Buddha, Vol. 2: The Four Encounters

by Osamu Tezuka

Buddha

Genres: Manga, Graphic Novels, Comics, Buddhism, Religion, Fiction, Philosophy

417 pages, Paperback

First published January 1, 1983

About the author

Dr. Osamu Tezuka (手塚治虫) was a Japanese manga artist, animator, producer and medical doctor, although he never practiced medicine. Born in Osaka Prefecture, he is best known as the creator of Astro Boy and Kimba the White Lion. He is often credited as the "Father of Anime", and is often considered the Japanese equivalent to Walt Disney, who served as a major inspiration during his formative years. His prolific output, pioneering techniques, and innovative redefinitions of genres earned him such titles as "the father of manga" and "the God of Manga."

Reviews

[Riku Sayuj · Rating 3 out of 5]

It is fun, no point denying that. It is also far away from any Buddha narrative I am familiar with. This is an imaginative series filled with characters and events almost wholly invented, but that is not to say that it has no connection to the original -- Tezuka is a creative spirit at play here and he takes the most tenuous connections and spins wild yarns around them.

In the spirit of the Buddhist narrative tradition, it is the ideas that predominate; and the events are twisted, modified, deleted or reinvented to serve a few core messages that each book in this series conveys.

It is not deep, philosophical or witty, but it holds your attention and gives the faintest sense of the profound. Tezuka also puts in some stupidly funny elements in, as when a trickster-sadhu starts singing India's current national anthem (composed centuries later) casually, as if it was a magic incantation to set in motion a series of events.

In addition the artwork is always there to make sure that the book constantly surprises you even as you read extremely familiar tales.

[Nicolo · Rating 5 out of 5]

I rescued this copy of Osamu Tezuka's Buddha volume 2 from Booksale recently. A hardback edition with a badly creased cover and faulty binding without its jacket if it had one.

I've heard some raves about this series and I figured this could be a great introduction into the original manga god that is Tezuka. Reading it feels familiar. No wonder, I've already been acquainted with Tezuka's work since I was old enough to enjoy cartoons, having watched Kimba the White Lion.

The book itself, is great. Although I wish I read the first volume. The storytelling is very strong. I've noticed that this was published in mirror-image from the original Japanese publication. I would have preferred this set in original format. But the panel layout is strong enough to overcome this, I barely even noticed that all the characters were left-handed.

[Gorab · Rating 5 out of 5]

And the addiction continues!
Luckily got my hands on a borrowed paperback copy.

Quite creative rendering of Buddha's tale. So many characters and stories intertwined. Throwing in modern day dialogues adds to the fun factor. Often reminds of Amar Chitra Katha tales, except for the nudity and gore. The artwork is amazing.

This volume also lands straight to my favorite list.

[Dave Schaafsma · Rating 4 out of 5]

I liked this better than the first volume, because we now see the Buddha growing up, childhood through adolescence, seeing how he separates himself from his (apparent) destiny to become king, and marry in caste, to his rejection of caste, to his destiny to become a monk. His spiritual, ideological transformation, in part through connections to ascetics and other wise men he meets who all seem to know from the start that he is special, Going to be Great, most can see it. I'm also sort of seeing less the cartoony side of manga, though it is there to lighten our biographical tome load, and helps most readers, young readers, maybe, but it still undermines MY appreciation for the book as a whole, even if I get his strategy. And he has plenty of thoughtful and conventional and smart narrative strategies for keeping us engaged, including the pursuit of love, battles... both enlightening and entertaining. Again, sometimes breathtakingly detailed art of Indian/Nepali landscapes in contrast to cartoony manga characters, but real (fictional) characters emerge to blend with the historical Buddha and others, a satisfying blend...

[Juho Pohjalainen · Rating 4 out of 5]

I feel like I should make it clear that I know almost nothing of Buddha's actual life, so I can't comment on the inaccuracies this work is bound to have. But it is entertaining.

[Lazybee · Rating 5 out of 5]

Really deep.

[Michael · Rating 4 out of 5]

Engaging, mythic, powerful.

[Jigar Brahmbhatt · Rating 4 out of 5]

There is great narrative control here. Osamu Tezuka is a first class artist, using graphic techniques to recount the life story of the Buddha with such exquisite and breathtaking command of the material that I ended up reading the 400+ pages manga in just one sitting, which is rare for me.

The story, which might be familiar to people interested in the life and teachings of the Buddha, is re-imagined by a man who seems to have a firm grasp on the subject and who also happens to be the godfather of manga (which helps, trust me!). Rather than simply informing the reader, Tezuka creates situations and episodes that make Siddhartha pass through a series of introspective inquiries, though I am not sure about its historic accuracy (which is beside the point since the theme is coming through loud and clear). In the back of our head, we know where the young prince is headed to, that his destiny is now a well-known fact and a religion in its own right, but the pleasures here are of encountering the character's "becoming" through dazzling, dynamic sketches.

There are eight volumes in this ambitious series. Having read one, I am now hungry for them all, and while reading it even occurred to me that I might as well purchase the complete collection. It is a whimsy worth succumbing to because it is a story I will keep coming back to for as long as I am able to read, and Tezuka provides me the quickest way to do it. I am not sure whether I fully grasp Buddha's teachings but I like to believe that there is something noble and pure in them, all the more relevant to the crazy, chaotic times we are living in than ever.

