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Gautama Buddha
The words and example of Gautama (often known by the title, 'Buddha') have affected billions of people. But what do we really know about him? While there is much we cannot say for certain about the historical Gautama, this persuasive new biography provides the fullest and most plausible account yet. Weaving ancient sources and modern understanding into a compelling narrative, Gautama Buddha places his birth around 484 BCE, his Enlightenment in 449 BCE and his death in 404 BCE, a century later than the traditional dates. Vishvapani Blomfield examines Gautama's words and impact to shed fresh light on his culture, his spiritual search and the experiences and teachings that led his followers to call him 'The Awakened One'. Placing Gautama in a credible historical setting without assuming that he was really just an ordinary person, this book draws on the myths and legends that surround him to illuminate the significance of his life. It traces Gautama's investigations of consciousness, his strikingly original view of life and his development of new forms of religious community and practice. This insightful and thought-provoking biography will appeal to anyone interested in history and religion, and in the Buddha as a thinker, spiritual teacher and a seminal cultural figure. Gautama Buddha is a gripping account of one of history's most powerful personalities.
400 pages, Hardcover
First published January 1, 2011
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490 people want to read
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 35 reviews
December 23, 2011
I was looking for an up-to-date, well researched biography of the Buddha, and I sort of found it in this book. I say “sort of” because it wasn’t as heavy on the scholarship as I would have liked, though it was enjoyable, generally insightful, and informative.
Blomfield takes his time getting to the Buddha’s birth, first drawing a picture for us of the world Gotama grew up in. He describes the political and economic scenes and gives us a sense of the religious ferment of the time. I was disappointed though that while Blomfield adopts the more recent scholarship dating the Buddha to c.484 – 404 BCE, the rational for this new dating is never discussed.
Blomfield mostly adopts a realistic tone in portraying the events of the Buddha’s life and upbringing, though inevitably mythical elements intrude. All in all, I think he does a pretty good job at indicating what sort of person the Buddha was–energetic and sincere, inquisitive, skeptical, a brilliant raconteur, adaptable, charismatic, a genius. His treatment of Gotama’s search for enlightenment draws on recent scholarship (I recognized Alexander Wynne’s contributions) but for me his account of the enlightenment falls flat. I actually got the sense Blomfield doesn’t know what he’s talking about. I’m not saying he doesn’t know his way around the suttas, just that he doesn’t really seem to grasp what the Enlightenment actually entailed or meant. (This despite the back flap claiming Blomfield has been practicing and/or teaching meditation for thirty years.)
After Gotama became the Buddha, the sequence of events is difficult to nail down, so Blomfield pauses to discuss the teaching. I thought this the weakest part of the book, for the coverage here is incomplete, and let’s face it–I’m very hard to satisfy as regards these matters! Admittedly though, saying something about the Teaching here is unavoidable, and Blomfield takes a decent shot at it despite limited space.
Further chapters take up the formation of the Sangha, how the Buddha interacted with the society around him (“A Holy Man In the World”–an excellent chapter), the Devadatta crisis and then the last years. By the end I realized just how much had either been left out or only skimmed over, and it occurred to me that if anyone is ever going to do a really thorough, scholarly treatment of the Buddha’s life it may well run to a thousand pages (not including a hundred pages of notes). Personally, I would like to have seen more discussion of the important disciples, as well as something more about the various rival shramana sects (Ajivakas, Jains, etc) who competed with the Buddha. Blomfield could have said more too about the archaeology of the Buddha’s life–e.g., the debate over exactly where Kapilavastu was (generally now thought to be Tilaurakot in Nepal) is a fascinating story in itself. Anything at all to lift this man’s life out of the realm of legend and lost kingdoms and to place it on a solid footing, on the earth, connected to real things we can see and touch, would have been appreciated. (And I can always dig talk of relics!)
I have one other specific complaint: the use of Sanskrit terms, place and personal names instead of their Pali equivalents. I really don’t understand this practice. The earliest texts, the only ones that can lay any claim to being truly biographical, are all in Pali. It is simply logical to defer to those texts. Using Sanskrit instead bespeaks an ideological prejudice of some sort, I am convinced. Exactly what that prejudice might be, though, probably differs from one writer to the next.
Don’t take my complaints here too seriously though. This is a worthy book and ought to prove inspirational to many. While it is not the biography I would have written, I can honestly that what Blomfield has done here both moved and informed me.
