Table of Contents

Part One: The Great Ones; Part Two: The Ten Best Italian Artist Lists and the Recordings; Part Three: The Newer Fellers; Part Four: Special Features; Part Five: Honourable Mentions.

About the Author

Born in Shimane Prefecture in 1970, Hisashi Ota graduated from Nagoya University's School of Science. His other works include Manga de wakaru bukkyo nyumon (Understanding through Comics: Introduction to Buddhism), which is forthcoming in English from Ichimannendo Publishing, Inc.

Reviews

"The Story of Buddha: A Graphic Biography "plots the Buddha's journey from crown prince of the Sakya kingdom to Enlightenment as a reformed ascetic, as told and illustrated by Hisashi Ota. It's a story not often heard outside the studies of practicing Buddhists or lectures on World Religion, but it is key for even a basic understanding of Buddhism, the religion based on Buddha Sakyamuni's teachings.The book follows Prince Siddhartha as he travels beyond the palace's four gates, where he sees his subjects suffering in poverty and disease, noting that "people live in search of happiness, but in fact life leads straight to the horror of the grave." Meanwhile, his father, the king, notices his discontent and provides him with all he thinks his son needs to be a happy, contented heir to the throne, from food and drink to the most beautiful wife in all the land. But these comforts don't seem to satisfy Siddhartha, either, who decides to enter the wilderness, fasting and meditating until he figures out the meaning of life.To introduce readers to Prince Siddhartha and his search for meaning, Ota uses two fictional characters: Asvajit, an attendant to the prince, and his friend Udda, whose directionless lifestyle leads her to seek counsel with Siddhartha. As sympathetic characters, their actions coincide with the Buddha's journey, helping to spur the plot along from scene to scene. Udda, especially, is meant to relate to readers, as she is first drawn to the Prince's royal lifestyle before realizing herself that comfort and pleasure are not wholly satisfying.Not unlike graphic novelizations of the Bible or the signing of the Declaration of Independence, the biography's goal is primarily to educate, with its comic-book format and manga-style artwork intended to appeal among younger audiences. Every new setting and character is boldly labeled, and each chapter ends with a take-away quote that summarizes the teachings explained by the preceding story. The book includes, as r

"Tannisho (Lamenting the Deviations) is a major Pure Land Buddhist classic. Although it is little known in the West, it is one of the most important texts to appear in the history of religion. In Unlocking Tannisho, Juliet Winters Carpenter's skillful translation and Kentetsu Takamori's unambiguous commentary clarify the essential meaning of this text that offers a universal spiritual challenge for modern people.""- Dr. Alfred Bloom (author of "The Essential Shinran: A Buddhist Path of True Entrusting")"