Gautama Buddha

The book is organized into five major parts. Part I, “The World of the Buddha,” reconstructs the larger historical and civilizational background of Gautama’s age, exploring the transition from mythic consciousness toward rational, ethical, and humanistic inquiry. Part II, “Biographical,” forms the main narrative of the work, beginning with Māyā’s dream and the Buddha’s birth, then moving through Kapilavastu, the prince’s early experiences, the pursuit of pleasure, crisis and renunciation, encounters with other spiritual paths, enlightenment, the first teaching, the growth of the Buddhist Order, years of wandering, internal difficulties within the Order, the Great Decease, and the Buddha’s posthumous legacy. Part III, “The Word of the Buddha,” interprets the central dimensions of the teaching through “The Wheel,” “The Way,” and “The Void,” presenting Buddhist doctrine as a disciplined response to suffering and the human condition. Part IV, “The Word Made Flesh,” discusses Buddhist art and iconography, showing how the Buddha’s presence was represented visually and culturally. Part V, “The Buddha in a Changing World,” examines how later generations received, transformed, and reinterpreted the Buddha’s legacy in changing historical circumstances.