Blomfield takes his time getting to the Buddha’s birth, first drawing a picture for us of the world Gotama grew up in. He describes the political and economic scenes and gives us a sense of the religious ferment of the time. I was disappointed though that while Blomfield adopts the more recent scholarship dating the Buddha to c.484 – 404 BCE, the rational for this new dating is never discussed.
Blomfield mostly adopts a realistic tone in portraying the events of the Buddha’s life and upbringing, though inevitably mythical elements intrude. All in all, I think he does a pretty good job at indicating what sort of person the Buddha was–energetic and sincere, inquisitive, skeptical, a brilliant raconteur, adaptable, charismatic, a genius. His treatment of Gotama’s search for enlightenment draws on recent scholarship (I recognized Alexander Wynne’s contributions) but for me his account of the enlightenment falls flat. I actually got the sense Blomfield doesn’t know what he’s talking about. I’m not saying he doesn’t know his way around the suttas, just that he doesn’t really seem to grasp what the Enlightenment actually entailed or meant. (This despite the back flap claiming Blomfield has been practicing and/or teaching meditation for thirty years.)
After Gotama became the Buddha, the sequence of events is difficult to nail down, so Blomfield pauses to discuss the teaching. I thought this the weakest part of the book, for the coverage here is incomplete, and let’s face it–I’m very hard to satisfy as regards these matters! Admittedly though, saying something about the Teaching here is unavoidable, and Blomfield takes a decent shot at it despite limited space.
Further chapters take up the formation of the Sangha, how the Buddha interacted with the society around him (“A Holy Man In the World”–an excellent chapter), the Devadatta crisis and then the last years. By the end I realized just how much had either been left out or only skimmed over, and it occurred to me that if anyone is ever going to do a really thorough, scholarly treatment of the Buddha’s life it may well run to a thousand pages (not including a hundred pages of notes). Personally, I would like to have seen more discussion of the important disciples, as well as something more about the various rival shramana sects (Ajivakas, Jains, etc) who competed with the Buddha. Blomfield could have said more too about the archaeology of the Buddha’s life–e.g., the debate over exactly where Kapilavastu was (generally now thought to be Tilaurakot in Nepal) is a fascinating story in itself. Anything at all to lift this man’s life out of the realm of legend and lost kingdoms and to place it on a solid footing, on the earth, connected to real things we can see and touch, would have been appreciated. (And I can always dig talk of relics!)
I have one other specific complaint: the use of Sanskrit terms, place and personal names instead of their Pali equivalents. I really don’t understand this practice. The earliest texts, the only ones that can lay any claim to being truly biographical, are all in Pali. It is simply logical to defer to those texts. Using Sanskrit instead bespeaks an ideological prejudice of some sort, I am convinced. Exactly what that prejudice might be, though, probably differs from one writer to the next.
Don’t take my complaints here too seriously though. This is a worthy book and ought to prove inspirational to many. While it is not the biography I would have written, I can honestly that what Blomfield has done here both moved and informed me.
February 7, 2017
I grew up in a Buddhist majority country. We have Buddhist monasteries and monks are a common sight. However, all of the religion's teachings were told to us in a foreign language. People just follow whatever ritual there is and pray to the many gods.
This book shed a lot of light on what the Buddha taught. The author encompasses the various schools of teaching and many books are cited. There are a lot of random name droppings here and there but the general message of the book tries to explain what the Buddha might have lived, gained Enlightenment and taught his philosophy. It does not focus on the many rituals and customs but walks you through the world he lived in. There is some philosophical and spiritual depth in this book.
Overall, this book is a great introduction to Buddhism for people living in modern times. The Buddha is depicted as a wise person who somehow talks more like a modern day psychologist. Lastly, the author briefly answers why the Buddhism, I know personally of, came to be.
This book shed a lot of light on what the Buddha taught. The author encompasses the various schools of teaching and many books are cited. There are a lot of random name droppings here and there but the general message of the book tries to explain what the Buddha might have lived, gained Enlightenment and taught his philosophy. It does not focus on the many rituals and customs but walks you through the world he lived in. There is some philosophical and spiritual depth in this book.
Overall, this book is a great introduction to Buddhism for people living in modern times. The Buddha is depicted as a wise person who somehow talks more like a modern day psychologist. Lastly, the author briefly answers why the Buddhism, I know personally of, came to be.