[Darnia · Rating 3 out of 5]

Gw masih sedikit ingat cerita yg dituturkan guide Borobudur saat SD dulu, tentang pertemuan Siddharta muda dengan seorang brahmana yg nantinya akan menunjukkan dharmanya. Dan tentu saja pertemuan sang pangeran muda dengan kematian. Tapi, gw sama sekali nggak inget kalo sang pangeran jatuh cinta pada wanita yg menjadi kepala perompak, bahkan sampe berefek sebegitunya. Jadi beneran pingin baca Siddhartha-nya Herman Hesse sebagai pembanding

[David Schwan · Rating 4 out of 5]

In a continuation of the story we are brought up to the point where the Buddha is married and questioning life and eventually gives up being a prince and becomes a monk. There are also side stories of other people which I assume will converge later with the main story. Graphics are nice, maybe not as good as volume 1.

[Norman Cook · Rating 4 out of 5]

This volume skips ahead 10 years to Siddhartha's teen years where he has been adopted by the king who expects him to succeed to the throne. Siddhartha is taught both intellectual and martial arts by the finest tutors. When the king arranges marriage, Siddhartha rebels because he is in love with a commoner. The king finds out and has her eyes burned out (a compromise--he was initially going to execute her). The marriage is consummated, but Siddhartha leaves his wife and newborn, intending to live life as a monk. The tone of the book is thus fairly grim, but there are lots of funny bits, too, plus some anachronisms (e.g., mentioning TV or modern songs). There is palace intrigue, as well, with one of Siddhartha's rivals doing everything he can to take the crown. Tezuka's artwork is excellent, especially with landscape scenery, which becomes almost photorealistic at times. The characters are still mostly cartoony, so sometimes the styles don't quite jive, but mostly it works. Siddhartha is definitely displaying the roots of his philosophy of nonviolence and compassion, and although I suspect Tezuka is taking huge liberties with the actual story, it is conveying the principles of Buddhism well, in a fast-paced, fun story.

[Vivek · Rating 3 out of 5]

Hooter: A graphic novel representation of the journey of Buddha with creative license

Heads up! this is 8 volumes so you can imagine the pace in each volume. Osamu is a genius in the graphic novel world of Japan and this retelling of a historical event is way out of his comfort zone. That said he makes it a fun read, like you are reading a comic book ( graphic novelists are seeing red with that term) as he tries to incorporate childish humour and pranks in a story that motivates and inspires people around the world. Siddhartha makes his presence in this volume and a lot of fictional events come into play as he comes face to face with reality his parents have been hiding from him.

This still deals with chronological timeline of Buddha but guess he will play around with philosophies going forward. I think how he gets creative with the storyline is what keeps me going with this series.

[Agniva Sanyal · Rating 5 out of 5]

কাহিনী যত এগোচ্ছে মনে হচ্ছে এক মহা-সিরিজের ভেতরে প্রবেশ করছি। এই খণ্ডে বুদ্ধের শৈশব থেকে গৃহত্যাগ পর্যন্ত দেখানো হয়েছে। আমরা ইতিহাস বইতে যে বিষয়গুলো এক লাইনে পড়ি, সেগুলোকে লেখক কয়েকশো পাতা জুড়ে দেখিয়েছেন। এই কমিকসের সবচেয়ে গুরুত্বপূর্ণ বৈশিষ্ট্য বোধহয় ঐতিহাসিক চরিত্রদের পাশাপাশি যাদের কথা ইতিহাস লেখে না, ইতিহাসের আড়ালে যাদের জীবন চাপা পড়ে থাকে, সেইসব সাধারণ মানুষেরা। এছাড়াও কিছু ঘটনাকে লেখক কল্পনার জাল বুনে সাজিয়েছেন, যা মূল কাহিনীকে গতিদান করেছে। তবে হ্যাঁ, এটা পড়ার সময় মাথায় রাখা দরকার, কোনো মহাপুরুষের ঐতিহাসিক জীবনী লেখার দায় লেখক বহন করেননি, তিনি বুদ্ধের মধ্য দিয়ে সমাজবিবর্তনের আধুনিক ভাষ্য রচনা করেছেন। সেকারণেই মাঝে মাঝে সহজ কৌতুকের আবহ কাহিনীকে স্রোতের মতো ভাসিয়ে নিয়ে গেছে।

[Remy · Rating 3 out of 5]

People created castes, and it's people who suffer from it. It's simply not part of nature. Floods, tempests and drought don't choose their victims by caste. If the world comes to an end, every human will perish.

Obviously this is very good, but this time it felt a tad more haphazard. The passing of time is quite sudden to me — we seem to go through many chapters of Siddhartha as a child but suddenly he is a teenager and THEN a whole ass man. He falls in love with Migaila out of the blue and is menaced by Bandaka over a bride he barely gives two hoots about. BUT I TOLD YOU THIS IS VERY GOOD. The sequences in which the Brahmin is mentoring Siddhartha and joining his soul with that of various animals are portrayed so beautifully, that of which we see the care, sacredness and the true phenomenon that exists in all living things — though I wish there had been more towards the titular Four Encounters bit. But overall I liked it and the character design for the woman who later bears Devadatta is so adorable. Onward ho!

[Mateen Mahboubi · Rating 3 out of 5]

Filled with anachronisms and jokes, Tezuka's imagined journey through the life of Buddha continues here in his sickly adolescence, marriage and ultimate departure from home. Still not sure why just about every woman has to be topless.

[Sunny Patel · