Overview:
I chose this book because I’m interested in religion in general, and my wife sparked my interest in Buddhism by taking me to visit the beautiful His Lai Temple in Hacienda Heights CA. I wanted to learn more about Buddhism’s practices and principles, and how the founder of the religion lived his life, what inspired him and how he was able to lead such a large following.
Here is what the book was about:
The main point of the book is that Buddha was a special person who founded a truly remarkable religion, his teachings are timeless and one can benefit spiritually by following them.It is not really a biography in the traditional manner as you might expect by the title of the book. Upon closer inspection of the book synopsis on the back, the author, Venerable Master Hsing Yun calls it an “imaginative retelling of the life of Buddha.” This phrase captures what the book really is. The book covers the birth of Buddha, upbringing, through to becoming enlightened, stories and lessons from his 45 year teaching career, and final thoughts after his passing.
NOTE: According to wikipidia, Buddha’s given name is Siddhattha Gotama.
Rating: (1 low to 10 high)
Initially, my goal was to find out about the life of Buddha, his challenges, and how the religion got started. Based on my original interest and engagement while reading, I give this book a 10 out of 10. The book gave me things to think about in my own life and helped me understand my wife’s upbringing and habits better. For example, for years I noticed that my wife likes to go to bed later than me. From a Buddhist perspective, the wife is responsible for the household and takes time in the evening to make sure everything is cleaned and ready for the next day. Additionally, the book was a very easy read as there are not a lot of historical dates and events to memorize. The focus is on the life of Buddha, his teachings and principles.