July 9, 2021
Surely this could have been written better.the author seems to know quite a lot about and beyond the buddha's life. Sadly, i guess he falls prey to the expert's paradox. The ceaseless name dropping alone must have turned alot of buddha-curious readers away. Even though the writer presents himself as a devout buddhist at the start of the book, the main takeaway from the 400+ pages seems to me that , the buddha was, a self actualized beggar and a miser, someone who considers victory as bad because of the ill it brings to the conquered. Someone who does not believe in god but urges people to be moral in order not to be reborn in hell in the next life. The buddha states that craving is the cause of all suffering,he abhors extravagance, sanctifies lovingkindness and thinks that a monk should rather put his penis into a sneake's mouth rather than in his wife. I am still confused why such a pleasure averse person should have Ananda wash his feet and tend to his needs . He also had followers bow to his feet. He said that people should give one fourth of their fortune to the monks. For someone who seems to revere perpetual self development,the buddha sketches a very dull life exempt of all the virtues for which history's most successful human beings advocate. A life with no ambition and no hard work. I am fairly sure that this is the last thing the writer wanted his audience to get from his book, but to give the devil i'ts due , it is a very strange and new culture for people who do not live in the indian subcontinent. The dharma itself was not well understood even among the neighboring countries of india, each with their confused view about the central buddhist message.
What interests me is that the buddhist culture got to it's peak not because of the compelling irrefutable message it advocates but during the very successful rein of Ashoka, who conquered most of the land and , being a devout Buddhist, spread and took to himself to insure the inculcation of the buddhist dharma in the community. The same thing happened with constantine and christianity, the muslim caliphs and khans who ruled the world and proliferated the islamic culture. It seems that a military success and geographical spread are crucial to the universality of a belief system.the latter's success depending heavily on the former.
In the end it was really a painstaking read which i don't recommend for anyone who doesn't have some background on the subject at hand.
What interests me is that the buddhist culture got to it's peak not because of the compelling irrefutable message it advocates but during the very successful rein of Ashoka, who conquered most of the land and , being a devout Buddhist, spread and took to himself to insure the inculcation of the buddhist dharma in the community. The same thing happened with constantine and christianity, the muslim caliphs and khans who ruled the world and proliferated the islamic culture. It seems that a military success and geographical spread are crucial to the universality of a belief system.the latter's success depending heavily on the former.
In the end it was really a painstaking read which i don't recommend for anyone who doesn't have some background on the subject at hand.
July 10, 2021
Terrible, disorganized and biased book. Very unentertaining read, annoying repetition, extremely unsatisfying experience, no book for laymen, disaster. Don’t buy this book.
October 12, 2025
I really appreciated the image this book left in my mind of what India would have been like in the Buddha's time. I imagine it like a large Glastonbury with more fighting.
September 14, 2013
This book was one of several which accompanied me on my pilgrimage to the sacred sites of the Buddha in India and Nepal. It was a wonderful companion and enabled me to get to know the Buddha in a more human and accessible way. This book helped give me the sense that the Buddha was walking with me along my pilgrimage as a friend, a guide and a spiritual teacher. If you are going on pilgrimage, I recommend this fantastic book along with "Middle Land, Middle Way" by Ven. S. Dhammika, and either Maurice Walshe's Long Discourses of The Buddha or Bhikkhu Bodhi's Middle Length Discourses of the Buddha (both are hefty tomes however if you have a Kindle or iPad...). Finally, the "Access to Insight" website/App was invaluable for the sheer amount of suttas available. This was a wonderful resource for reading a discourse or three at the sites where the Buddha delivered them.
November 29, 2018
This is an incredible piece of work weaving the life of the Buddha Gautama with his teachings and example. The author evidently has more than an academic or historical interest, but isn't attempting to convince or convert the reader to any particular view or belief. It is accessible and intelligently structured. I would recommend it to anyone interested in an introduction into the vast tradition of Buddhism
April 8, 2015
Perhaps it's my waning interest in Buddhism but this book was very hard to piece together. Frequent name dropping, minute details that don't matter in the grand scheme of the book, among other things have influenced me to not recommend this book to anybody except a devout Buddhist or Buddah researcher.
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January 15, 2013THIS IS LIKE MA SOUL
September 16, 2025
#Binge Reviewing my previous Reads # Buddhism, Buddha’s Biography & Retellings**
This is one of those rare books that manage to be both meticulously researched and deeply humane. It’s neither a devotional hagiography nor a dry academic treatise. Instead, Blomfield offers a narrative biography that is at once historically alert, psychologically sensitive, and spiritually resonant. Reading it after the stripped-down clarity of Jonathan Landaw or the poetic glow of Thich Nhat Hanh feels like stepping into a more spacious chamber where scholarship and storytelling are in active conversation.
