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Buddha: A Story of Enlightenment
Bestselling author Deepak Chopra brings the Buddha back to life in this gripping novel of 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 by those closest to him, Siddhartha abandons his palace and princely title. Alone and 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 inspires—ultimately leading us closer to understanding the true nature of life and our selves.
288 pages, Hardcover
Published May 1, 2007
4,213 people are currently reading
13.6k people want to read
About the author
Deepak Chopra
616 books18.9k followersDeepak Chopra, MD serves as the Founder and Chairman of The Chopra Foundation, and Co-Founder of the Chopra Center for Wellbeing.
As a global leader and pioneer in the field of mind-body medicine, Chopra transforms the way the world views physical, mental, emotional, spiritual, and social wellness. Known as a prolific author of eighty books books with twenty-two New York Times best sellers in both fiction and non-fiction, his works have been published in more than forty-three languages.
Chopra’s medical training is in internal medicine and endocrinology. He is a Fellow of the American College of Physicians and a member of the American Association of Clinical Endocrinologists. Dr. Chopra serves as Co-Founder and Chairman of The Chopra Center for Wellbeing, Founder of The Chopra Well on YouTube, Adjunct Professor of Executive Programs at Kellogg School of Management at Northwestern University, Adjunct Professor at Columbia Business School, Columbia University, Assistant Clinical Professor, in the Family and Preventive Medicine Department at the University of California, San Diego, Health Sciences, Faculty at Walt Disney Imagineering, and Senior Scientist with The Gallup Organization.
GlobeIn acknowledges Chopra as "one of top ten most influential spiritual leaders around the world." TIME magazine has described Dr. Chopra as "one of the top 100 heroes and icons of the century and credits him as "the poet-prophet of alternative medicine."
As a global leader and pioneer in the field of mind-body medicine, Chopra transforms the way the world views physical, mental, emotional, spiritual, and social wellness. Known as a prolific author of eighty books books with twenty-two New York Times best sellers in both fiction and non-fiction, his works have been published in more than forty-three languages.
Chopra’s medical training is in internal medicine and endocrinology. He is a Fellow of the American College of Physicians and a member of the American Association of Clinical Endocrinologists. Dr. Chopra serves as Co-Founder and Chairman of The Chopra Center for Wellbeing, Founder of The Chopra Well on YouTube, Adjunct Professor of Executive Programs at Kellogg School of Management at Northwestern University, Adjunct Professor at Columbia Business School, Columbia University, Assistant Clinical Professor, in the Family and Preventive Medicine Department at the University of California, San Diego, Health Sciences, Faculty at Walt Disney Imagineering, and Senior Scientist with The Gallup Organization.
GlobeIn acknowledges Chopra as "one of top ten most influential spiritual leaders around the world." TIME magazine has described Dr. Chopra as "one of the top 100 heroes and icons of the century and credits him as "the poet-prophet of alternative medicine."
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 864 reviews
October 11, 2008
I picked up this book because I love Buddha. He was a sweet dude and I dig what he did for humanity. So did Herman Hesse and that's why he wrote Siddhartha an amazing work of insight and revelation about the core of Buddhist thought and the life of a man who brought his message of silence and contemplation to the world.
Chopra does a great disservice to Siddhartha and all people with his book. Not only does he muddle the concepts of Buddhism, but he completely misrepresents the man and what he was. He was not a god, he was not immortal, he was not invincible. He was merely awake. He was as human as you or I. He realized that people come to the Way of their own accord and that the world turns by itself. Whether or not you fight against it is your choice. He just reminded people they had the choice not to fight, but to understand suffering and what it really means.
Chopra gives us a super-human character that is really shallow, and consumes the majority of the plot with happy go lucky relationships and events that aren't even close to being related to his real life. The result is that we have a story that is better fit for readers digest because people like myself, who are actually concerned with getting the word out on who the Buddha was and what his life meant to transforming our own persons, it kills us to read this shit. Fortunately Chopra is writing another historical account about Jesus, because I'm sure he's intimately familiar with the Christian Tradition as well.
Chopra does a great disservice to Siddhartha and all people with his book. Not only does he muddle the concepts of Buddhism, but he completely misrepresents the man and what he was. He was not a god, he was not immortal, he was not invincible. He was merely awake. He was as human as you or I. He realized that people come to the Way of their own accord and that the world turns by itself. Whether or not you fight against it is your choice. He just reminded people they had the choice not to fight, but to understand suffering and what it really means.
Chopra gives us a super-human character that is really shallow, and consumes the majority of the plot with happy go lucky relationships and events that aren't even close to being related to his real life. The result is that we have a story that is better fit for readers digest because people like myself, who are actually concerned with getting the word out on who the Buddha was and what his life meant to transforming our own persons, it kills us to read this shit. Fortunately Chopra is writing another historical account about Jesus, because I'm sure he's intimately familiar with the Christian Tradition as well.
