Set
This is the first children's picture book I've seen about the life of the Buddha, so I find it interesting for that alone. It is beautifully, though at times a bit garishly, illustrated but with the Mara depicted in it, this might have been what illustrator Fahimeh Amiri was going for. Regardless of subject, however, I sometimes think there are simply too many colors in a few illustrations when I believe a subject demands subtler colorings, but this is likely just a matter of personal taste. Besides that, the illustrations are fine except for the one of Siddhartha in his ascetic phase when he, in this picture, resembles one of those extra terrestrials I've seen in movies before. Also, in the illustration of the prophet looking at baby Gautama's feet, the feet look to be half the length of the baby's body. I say these things not to be picky but because they distracted me from the story, which I think is relevant. There are some perfectly beautiful illustrations too, that do not distract with either too much color or with distortions. One is of the Buddha meditating under the Bo Tree, when Mara is sending down fierce rains and the king of the cobras shelters Gautama from the rain. There's a color theme at work here, too, rather than the clash visible on other pages.

The story proceeds as is known--prince is born, mother dies, prophecy induces king to shelter prince from sorrow and pain, prince finds out anyway and, after a brief marriage, sets out to find the cure of suffering becoming, ultimately, the Buddha. No surprises here. Suffice it to say, however, that my 7 year old son is mad about this book, stares with wonder at the illustrations and listens intently to the story.

As an introduction to the Buddha for elementary school kids, it's a good choice. ... Read more

Book Description

The first complete English translation of two works by Zen scholar D. T. Suzuki introduces Emanuel Swedenborg and compares Swedenborgian thought to Buddhism. The first work stresses Swedenborg's message that true spirituality demands an engagement in this world; the second compares Swedenborg's description of heaven to the paradise of Pure Land Buddhism. ... Read more

Book Description

For the past two thousand years and more, the figure of Gautama, the Buddha, has attracted hagiographers and legend-makers whose writings have, for the most part, left readers with a sense of dissatisfaction and frustration. At the same time, there has been a flood of arcane scholarship on particular aspects of the Buddha's life, times, and teaching which has left the discriminating reader unmoved. This biography, written with rare elegance, delicacy, and verve will serve as a breath of fresh air. ... Read more

Reviews (1)

The Truth Behind the History
Most of us assume that the history as we learn is the truth. Unfortunately we know so little about the past that we can not have a good idea of what is the truth behind it, at least not using only our intellect. But if we let the book work in ourselves and leave the concepts we been raised with aside for a moment we could find us going in a direction so simple but in the same time so beautiful that we would not doubt for a second what is the truth and what is not.
This book show us how far can a human being go if it really live and learn with every single situation in its life.
Keep an open mind, and let your spirit show you the life of Buddha as you read this book. ... Read more