The book opens not with the usual litany of miracles but with a portrait of a restless, gifted human being in a society undergoing dramatic change. Blomfield reconstructs the political, economic and intellectual world of fifth-century BCE India—the rising merchant cities, the breakdown of old Vedic certainties, the ferment of renunciant movements—and shows how Siddhartha’s questions grew out of this environment. This grounding in context gives the familiar story fresh vitality: the four sights, the renunciation, the years of austerity and the Middle Way, the awakening under the Bodhi tree, and the decades of teaching feel less like fables and more like pivotal human choices.
Where Blomfield excels is in blending narrative with teaching. The chapters are interspersed with clear, thoughtful explanations of key Buddhist ideas—impermanence, dependent origination, the Eightfold Path—but he avoids jargon and dogmatism. These teachings are never tacked on; they arise naturally from the episodes of Siddhartha’s life, showing how doctrine and biography illuminate each other. This structure makes the book particularly accessible for readers who want both a life story and an introduction to Buddhist thought in one volume.
Stylistically, Blomfield writes with a journalist’s eye for telling detail and a practitioner’s ear for nuance. He does not suppress the miraculous elements found in traditional sources, but he gently brackets them, offering possible interpretations without dismissiveness. The effect is respectful rather than sceptical, inviting readers to engage imaginatively rather than to believe or disbelieve.
Another striking feature is Blomfield’s attention to the Buddha’s relationships—with his family, with disciples like Ananda, with kings, merchants and rival teachers. These moments of human interaction help demystify a figure often reduced to a solitary sage. The Buddha that emerges here is not a marble statue but a flexible, compassionate teacher responding to a diverse and sometimes fractious community.
By the end of the book, you have not only walked through the life of the Buddha but also glimpsed why his insights still matter. Blomfield’s concluding chapters draw out the relevance of the Buddha’s teachings for modern life without straining for trendy analogies. It’s a rare biography that can speak to scholars, practitioners, and curious newcomers alike.
For anyone wanting a vivid, balanced, and approachable account of the Buddha’s life and message, *The Life and Teachings of the Awakened One* is a gem: clear, comprehensive, and quietly inspiring.
This is one of those rare books that manage to be both meticulously researched and deeply humane. It’s neither a devotional hagiography nor a dry academic treatise. Instead, Blomfield offers a narrative biography that is at once historically alert, psychologically sensitive, and spiritually resonant. Reading it after the stripped-down clarity of Jonathan Landaw or the poetic glow of Thich Nhat Hanh feels like stepping into a more spacious chamber where scholarship and storytelling are in active conversation.
The book opens not with the usual litany of miracles but with a portrait of a restless, gifted human being in a society undergoing dramatic change. Blomfield reconstructs the political, economic and intellectual world of fifth-century BCE India—the rising merchant cities, the breakdown of old Vedic certainties, the ferment of renunciant movements—and shows how Siddhartha’s questions grew out of this environment. This grounding in context gives the familiar story fresh vitality: the four sights, the renunciation, the years of austerity and the Middle Way, the awakening under the Bodhi tree, and the decades of teaching feel less like fables and more like pivotal human choices.
Where Blomfield excels is in blending narrative with teaching. The chapters are interspersed with clear, thoughtful explanations of key Buddhist ideas—impermanence, dependent origination, the Eightfold Path—but he avoids jargon and dogmatism. These teachings are never tacked on; they arise naturally from the episodes of Siddhartha’s life, showing how doctrine and biography illuminate each other. This structure makes the book particularly accessible for readers who want both a life story and an introduction to Buddhist thought in one volume.
Stylistically, Blomfield writes with a journalist’s eye for telling detail and a practitioner’s ear for nuance. He does not suppress the miraculous elements found in traditional sources, but he gently brackets them, offering possible interpretations without dismissiveness. The effect is respectful rather than sceptical, inviting readers to engage imaginatively rather than to believe or disbelieve.
Another striking feature is Blomfield’s attention to the Buddha’s relationships—with his family, with disciples like Ananda, with kings, merchants and rival teachers. These moments of human interaction help demystify a figure often reduced to a solitary sage. The Buddha that emerges here is not a marble statue but a flexible, compassionate teacher responding to a diverse and sometimes fractious community.
By the end of the book, you have not only walked through the life of the Buddha but also glimpsed why his insights still matter. Blomfield’s concluding chapters draw out the relevance of the Buddha’s teachings for modern life without straining for trendy analogies. It’s a rare biography that can speak to scholars, practitioners, and curious newcomers alike.
For anyone wanting a vivid, balanced, and approachable account of the Buddha’s life and message, *The Life and Teachings of the Awakened One* is a gem: clear, comprehensive, and quietly inspiring.
August 21, 2023
This is a very impressive, informative and skillfully written biography. The author does an excellent job of separating out the mythic tales from the probable reality and he does it with kindness, insight and respect. He brings Guatma and the era he lived in and influenced vividly to life. Unlike the other bios I've read he also does an admirable job of relating what the Dharma is and why a taste of it can be transformative. He also clarified for me how the different schools of Buddhism branched, developed, and expanded beyond India. The stories were all fascinating and entertaining. Although Guatama was enlightened and "thus gone" he had to deal with so much garbage with everyone wanting a piece of him and having to deal with politics and petty squabbles. I felt for him when he'd just get up and walk away into the forest or have to say "Well, we really shouldn't have to have a rule for this but *sigh* no, monks should not keep a monkey to have sex with." I was also pleased to read that the reluctance to allow woman to practice or become nuns is probably something that was added after his death by the usual jerks. So many jewel-like tidbits, deep-dive info and humanizing stories were all woven together beautifully by the author. I did not want to put the book down and many of the scenes stay with me, as well as a feeling like I've actually spent time with the man and his friends and companions. The depth of the author's research is staggering and even though the source is 2500 years old I feel confident that I have a vivid and true taste of Guatma the man and the buddha.
Previous to this I read "The Awakened One: A Life Of The Buddha" by Sherab Chödzin Kohn and "Buddha" by Karen Armstrong. They both have their strong points. "The Awakened One" is beautifully written and has a very mythic flavor. It seems to be the Reader's Digest version of the story that has developed over the centuries after Guatma's death, very much like how Paul cherry-picked and stylized The Gospels. The narrative up until the enlightenment is very interesting but gets boring/mundane/repetitive after. The author also gives a very glazed and overly-succinct version of The Dharma. "Buddha" by Karen Armstrong was okay. Interesting enough. But I never felt like she'd spent any time in practice and overall it was overly secular and dry.
So I'm glad I kept searching. I almost didn't buy Vishvapani Blomfield's book, thinking that I wasn't sure if I wanted to slog through another book on this subject but I am so glad that I did. The handful of negative reviews are just plain wrong and it's hard to believe they read the same book. Having read "Gautama Buddha" has added a deeper dimension to my mediation practice and a deeper insight into living. Thank you, Vishvapani.
Previous to this I read "The Awakened One: A Life Of The Buddha" by Sherab Chödzin Kohn and "Buddha" by Karen Armstrong. They both have their strong points. "The Awakened One" is beautifully written and has a very mythic flavor. It seems to be the Reader's Digest version of the story that has developed over the centuries after Guatma's death, very much like how Paul cherry-picked and stylized The Gospels. The narrative up until the enlightenment is very interesting but gets boring/mundane/repetitive after. The author also gives a very glazed and overly-succinct version of The Dharma. "Buddha" by Karen Armstrong was okay. Interesting enough. But I never felt like she'd spent any time in practice and overall it was overly secular and dry.
So I'm glad I kept searching. I almost didn't buy Vishvapani Blomfield's book, thinking that I wasn't sure if I wanted to slog through another book on this subject but I am so glad that I did. The handful of negative reviews are just plain wrong and it's hard to believe they read the same book. Having read "Gautama Buddha" has added a deeper dimension to my mediation practice and a deeper insight into living. Thank you, Vishvapani.
December 28, 2023
Looking at the dates of when I started reading this book it looks like I took 6 months to read it, I was enjoying reading it so much I slowed down and read it over a longer period of time than I might have done. It’s a wonderful book and the author has done a fantastic job in evoking the cultural social political economical and most importantly the spiritual life of ancient India… I found it a rich and educational experience and it had positive effect on my Meditation practice and my life in general as I brought to life for me the Human Gautama … if you’re looking for a good read about the Buddha, his life and the teachings this is a good place to go. Recommend 💯 co-incidentally I’ve been reading, along side this book a life of Xuanzang, the Great Chinese Pilgrim and his journey to the west to attain Teachings and visit the places where the Buddha is said to have been. Xuanzang descriptions of finding the various places in ruins is both moving and a pertinent reminder of the complete nature of impermanence.
