Buddha: A Story of Enlightenment | Deepak Chopra

Buddha: A Story of Enlightenment | Deepak Chopra | New ways to understand a perennial wisdom

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Buddha: A Story of...

	Buddha: A Story of Enlightenment Deepak Chopra HarperOne, 2008 - 288 pages average customer review:based on 66 reviews view larger image
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highly recommended

I loved it!

I loved this story. I read it in three days, quite a page turner. I agree with a previous comment, that it is not a relaxing book for before bed. The first half kept me up reading late into the night with my heart racing. I couldn't believe Deepak could write about such violence and sex! But that's what made it good too- the drama, suspense. I kept at it because I knew Buddha would emerge and I didn't want to miss how he got to enlightenment. Hurray for this fiction, a gem in my usual spiritual non-fiction genres.
P.S. I checked this book out from the library, always a good option if you are unsure about a purchase.

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New ways to understand a perennial wisdom

This is a great new telling of one of the greatest spiritual stories of all time-I simply loved this book- get this together with FREE YOUR MIND by Sensei Anthony Stultz to give you a complete guide to practicing Buddhist wisdom in the 21st century!

Chopra's story of enlightenment - worth reading

I have read Chopra's previous books. He gives a lot of stress to value of knowledge and wisdom in human life. Chopra likes to mix fact and fiction and paint his version of story, that's what he has done in his comic books Ramayana and Devi. Chopra's Buddha is no different. But the problem is, there is lot of historic facts available on Buddha and his journey. Why add fiction that sometimes contradicts what Theravada Buddhism widely accepts in terms of Buddha's story. That happens even in terms of Buddhist philosophy. The theory of 'Nothingness' is integral part of Buddhism today but not traditional Shakyamuni's(Buddha) teachings. Chopra's storyline pictures on 'nothingness' as part of Buddha's talk. Buddha has talked very less about it. He talked more about transient nature of world, middle path and four noble truths. Nagarjuna - a later buddhist - brought in the theory of nothingness in his book Mulamadyamakarika.
Chopra's story has many gaps. While Gautama was shown to be going in search of a maid girl Sujata, very little is written about his wife Yashodhara and son Rahul. Other girl with the same name pictured to be taking care of Gautama for weeks. The widely accepted version is - Gautama after a long penance(and weak body) decided to give up this extreme path to hurt the body. He accepted the sweet rice from Sujatha. His five companions looked down upon him as he broke his vows and left him... Then came his famous words 'let my bones fall.... I will not get up until I reach the truth'. There is no such thing in this book. Even the journey is shown to be Siddharth's journey for himself. Buddha himself has said that he started the jouney out of the feeling 'what is the root cause of suffering and how it can be removed from the world'. There is no mention of Bodhisattva - a very important notion in Buddhism.
The story in the book is very well written though. I had a feeling it was written for western audience considering in mind - that's how characters in the story speak. Its hard to believe 2500 years ago, people in India speak this way. This is not how the story is told in Buddhist monasteries in East. But I must admit many references and facts and very well mixed and portrayed in the story. The story makes you think.
And I thought, finally aren't we looking at ancient Buddhist scripture for Buddha's story? May be Chopra's story adds more fiction and that is Okay if it tries to capture the essence of the Tathagat's(Buddha) journey in Chopra's way. Because Buddha is not name of person but its a name of a State - infinite state of infinite knowledge. The essence of Buddha's story to me is Siddharth's fearlessness, compassion, serenity and perfect tranquility. Its a story of a prince who choose inner path of Nirvana. Although many believe that Buddhist principles are similar to the knowledge in Upanishads(ancient Indian scriptures) no one put them into practice as Buddha did. Hindu's consider Gautam Buddha as incarnation of Lord Narayana but he is very different than other divine incarnations. He lived more human, down-to-earth life than any other divine figure. He mixed with common people more than anyone else so much so that he preached not in Sanskrit but in Pali and Ardhamagadhi - commoner's languages. He emphasizes not on some divine figure far away but your hard work and wisdom towards your own goal. This story captures that essense so I give 4 stars.
I recommend it to all who has interest in Buddha's life. There is lot to learn from a man's journey who lived 2500 years ago.

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A Refreshing Attempt to Look Deeper into the Life of the Buddha

Buddha: A Story of Enlightenment is a courageous attempt to bring depth and humanity to a classic and historic tale, the life of the Buddha. Frequently, spiritual teachers, especially over time, become so god-like, we lose all sight of their humanity. Deepak Chopra uses his wisdom and imagination to correct this giving us potential insights into what life was like for Buddha's parents before his birth, what it was like for the Buddha as a child and teenager, how the Buddha met his wife and experienced married life and becoming a father, and more importantly how all of this influenced and shaped his life and his eventual confrontation with Mara who seeks to lead the Buddha astray from his spiritual quest. True, as one reviewer said, those who are sophisticated fiction readers may view this as a beginning fiction attempt. But, for those like myself this was not an issue. Instead, I enjoyed how Chopra brought the Buddha and all the characters surrounding this legendary figure to life, helping us to see how the Buddha's journey towards enlightenment needn't be so far removed from our own enlightenment quest. - Dr. Lisa Love, Beyond the Secret

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