Epicurus.com - Buddha: A Story of Enlightenment

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Manufacturer: HarperOne

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Binding: Paperback
Dewey Decimal Number: 813.54
EAN: 9780060878818
ISBN: 0060878819
Label: HarperOne
Manufacturer: HarperOne
Number Of Items: 1
Number Of Pages: 288
Publication Date: 2008-03-01
Publisher: HarperOne
Release Date: 2008-02-26
Studio: HarperOne

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Editorial Reviews:

Deepak Chopra brings the Buddha back to life in this gripping New York Times bestselling novel about the young prince who abandoned his inheritance to discover his true calling. This iconic journey changed the world forever, and the truths revealed continue to influence every corner of the globe today.

A young man in line for the throne is trapped in his father's kingdom and yearns for the outside world. Betrayed y those closest to him, Siddhartha abandons his palace and princely title. Face-to-face with his demons, he becomes a wandering monk and embarks on a spiritual fast that carries him to the brink of death. Ultimately recognizing his inability to conquer his body and mind by sheer will, Siddhartha transcends his physical pain and achieves enlightenment.

Although we recognize Buddha today as an icon of peace and serenity, his life story was a tumultuous and spellbinding affair filled with love and sex, murder and loss, struggle and surrender. From the rocky terrain of the material world to the summit of the spiritual one, Buddha captivates and inspiresâ€”ultimately leading us closer to understanding the true nature of life and ourselves.

Spotlight customer reviews:

Customer Rating:

Summary: Buddha
Comment: I picked this book up on a whim and I'm so thankful that I did-everything happens for a reason. This book is not pushing an ethos. It tells the story of a prince who gives up riches to become a monk who then finds enlightenment and lives as a buddha. It is full of action, love, hate and drama. The path to enlightenment was not easy or quick, it was difficult and trying, yet our main character fights on and changes the world forever.

I love this book and highly recomment it.

Customer Rating:

Summary: You cannot construct a story around a few facts!
Comment: To start, I did not finish this book. SO, there may be more merits to it than I am giving here.

I have a problem with constructing this story about the buddha with made up characters and situations. My understanding is that, no, we do not know all the facts about Siddhartha's life. Perhaps the details of the Buddha's life are sparse, but more is not needed to understand the teaching of buddhism. And we cannot know more, so why go on with this farce? This character written by chopra is supposed to give us a sense that the buddha was human, and mortal as we are. But nothing about any other buddhist PHILOSOPHICAL teaching suggests that he's anything else.
This book will not really help you begin to study Buddhism.

I could not keep reading as the story progressed because the writing got worse, and the situations seemed too contrived. Chopra here seems to think that he has a better understanding of buddha "the man" than others can attain from basic buddhist readings.

For a real introduction into buddhist philosophy, please visit a temple or read "what the buddha taught" by walpola rahula, or The "Buddhist Tradition in India, China and Japan" edited by WIlliam Theodore de Bary.

Perhaps if you know nothing of buddhism, this may give you some insight. My concern is that there are so many situations and characters that are made up, that you may get fact and truth mixed up in further study. Many stories of the buddha's life are fantastical. Just remember that the Buddha wanted his TEACHINGS to be remembered and not facts of his life. He taught philosophy, ways to think of yourself in your body and in the world, not religion. Buddha never claimed to be more than a man.

Customer Rating:

Summary: Don't waste your time.
Comment: Chopra should stick to non-fiction. It's what he's good at. This one is his first attempt at fiction. The imagery is lacking and the characters are dull. Chopra has a knack for explaining the nuances of philosophy but phones in much of the story. There isn't anything here you can't pick up on on the web, and I question the historical accuracy of the novel.

Customer Rating:

Summary: Buddha Review
Comment: This must be Chopra's best book. It reads easily but is full of information. I felt I was there in Buddha's time. Highly recommended.

Customer Rating:

Summary: Fantastic Read
Comment: This book is a more current version of the classic story of Buddha. It really helped me to get into and understand spirituality.

A great book and highly recommended.

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