March 12, 2013
A fascinating, readable fictionalized account of Buddha's life, conveniently broken into three sections: prince, monk, Buddha. We learn that Buddha's mission was to conquer fear and desire and live in total freedom - and that this was his calling from an early age. We learn that he gave up the life of prince and husband and father to live alone in the mountains - and survived an encounter with an enraged serial killer in the woods by simply walking away. We learn that Buddha avoided thinking in opposites like good and evil so he could live without judgment - and that he could walk through battles and with his presence and a few words, get all the soldiers to drop their weapons.
I'm drawn to studying Buddha precisely because he was a real person, precisely because he gave up everything to understand the true roots of suffering and then have compassion. The book held my interest in the parts of it where the Buddha wasn't performing miracles in order to move the plot along.
I'm sure the publisher required the author to keep the book to about 200 pages. Yet I probably would have read it more quickly had it been twice as long. Buddha as a human being living a long, varied and challenging life would have been more compelling.
Yet there was a lot to learn here, and "Buddha" would make a solid introductory primer for teens/college students or anyone who is interested in a belief system that has the potential to be ingrained into any of the world's faiths or non-faiths, to be a positive force in anyone's life to whatever degree they choose. The book has excellent (though again, too short) 'Epilogue' and 'The Art of Non-Doing' chapters in the back that explain many important aspects of Buddhism, including mindfulness and meditation.
The big point from the book is that Buddha was not afraid of death. Because he believed that human beings are continually reincarnated, the bigger challenges are overcoming desire, fear and judgment in order to be free and open. This whether death is near or, so far, avoided.
I'm drawn to studying Buddha precisely because he was a real person, precisely because he gave up everything to understand the true roots of suffering and then have compassion. The book held my interest in the parts of it where the Buddha wasn't performing miracles in order to move the plot along.
I'm sure the publisher required the author to keep the book to about 200 pages. Yet I probably would have read it more quickly had it been twice as long. Buddha as a human being living a long, varied and challenging life would have been more compelling.
Yet there was a lot to learn here, and "Buddha" would make a solid introductory primer for teens/college students or anyone who is interested in a belief system that has the potential to be ingrained into any of the world's faiths or non-faiths, to be a positive force in anyone's life to whatever degree they choose. The book has excellent (though again, too short) 'Epilogue' and 'The Art of Non-Doing' chapters in the back that explain many important aspects of Buddhism, including mindfulness and meditation.
The big point from the book is that Buddha was not afraid of death. Because he believed that human beings are continually reincarnated, the bigger challenges are overcoming desire, fear and judgment in order to be free and open. This whether death is near or, so far, avoided.
July 2, 2007
This was a very entertaining and inspiring fictional account of the life of the Buddha. Most of the characters and events of the novel are from the passed down story of Buddha, but it is the depiction of his inner experience that is imagined. The scope of the novel is wonderful in that it starts with his life as Prince Siddartha, moves next into his years as Gautama the monk, then to his enlightenment and subsequent transformation into the Buddha. He was truly an Everyman, and his story demonstrates that of which we are all capable.
July 18, 2009
When I saw this at a bookstore I felt joy wash over me. I had to get it even if I had already read Siddhartha and felt the territory had been covered. I'd never read a book by Chopra and really wanted to give it a shot.
I just finished it this morning and am reeling from it. I was disappointed a lot of the way through because I felt that Guatama's (Buddha name as a prince) coming-of-age story was largely irrelevant. What I really wanted to know were the details of how he became enlightened. There was so much darkness and disappointment for him, not the way I'd previously imagined, and it got me down.
When he became awakened I was even more depressed. It seemed joyless to break out of the cycle of samsara (suffering) and reach Nirvana. This is allegedly a point where good and bad no longer exist. At that point Buddha could choose whether he would stay in this world or go. He chose to stay and help people.
Therein lies my question. If there is no good or bad why choose a life of compassion, kindness and non-violence? What does it matter? The writing after the awakening seemed inconsistent and therefore frustrating, especially when Deepak acknowledged that he is not a Buddhist or Buddhist scholar. Where's his credibility supposed to come from?
I'm confused, profoundly affected and more confused. The Epilogue answered some of my questions but not enough. That's fine because Deepak is probably not the best source for the answers. I'm sure they come from looking within although I'm convinced a Master is pretty necessary for an awakening.
General consensus: I'm still unclear on what I read. Trying to figure it out.
I just finished it this morning and am reeling from it. I was disappointed a lot of the way through because I felt that Guatama's (Buddha name as a prince) coming-of-age story was largely irrelevant. What I really wanted to know were the details of how he became enlightened. There was so much darkness and disappointment for him, not the way I'd previously imagined, and it got me down.
When he became awakened I was even more depressed. It seemed joyless to break out of the cycle of samsara (suffering) and reach Nirvana. This is allegedly a point where good and bad no longer exist. At that point Buddha could choose whether he would stay in this world or go. He chose to stay and help people.
Therein lies my question. If there is no good or bad why choose a life of compassion, kindness and non-violence? What does it matter? The writing after the awakening seemed inconsistent and therefore frustrating, especially when Deepak acknowledged that he is not a Buddhist or Buddhist scholar. Where's his credibility supposed to come from?