July 15, 2024
Delightfully unbiased and decidedly informative
Being something of an atheist, I was primarily looking for a book that tells me who Gautama Buddha really was. I wanted to know what sort of childhood he had, what sort of man he was, what sort of beliefs he had. To put it another way, I wanted an unbiased, honest, and historically accurate account of the real Gautama Buddha. And this book was exactly that, which is why I enjoyed it so much.
Highly recommended for those who enjoy fact over fiction, and who appreciate the true value of high-quality, research-based content.
Being something of an atheist, I was primarily looking for a book that tells me who Gautama Buddha really was. I wanted to know what sort of childhood he had, what sort of man he was, what sort of beliefs he had. To put it another way, I wanted an unbiased, honest, and historically accurate account of the real Gautama Buddha. And this book was exactly that, which is why I enjoyed it so much.
Highly recommended for those who enjoy fact over fiction, and who appreciate the true value of high-quality, research-based content.
Read
January 7, 2025DNF after reading about a third of it. This is what it promises it is. But life is too short. I found that though I am interested in Buddhism and the legend of the Buddha, I am not interested to read about it in an academic way. I am sure a lot of people who want to go deep into the tradition this would be for them.
August 19, 2025
I found it super useful, like if you have a meditation practice or going on retreats, you probably have questions, like was Buddha literate? Were there women in his movement? How much of the legends is true? This book really clarified a lot. What I liked is that this is not a devotional biography but rather grounded in historical research
October 22, 2021
Ok but not very entertaining
Presented summary of sacred texts about GB more or less as true. Interesting to compare with the stars of other religions. Interesting to see how Jainism and Buddhism interrelated as well as some Hindu beliefs
Would have like to know more about GBs roots
Presented summary of sacred texts about GB more or less as true. Interesting to compare with the stars of other religions. Interesting to see how Jainism and Buddhism interrelated as well as some Hindu beliefs
Would have like to know more about GBs roots
November 22, 2018
Difficult read but informative.
November 30, 2018
Less Interesting than expected
June 10, 2020
This was an excellent book for a novice like me. It introduces the historical figure and describes his teachings in an understandable way, without oversimplifying.
November 25, 2020
A fantastic look into the day to day living of the Buddha!
February 14, 2021
A very informative summary of the life of the historical Buddha.
August 30, 2022
Fantastic Book
I Know So Much More Now
I Know So Much More Now
November 6, 2022
It is really wonderful book if you want to learn more about Buddha and his teachings, this book is must.
January 17, 2024
namo buddhaya🙏🏼
June 14, 2025
Thoroughly researched.
June 22, 2025
A great summary of Gautama's life.
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November 25, 2011I’ve read Karen Armstrong’s book and others. Biographies of the Buddha are either popularizations or they’re too scholarly. This book is a well-written book with spiritual depth and an appreciation for a wide range of works. It sheds new light by quoting sutras I haven’t read yet. Lots of times I read Buddhist books and they’re quoting things I’ve read over and over again; Not so with this book. And there’s a kind of spiritual depth to the book. You can tell Vishvapani is a practitioner, has advanced along the path. And yet he’s aware of a wide range of scholarly material and primary texts, the cannon, and writes well. A triple threat.
On the one hand you might be tempted to be a historian, and get bogged down in what happened, and gloss over what enlightenment is. On the other hand, some people don’t want to make an outline of the historical Buddha, because what he did is so awesome, he really does step outside history. This book walks that line perfectly.
The Buddha’s advice to Bahia--this is a profound teaching and nobody really explains it. But if you circle back around and keep on taking a crack at it like Vishvapani, you feel like you’re getting a better handle on it. To put the quotes into a historical context that actually explains the quotes better. Amazing writing. This is the kind of book that I finish reading and then start all over again. And there’s a kind of existential appreciation, he quotes the Buddha seeing people like fish in a drying up pool. Casting the Buddha’s crisis in more modern terms is important.
So for this reason, I pick this book as another co-winner of the Going For Refuge Blog book of the year.
I have two questions for Vishvapani. Why isn’t the book available in the USA? I got one at the Aryaloka Book Store. But you can’t get it on Amazon in the USA.
The second question is about him having a child. He’s referenced it that he’s had a child while the book was coming out. The Buddha said to a monk who’s trying to impregnate his wife so she can have a child (out of kindness to his wife since he’s gone off to be a monk), that he’d do better to stick his penis into a snake’s mouth—how does Vishvapani reconcile this in his mind? I have never read or heard that quoted before. That’s a rather personal question, I know, but I’m curious about that, knowing that he’s a new father.