I'm confused, profoundly affected and more confused. The Epilogue answered some of my questions but not enough. That's fine because Deepak is probably not the best source for the answers. I'm sure they come from looking within although I'm convinced a Master is pretty necessary for an awakening.
General consensus: I'm still unclear on what I read. Trying to figure it out.
June 28, 2019
I understand author’s point of presenting the story of Siddhartha from his birth and through some growing years to show where he came from and why he chose to leave to follow his destiny. But I didn’t care for all the descriptions.
As much as I enjoyed Jesus and Muhammad by this author, I couldn’t get into this book. It was too descriptive with not much to the plot.
As much as I enjoyed Jesus and Muhammad by this author, I couldn’t get into this book. It was too descriptive with not much to the plot.
October 8, 2008
First thing first, I honestly have no idea of what to call this book with.
I broke the spin of my copy, fyi, for I read and reread it. I was moved, I admit, as much as I was shaken by the message.
In the first part, Chopraji managed to sow the story of feral, raw, ancient India so well, so unbelievably human, Siddhartha included. It wasn't difficult to, say, picture the characters. Unfortunately, it degrades in the second part, "Gautama the Monk." Chopraji said in his foreword that Buddha is as human as the rest of the world, and in this part Siddhartha is all but human. It's as if he's this kind of a mortal simply elevated to be an immortal. There's neither enough space for his turmoil nor suffering since it's concentrated on his journey toward enlightenment. In other words, the plot is sacrificed for the message's sake. And the part "Buddha the Compassionate" makes me wonder if this should be aptly titled "Buddhist Preaches Through Chopraji's."
As Chopraji wonderfully put, Buddha begins as a mere man, a wealthy one but nevertheless a man. I just don't get it from the rest of the book. This is really a book about "a life like no other, and I wonder is this would be much, much better if put not in the form of a novel.
Or perhaps it's just that Buddha's teachings are radical, and Chopraji is too out of my league, and my mind is a small pool in the beach morosely trying to contain the whole ocean.
I broke the spin of my copy, fyi, for I read and reread it. I was moved, I admit, as much as I was shaken by the message.
In the first part, Chopraji managed to sow the story of feral, raw, ancient India so well, so unbelievably human, Siddhartha included. It wasn't difficult to, say, picture the characters. Unfortunately, it degrades in the second part, "Gautama the Monk." Chopraji said in his foreword that Buddha is as human as the rest of the world, and in this part Siddhartha is all but human. It's as if he's this kind of a mortal simply elevated to be an immortal. There's neither enough space for his turmoil nor suffering since it's concentrated on his journey toward enlightenment. In other words, the plot is sacrificed for the message's sake. And the part "Buddha the Compassionate" makes me wonder if this should be aptly titled "Buddhist Preaches Through Chopraji's."
As Chopraji wonderfully put, Buddha begins as a mere man, a wealthy one but nevertheless a man. I just don't get it from the rest of the book. This is really a book about "a life like no other, and I wonder is this would be much, much better if put not in the form of a novel.
Or perhaps it's just that Buddha's teachings are radical, and Chopraji is too out of my league, and my mind is a small pool in the beach morosely trying to contain the whole ocean.
May 8, 2023
1.5 … well that was ……… something
I have nothing against Buddhism, i enjoy exploring everything about religion in general - but this book is awfully written, not cohesive, dare i say it, dull.
I have nothing against Buddhism, i enjoy exploring everything about religion in general - but this book is awfully written, not cohesive, dare i say it, dull.
January 27, 2022
If you want to read a novel about Siddhartha Gautama, the historic Buddha, please read _Old Path, White Clouds_ by Thich Nhat Hanh. (I could also recommend my book _Every Day is Magical: A Buddhist Pilgrimage in India and Nepal_, but that would be shameless self-promotion. Still, it involves visiting places significant to the Buddha.)
Oddly, many Goodreads reviewers apparently think that Herman Hesse's novel _Siddhartha_ is about the historic Buddha, but It isn't; it's the spiritual journey of a guy who shares his first name.
Before I started reading this book for a discussion group, I assumed it would be a good introduction to Buddhism and the Buddha's life, a good book to get new people to join the Buddhist book discussion group. Not so much.
SPOILERS
I don't sense that the author understands Buddhism. It sounds like he's writing about Shaivite Hinduism, not Buddhism. (Chopra is Indian and probably grew up with Hinduism.) Before I read the scene under the papal tree, it seemed like he didn't even try to get the Buddha's Enlightenment right, placing it too early--while he's starving himself--rather than after he meets Sujata and figures out the Middle Way. Maybe that was supposed to be when he reaches one of the jhanas, but the book makes it sound like he reached Enlightenment at this stage. Confusing. The book does finally show him reach another stage under the tree. Still no mention of the Middle Way.
Of all things to change in the Buddha's life, that was a terrible choice. The Middle Way is a major part of Buddhism. Maybe some Hindus still believe you can reach Enlightenment by practicing extreme austerity to the point that you nearly starve to death, but not so Buddhists.
I like how he described mystical experiences. I also found it interesting how he turned Mara into a major character; usually you only read about his attempts to distract the Buddha from Enlightenment under the bodhi tree.
No, Devadutta didn't rape and murder Sujata. What sort of sicko would make up that?! I nearly threw the book across the room and gave it one star on Goodreads.
Sujata met the Buddha when he was practicing such extreme austeries that he nearly starved to death, and she saved him by feeding him kheer, so he came up with the Middle Way.
Now that I've finished reading this book: The real Sujata (who, by the way, has an ancient stupa dedicated to her) does appear in this book. But he portrays her as a sixteen year old about to get married rather than a child, and just to make sure we know Chopra thinks women are objects, he shows Siddhartha commenting on her beauty (allegedly to show that he's aware of her beauty but doesn't feel lust, but it's douchely done).
Still, Chopra made up an additional character named Sujata... to have Devadutta rape and murder her in order to further Siddhartha's life plot.. even though his path would have been the same without this. NOT okay. V. S. Schwab recently on Twitter vented about this tired and misogynistic plot point of killing off a woman (or having a woman character raped, or both) for a male character's story. Since the 2016 election, it's hit home that the majority of men don't see women as fully human; Chopra's writing reveals this attitude.
He skips over Siddhartha's married life, rather than showing Yasodhara as a three-dimensional individual, and just shows shallow snippets in flashbacks. Apparently he doesn't know how to write anyone female as a three-dimensional character.
I recently attended a writers conference in which an author talked about "the violence of writing about someone from history." In this book, it's literally violence.
I feel like writing a story involving a magical cliff. Every single author who has had a female character raped and/ or murdered to further the life story of a male character...falls off the cliff.
Misogynists continue to be rewarded for writing fiction in which they have no empathy for female characters. I was sick of this trope before picking up this book.
Oddly, many Goodreads reviewers apparently think that Herman Hesse's novel _Siddhartha_ is about the historic Buddha, but It isn't; it's the spiritual journey of a guy who shares his first name.
Before I started reading this book for a discussion group, I assumed it would be a good introduction to Buddhism and the Buddha's life, a good book to get new people to join the Buddhist book discussion group. Not so much.
SPOILERS
I don't sense that the author understands Buddhism. It sounds like he's writing about Shaivite Hinduism, not Buddhism. (Chopra is Indian and probably grew up with Hinduism.) Before I read the scene under the papal tree, it seemed like he didn't even try to get the Buddha's Enlightenment right, placing it too early--while he's starving himself--rather than after he meets Sujata and figures out the Middle Way. Maybe that was supposed to be when he reaches one of the jhanas, but the book makes it sound like he reached Enlightenment at this stage. Confusing. The book does finally show him reach another stage under the tree. Still no mention of the Middle Way.
Of all things to change in the Buddha's life, that was a terrible choice. The Middle Way is a major part of Buddhism. Maybe some Hindus still believe you can reach Enlightenment by practicing extreme austerity to the point that you nearly starve to death, but not so Buddhists.
I like how he described mystical experiences. I also found it interesting how he turned Mara into a major character; usually you only read about his attempts to distract the Buddha from Enlightenment under the bodhi tree.
No, Devadutta didn't rape and murder Sujata. What sort of sicko would make up that?! I nearly threw the book across the room and gave it one star on Goodreads.
Sujata met the Buddha when he was practicing such extreme austeries that he nearly starved to death, and she saved him by feeding him kheer, so he came up with the Middle Way.
Now that I've finished reading this book: The real Sujata (who, by the way, has an ancient stupa dedicated to her) does appear in this book. But he portrays her as a sixteen year old about to get married rather than a child, and just to make sure we know Chopra thinks women are objects, he shows Siddhartha commenting on her beauty (allegedly to show that he's aware of her beauty but doesn't feel lust, but it's douchely done).
Still, Chopra made up an additional character named Sujata... to have Devadutta rape and murder her in order to further Siddhartha's life plot.. even though his path would have been the same without this. NOT okay. V. S. Schwab recently on Twitter vented about this tired and misogynistic plot point of killing off a woman (or having a woman character raped, or both) for a male character's story. Since the 2016 election, it's hit home that the majority of men don't see women as fully human; Chopra's writing reveals this attitude.
He skips over Siddhartha's married life, rather than showing Yasodhara as a three-dimensional individual, and just shows shallow snippets in flashbacks. Apparently he doesn't know how to write anyone female as a three-dimensional character.
I recently attended a writers conference in which an author talked about "the violence of writing about someone from history." In this book, it's literally violence.
I feel like writing a story involving a magical cliff. Every single author who has had a female character raped and/ or murdered to further the life story of a male character...falls off the cliff.
Misogynists continue to be rewarded for writing fiction in which they have no empathy for female characters. I was sick of this trope before picking up this book.
October 31, 2019
Through the eyes of the Buddha, the root of suffering is illusion, and the only way out of illusion is to stop believing in the separate self and the worlds that supports separate self. No spiritual message has ever been so radical. None remains so terribly urgent. - Deepak Chopra
Dukkha
Life is unsatisfactory. Pleasure in the pysical world is transient. Pain inevitably follows. Therefore, nothing we experience can be deeply satisfying. There is no resting place in change.
Anicca
Nothing is permanent. All experience is swept away in flux. Cause and effect is endless and confusing. Therefore one can never find clarity or permanence.
Anatta
The separate self is unreliable and ultimately unreal. We apply words like soul and personality to something that is fleeting or ghostly. Our attempts to make the self real never end but also never succeed. Therefore, we cling for reassurance to an illusion.
July 29, 2007
One major reason I liked this book is because it takes a 'what-if' approach to the story of Gautam Buddha and presents an alternative explanation of events. I also liked the last part where the author discusses the teachings of Buddha in a Q&A section. I think this should have been put in the narrative itself coming directly from Buddha. That said, there were some of the teachings in his conversations with his new disciples. The writing/language was pretty ordinary, compared to books like Siddhartha (Herman Hesse). There were a few instances where the author used the language superbly to paint a very vivid picture of the setting; I wish he had used this kind of language more consistently throughout the book.
June 6, 2020
He leído varías versiones de la historia de Buda/Buddha, está es la que más me ha enganchado y gustado, prácticamente lo leí en dos días, pero quise al último hacer una pausa y retomar los últimos capítulos.
Las primeras 2 partes es una historia como me encantan, hacer la construcción del personaje, de detalles para situarlo en el cómo se siente y que está haciendo. La última parte es la de llena de conocimiento, como muchas veces digo “es para quien escucha no solo porque tenga oídos; tenga la mente abierta y el corazón en alto”.
“Ríndete y serás liberado”, es la mayor enseñanza y te lo recomiendo si te gusta leer historias y tienes como dice El protagonista, tienes algunos atisbos de querer despertar, y por momentos te das cuenta que esto de vivir es un sueño. Ya me quedo claro ese mantra “yo no soy mi cuerpo, yo no soy mi mente”.
Gracias Lorena por ser tan paciente con esta lectora que ha tenido valles que se me han sumido a bloqueos lectores, ya estoy lista para seguir leyendo contigo.
Las primeras 2 partes es una historia como me encantan, hacer la construcción del personaje, de detalles para situarlo en el cómo se siente y que está haciendo. La última parte es la de llena de conocimiento, como muchas veces digo “es para quien escucha no solo porque tenga oídos; tenga la mente abierta y el corazón en alto”.
“Ríndete y serás liberado”, es la mayor enseñanza y te lo recomiendo si te gusta leer historias y tienes como dice El protagonista, tienes algunos atisbos de querer despertar, y por momentos te das cuenta que esto de vivir es un sueño. Ya me quedo claro ese mantra “yo no soy mi cuerpo, yo no soy mi mente”.
Gracias Lorena por ser tan paciente con esta lectora que ha tenido valles que se me han sumido a bloqueos lectores, ya estoy lista para seguir leyendo contigo.
June 5, 2019
This book completely changed my perspective on so many things.
”Whatever can run can also stand still.”
“What the mind has created, only the mind can undo.”
“No one belongs in your soul but you.”
“Unhappiness is born of expectations that don’t come true. Even to expect nothing is a trap.”
“Nirvana, a state of pure, eternal consciousness. Nirvana is present in everyone, but it is like pure water lying deep beneath the earth. Reaching it requires concentration, devotion and diligent work.”
”Whatever can run can also stand still.”
“What the mind has created, only the mind can undo.”
“No one belongs in your soul but you.”
“Unhappiness is born of expectations that don’t come true. Even to expect nothing is a trap.”
“Nirvana, a state of pure, eternal consciousness. Nirvana is present in everyone, but it is like pure water lying deep beneath the earth. Reaching it requires concentration, devotion and diligent work.”
October 21, 2010
The life of the Buddha is far too long & complicated to put down easily in such a small volume but overall good starts for those who want to read & learn how Buddhism come about. It is light and easy to read. Since this partly fictionalized version, the historical backgrounds have to be taken as just that while the fictional part lacks interesting quality in my opinion. Buddha's life can be concluded in three phases: the Prince, the Monk, and the Enlightened Buddha. I like the way Deepak throw in great spirituality insight & motivation word in his writing as well. In other word, this book is more spiritual then historical.
Every living being has the same basic wish – to be happy and to avoid suffering. If we want to decrease our suffering and the suffering of others, then we have to wake up to our own potential.
It all begin with Prince Siddhartha realize that all living beings without exception have to experience the sufferings of birth, sickness, ageing and death. Because he understood the laws of reincarnation he also realized that they experience these sufferings not just once, but again and again, in life after life without cessation. Seeing how all living beings are trapped in this vicious circle of suffering he felt deep compassion for them, and he developed a sincere wish to free all of them from their suffering. Realizing that only a fully enlightened Buddha has the wisdom and the power to help all living beings in this way, he resolved to leave the palace and retire to the solitude of the forest where he would engage in profound meditation until he attained enlightenment.