I have struggled with the same issue, though once the kids are around, it’s not a question. They are around and you love them, of course. I never heard that quote before I chose to have children. And I just wonder how he personally he got over that. Maybe some day I will meet him and ask him. I hope he does a book tour in the USA, because I think this is a wonderful book.
On the one hand you might be tempted to be a historian, and get bogged down in what happened, and gloss over what enlightenment is. On the other hand, some people don’t want to make an outline of the historical Buddha, because what he did is so awesome, he really does step outside history. This book walks that line perfectly.
The Buddha’s advice to Bahia--this is a profound teaching and nobody really explains it. But if you circle back around and keep on taking a crack at it like Vishvapani, you feel like you’re getting a better handle on it. To put the quotes into a historical context that actually explains the quotes better. Amazing writing. This is the kind of book that I finish reading and then start all over again. And there’s a kind of existential appreciation, he quotes the Buddha seeing people like fish in a drying up pool. Casting the Buddha’s crisis in more modern terms is important.
So for this reason, I pick this book as another co-winner of the Going For Refuge Blog book of the year.
I have two questions for Vishvapani. Why isn’t the book available in the USA? I got one at the Aryaloka Book Store. But you can’t get it on Amazon in the USA.
The second question is about him having a child. He’s referenced it that he’s had a child while the book was coming out. The Buddha said to a monk who’s trying to impregnate his wife so she can have a child (out of kindness to his wife since he’s gone off to be a monk), that he’d do better to stick his penis into a snake’s mouth—how does Vishvapani reconcile this in his mind? I have never read or heard that quoted before. That’s a rather personal question, I know, but I’m curious about that, knowing that he’s a new father.
I have struggled with the same issue, though once the kids are around, it’s not a question. They are around and you love them, of course. I never heard that quote before I chose to have children. And I just wonder how he personally he got over that. Maybe some day I will meet him and ask him. I hope he does a book tour in the USA, because I think this is a wonderful book.
May 3, 2016
There are two fundamental things to be said about this book: it's divulgative, and yet it's accurate.
The author, while not denying his faith in the genius and the teachings of Gautama, decides for a plain and grounded approach: he starts with the Pali Canon, being the most reliable - or the least unreliable - account of what the Buddha did and said, tries to complete what's missing with what archaelogy and historical sources provide, treats his conjectures for what they actually are, but always with an effort to discuss their validity, and gives a record as objective as possible (for example it's notable how, about the central part of Gautama's life, he admits it's not possible to establish a definite chronology from the Suttas and decides for a theme-based account. That, and how he simply keeps the mystery about Gautama's last supper). Then he explains Gautama's legacy up until today, illustrating the differences between the three main Asian branches (Theravada, Mahayana and Vajrayana) in a concise but informing way, based on the idea that each branch caught a different aspect of what Gautama was.
The result is a great work, particularly for those who lack a clear view of what the Buddha said and thought - which is a problem also among Buddhists, given their widespread and rather peculiar tendency to ignore the scriptures to which their system is supposed to be founded. The doctrines are explained in a way which is the most plain and open to interpretation, and all the facets of the personality of Gautama accounted by the scriptures (included those of the "shaman and healer", of the "empiricist philosopher" and of the "missed world ruler", which are notably neglected today) are given a thorough look. What is manifest is that Gautama in his time was seen as a most unique person, something like a sum of all the kinds of spiritually eminent figures that Indians of his time could conceive and meet, and even something more than this sum.
Someone may find it disturbing that the author is so eager to show how Gautama had to be more than a mere human, which is debatable even among Buddhists. But frankly, it didn't seem invalidating the text at all to me. Overall highly reccommended for all who are curious about this great personality; not as literally palatable and touching as Thich Nhat Hanh's Old Path White Clouds, but somewhat more informative, athough not in an academic or particularly erudite way.
The author, while not denying his faith in the genius and the teachings of Gautama, decides for a plain and grounded approach: he starts with the Pali Canon, being the most reliable - or the least unreliable - account of what the Buddha did and said, tries to complete what's missing with what archaelogy and historical sources provide, treats his conjectures for what they actually are, but always with an effort to discuss their validity, and gives a record as objective as possible (for example it's notable how, about the central part of Gautama's life, he admits it's not possible to establish a definite chronology from the Suttas and decides for a theme-based account. That, and how he simply keeps the mystery about Gautama's last supper). Then he explains Gautama's legacy up until today, illustrating the differences between the three main Asian branches (Theravada, Mahayana and Vajrayana) in a concise but informing way, based on the idea that each branch caught a different aspect of what Gautama was.