At the time of his awakening he realized complete insight into the cause of suffering, and the steps necessary to eliminate it. These discoveries became known as the "Four Noble Truths", which are at the heart of Buddhist teaching, the secret to true peace and happiness. Through mastery of these truths, a state of supreme liberation, or Nirvana, is believed to be possible for any being. The Buddha described Nirvāna as the perfect peace of a mind that's free from ignorance, greed, hatred and other afflictive states, or "defilements".
Every living being has the same basic wish – to be happy and to avoid suffering. If we want to decrease our suffering and the suffering of others, then we have to wake up to our own potential.
It all begin with Prince Siddhartha realize that all living beings without exception have to experience the sufferings of birth, sickness, ageing and death. Because he understood the laws of reincarnation he also realized that they experience these sufferings not just once, but again and again, in life after life without cessation. Seeing how all living beings are trapped in this vicious circle of suffering he felt deep compassion for them, and he developed a sincere wish to free all of them from their suffering. Realizing that only a fully enlightened Buddha has the wisdom and the power to help all living beings in this way, he resolved to leave the palace and retire to the solitude of the forest where he would engage in profound meditation until he attained enlightenment.
At the time of his awakening he realized complete insight into the cause of suffering, and the steps necessary to eliminate it. These discoveries became known as the "Four Noble Truths", which are at the heart of Buddhist teaching, the secret to true peace and happiness. Through mastery of these truths, a state of supreme liberation, or Nirvana, is believed to be possible for any being. The Buddha described Nirvāna as the perfect peace of a mind that's free from ignorance, greed, hatred and other afflictive states, or "defilements".
August 7, 2011
Well, it's fiction, so that's disappointing. I must say, I have a much darker view of Buddha after reading this and that leaves a bad taste in my mouth for Chopra. I know Chopra is supposed to be a great spiritual teacher but I think he did a poor job of carrying the story and his journey to enlightenment in an understandable and valuable way. He made the error of assuming the reader had his knowledge of the subject and didn't take the lead to unfolding Buddha's enlightenment. More of a bystanders approach, and one who didn't seem to be invested much, at that. As the author, especially of a fiction novel about such an historical figure, it was his job to do that and he failed and failed Buddha miserably. Glad I got it at the used bookstore cheap and have no desire to keep this in my personal collection, so I'll be selling it back to them.
April 8, 2008
This book was wonderful!! A tale of Buddha as imagined by Deepak Chopra. We learn of Siddartha's birth, His relationship to all those around him and about his life protected from the world behind walls of the kingdom while trying to find his own true path. A tale full of war, love, Jealousy, death, passion and following ones true Soul calling. This book is a great descriptive read full of fantasy, adventure and spirituality. Included are Buddha's life after enlightenment and a breakdown of the eight fold path. A great read!!!!
July 7, 2020
Toto je beletrizovaný príbeh o Buddhovi a jeho mladosti, dospievaní i dôvodoch prečo začal pátrať po osvietení a ako to celé nakoniec dopadlo. Pre mňa to však bolo skôr sklamaním, asi som dd tejto knihy som asi čakala viac, alebo niečo úplne iné....
Goodreads Challenge 2020: 32. kniha
Goodreads Challenge 2020: 32. kniha
April 29, 2017
The story of the Buddha has been told time and time again, and various accounts of his life story have been recorded in books, films, and other media. This version, Buddha: A Story of Enlightenment, was written by Deepak Chopra, an alternative medicine advocate in the New Age movement. I hadn't read any of Chopra's other books prior to this one, so I approached this book with very few expectations.
The book is broken up into three main sections: "Siddhartha The Prince", "Gautama The Monk", and "Buddha". Each section describes the stages of the Buddha's development and evolution. Before the Buddha became the Buddha, he was Gautama, a wandering monk. And before Gautama came Siddhartha, a prince stuck in his father's walled kingdom. Chopra goes into great detail on the topic, throwing in a lot of intriguing anecdotes of which I was previously unaware.
I really enjoyed this one. I've read and listened to several variations of the Buddha's story, but none that were this in-depth and engaging. I'm sure it won't be the last Buddha book that I read, but for now, this has been the best!
The book is broken up into three main sections: "Siddhartha The Prince", "Gautama The Monk", and "Buddha". Each section describes the stages of the Buddha's development and evolution. Before the Buddha became the Buddha, he was Gautama, a wandering monk. And before Gautama came Siddhartha, a prince stuck in his father's walled kingdom. Chopra goes into great detail on the topic, throwing in a lot of intriguing anecdotes of which I was previously unaware.
I really enjoyed this one. I've read and listened to several variations of the Buddha's story, but none that were this in-depth and engaging. I'm sure it won't be the last Buddha book that I read, but for now, this has been the best!
November 14, 2021
A book that helps to grow spiritually.
June 11, 2012
As the author points out in the preface, the story of the Buddha is a story that is naturally shrouded in mystery. Over the past 2000 years, people have added to the story, embellished, and recounted the life of the Buddha in various ways. Mr. Chopra is no different. In this book, he takes these same liberties in creating his own version of the story of the Buddha. In his words, he takes the opportunity to "fictionalize" but tries to keep the book "psychologically true." In doing so, he takes the reader on a journey to an ancient kingdom, where Siddhartha grows up as the sheltered and privileged son of a blood-thirsty king. There are stories of demons, murder, lust, and rape all of which Mr. Chopra ties together in a well-connected and logical plot.
Unfortunately, I think he takes the fantasy and fiction too far and this is why I was ultimately disappointed in the book. In the preface, he points out that the Buddha story had become "chock-full of miracles and gods that stuck onto its surface" when Buddha likely "held a doubtful view of both." Then why did Mr. Chopra then write such a fantasy driven book with talking demons and such? I'm not sure, but I found it to be distracting and made the Buddha seem like more of a fictional character himself.
Unfortunately, I think he takes the fantasy and fiction too far and this is why I was ultimately disappointed in the book. In the preface, he points out that the Buddha story had become "chock-full of miracles and gods that stuck onto its surface" when Buddha likely "held a doubtful view of both." Then why did Mr. Chopra then write such a fantasy driven book with talking demons and such? I'm not sure, but I found it to be distracting and made the Buddha seem like more of a fictional character himself.
February 4, 2009
I ploughed through the book, because I thought something would come up... I liked the first part about Siddhartha the Prince. However, when it came to Gautama the Monk, I thought the austerities and the practices that were explained and dramatised were more of heresay and taken from other books rather than what might have actually happened... but that is also ok since it is a work of fiction... The reduce the final Enlightenment to "flying up to the clouds"... " "Becoming the moon"... "being able to look into people's minds" "living ten thousand lives at the same time"... It is my personal opinion that the enlightment was reduced to magic and inexplicable happenings... I can understand if the author says that "Enlightenment is something that cannot be explained because the ones who achieve it do not explain it and even if you do those who havent experienced it cannot understand it..." But to reduce it to something trivial was not expected...
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
April 8, 2013
I really enjoyed this story and thought it was very well written. However, I didn't like the violence in the story and was especially sad for the female characters who always ended up with the worst story and the worst fate. They either died, or were raped and died, or had to live in suffering.
I'm not sure I fully understood Buddha's path to enlightenment, it was difficult to get the meaning of his journey in it's entirety, but I did like the descriptions and the sensations of his soul travelling beyond the world. If there is a specific message in this story though, I think I missed it. Or maybe my mistake was looking for one?
One theme I liked in the novel was focusing on our present, and removing worry, stress and anxiety about the past or future. I think it's something we need to work at and be mindful of in our daily lives. If we can take a minute everyday to let the world around us drop away and just focus on the sensations we're feeling in the moment, I think it can help us become more peaceful.
I'm not sure I fully understood Buddha's path to enlightenment, it was difficult to get the meaning of his journey in it's entirety, but I did like the descriptions and the sensations of his soul travelling beyond the world. If there is a specific message in this story though, I think I missed it. Or maybe my mistake was looking for one?
One theme I liked in the novel was focusing on our present, and removing worry, stress and anxiety about the past or future. I think it's something we need to work at and be mindful of in our daily lives. If we can take a minute everyday to let the world around us drop away and just focus on the sensations we're feeling in the moment, I think it can help us become more peaceful.
September 9, 2012
Book 53 2012 Reading Challenge-- This retelling of the Buddha's life was okay. Like, Siddhartha written by Hesse , this text also has Hindu elements. I began by listening to this book on tape, but I wasn't able to enjoy Depak Chopra's narration. I found the heavy accent and emotional emphasis added to certain words and phrases --distracting. Normally I can tolerate any narrator, but not this time. So, I switched and read the book in print. I found the story has a quite a bite to it and a variety of elements- such as a the role of Mara in Buddha's development- at odds.
The writing doesn't compare artfully to White Clouds or Hesse's Siddhartha, and the sensational elements may make this a more popular novel about Gotama's origins and development attractive, but, for me it was unbalanced and overdone. I wasn't reading this book just for fun though; I was looking at it quite critically to decide whether to add it as a text for a literature / Buddhist themes class.
The writing doesn't compare artfully to White Clouds or Hesse's Siddhartha, and the sensational elements may make this a more popular novel about Gotama's origins and development attractive, but, for me it was unbalanced and overdone. I wasn't reading this book just for fun though; I was looking at it quite critically to decide whether to add it as a text for a literature / Buddhist themes class.