The result is a great work, particularly for those who lack a clear view of what the Buddha said and thought - which is a problem also among Buddhists, given their widespread and rather peculiar tendency to ignore the scriptures to which their system is supposed to be founded. The doctrines are explained in a way which is the most plain and open to interpretation, and all the facets of the personality of Gautama accounted by the scriptures (included those of the "shaman and healer", of the "empiricist philosopher" and of the "missed world ruler", which are notably neglected today) are given a thorough look. What is manifest is that Gautama in his time was seen as a most unique person, something like a sum of all the kinds of spiritually eminent figures that Indians of his time could conceive and meet, and even something more than this sum.
Someone may find it disturbing that the author is so eager to show how Gautama had to be more than a mere human, which is debatable even among Buddhists. But frankly, it didn't seem invalidating the text at all to me. Overall highly reccommended for all who are curious about this great personality; not as literally palatable and touching as Thich Nhat Hanh's Old Path White Clouds, but somewhat more informative, athough not in an academic or particularly erudite way.
September 27, 2025
A beautiful and meticulously crafted biography of one of the greatest figures to have walked the earth.
I have encountered the story of Lord Buddha countless times in various spiritual and Buddhist books. But this book is quite different as it presents deeper insights and accounts about the life of Buddha. Vishvapani Blomfield has beautifully presented the story of Buddha and tried to present the Lord Buddha as a more relatable figure. In other words, this book shows the more human aspect of Lord Buddha, how he lived as a simple monk. I found this more congenial and more accepting as other books usually present the Lord Buddha as more of a superhuman being which leads us to take the story as more a myth than reality. Through a rich narration from Blomfield, we also get a glimpse of the society's norms, religious practices and the common philosophical debates during Gautama's time. The story is beautifully narrated from Gautama's palace life to his journey of enlightenment and it is also replete with his accounts after the enlightenment.
In addition, it is interesting to note that Blomfield not only just mentions the teachings of Buddha but also offers explanations and analysis of various themes and complex concepts thereby simplifying them and offering more deeper insight and understanding to the readers. The book is narrated and presented in such a way that it naturally arouses a deep faith in the mind of the reader [at least in my case] which allows us to pause and reflect thereby generating a sense of deep reverence for the Buddha's entire legacy. Towards the end, Blomfield also presents some of the accounts and reflections on the further spread of Buddhism and how these different sects have been interpreted and practiced over the centuries which offers the readers with new perspectives on the present position of Buddhism in the world.
I have encountered the story of Lord Buddha countless times in various spiritual and Buddhist books. But this book is quite different as it presents deeper insights and accounts about the life of Buddha. Vishvapani Blomfield has beautifully presented the story of Buddha and tried to present the Lord Buddha as a more relatable figure. In other words, this book shows the more human aspect of Lord Buddha, how he lived as a simple monk. I found this more congenial and more accepting as other books usually present the Lord Buddha as more of a superhuman being which leads us to take the story as more a myth than reality. Through a rich narration from Blomfield, we also get a glimpse of the society's norms, religious practices and the common philosophical debates during Gautama's time. The story is beautifully narrated from Gautama's palace life to his journey of enlightenment and it is also replete with his accounts after the enlightenment.
In addition, it is interesting to note that Blomfield not only just mentions the teachings of Buddha but also offers explanations and analysis of various themes and complex concepts thereby simplifying them and offering more deeper insight and understanding to the readers. The book is narrated and presented in such a way that it naturally arouses a deep faith in the mind of the reader [at least in my case] which allows us to pause and reflect thereby generating a sense of deep reverence for the Buddha's entire legacy. Towards the end, Blomfield also presents some of the accounts and reflections on the further spread of Buddhism and how these different sects have been interpreted and practiced over the centuries which offers the readers with new perspectives on the present position of Buddhism in the world.
July 17, 2013
Loved this book ! I found that it evoked India at the time of the Buddha beautifully and was a nice combination of history and the teachings of the Buddha. Not quite as scholarly as Karen Armstrong's biography of the Buddha but I found it more readable for that very reason. I would highly recommend this book to anyone who has an interest in Buddhism and the life of the Buddha.
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