February 9, 2019
I found this book absolutely captivating. I thought the idea of making this a work of fiction worked perfectly to draw me in and keep me interested in the man who began as Siddhartha, became Gautama and eventually Buddha. The “parables” within each section were sometimes so subtle that they might be easy for some to miss. I soaked them up and savored each and every one of them. Chopra spoke to me in this book and broke down some of the basic concepts of Buddhism without shoving them down my throat. I was entertained, I learned some things about myself, and I haven’t stopped thinking about the book since I finished it three days ago. I look forward to reading more of Chopra’s work and learning more about the simple, yet impossibly complicated teachings of Buddha.
I feel like it would be easy for some to take this book literally but resist that temptation and focus on the lessons within the fictional story. Namaste.
I feel like it would be easy for some to take this book literally but resist that temptation and focus on the lessons within the fictional story. Namaste.
May 16, 2017
I've always wanted to learn more about Buddhism.
The more I read about it, the more intrigued I got.
While the plot at the beginning of the novel was as interesting and informative as the story in the end, somewhere in the middle, I lost interest.
Buddha the Compassionate One was the best part in my opinion; Finally! Some questions answered!
In the end, the book left me with many questions of my own about the religion, and it helped me answer a few I had before.
The epilogue was really interesting as well.
If you are looking out for a book that teaches you about Buddhism or if you're expecting crisp detail on the life of Buddha himself, this isn't the best book.
However, if you've just introduced yourself to Buddhism and want a book to start off with (and you don't mind some dull pages in between), go ahead and read on :)
The more I read about it, the more intrigued I got.
While the plot at the beginning of the novel was as interesting and informative as the story in the end, somewhere in the middle, I lost interest.
Buddha the Compassionate One was the best part in my opinion; Finally! Some questions answered!
In the end, the book left me with many questions of my own about the religion, and it helped me answer a few I had before.
The epilogue was really interesting as well.
If you are looking out for a book that teaches you about Buddhism or if you're expecting crisp detail on the life of Buddha himself, this isn't the best book.
However, if you've just introduced yourself to Buddhism and want a book to start off with (and you don't mind some dull pages in between), go ahead and read on :)
January 6, 2024
My first, and last, Chopra book.
Starts out as a reasonably entertaining re-imagining of the tale of Buddha's early life. But when Chopra tries to describe Buddha's enlightenment, his misinterpretations of the Buddhadharma and "Awakening" make these latter chapters much less readable.
And downright misleading.
Instead, I'd recommend "Old Path, White Clouds" by Thich Nhat Hanh. There's quite a bit of (admittedly!) fictional stuff going on at the beginning of the book, but then TNH really delivers many of the more well-known tales, and in an entertaining and educational fashion. Both the print book and the audiobook are a pleasant, calming read. (Well, for Buddhists and the Buddha-curious, anyway. ;-)
Starts out as a reasonably entertaining re-imagining of the tale of Buddha's early life. But when Chopra tries to describe Buddha's enlightenment, his misinterpretations of the Buddhadharma and "Awakening" make these latter chapters much less readable.
And downright misleading.
Instead, I'd recommend "Old Path, White Clouds" by Thich Nhat Hanh. There's quite a bit of (admittedly!) fictional stuff going on at the beginning of the book, but then TNH really delivers many of the more well-known tales, and in an entertaining and educational fashion. Both the print book and the audiobook are a pleasant, calming read. (Well, for Buddhists and the Buddha-curious, anyway. ;-)
December 20, 2017
I read this book for a book club. Therefore, I felt compelled to finish it even though I didn't enjoy it much. For me, it was a tough slog. I put it down for weeks at a time due to lack of interest. Perhaps because of that, I had to jog my memory of the characters each time I picked it up again. It is a fictional account of Buddha's life including talking demons (ridiculous).
I was hoping to learn about Buddhism by reading this book. Unfortunately, aside from the final short chapter called The Art of Non-Doing, the book did not further my knowledge. That was disappointing.
I was hoping to learn about Buddhism by reading this book. Unfortunately, aside from the final short chapter called The Art of Non-Doing, the book did not further my knowledge. That was disappointing.
May 11, 2008
This book is a great personification of a historical figure. I really enjoyed reading it and can see myself referring to it again in my lifetime.
Following the story, Chopra offers a synthesis of the Buddhist doctrines that he hopes you will learn from the novel. This explanation leaves a little to be desired but I think his intention is that the reader use the story as a springboard to deeper exploration of Buddhism.
Following the story, Chopra offers a synthesis of the Buddhist doctrines that he hopes you will learn from the novel. This explanation leaves a little to be desired but I think his intention is that the reader use the story as a springboard to deeper exploration of Buddhism.
July 27, 2017
I enjoyed reading—in story format—the details of Buddha’s early life, subsequent departure from royalty, and his painstaking journey after that. My favorite part of BUDDHA: A STORY OF ENLIGHTENMENT came at the end when author Deepak Chopra articulates a user-friendly definition of what Buddhism is, and equally important what it is not.
January 18, 2016
This book was absolutely fantastic. It was written quite well, captivating, and educational. Definitely recommend it for anyone who is interested in Buddhism or different religious/spiritual beliefs.
October 19, 2015
I understood some parts of life better. highly recommended.
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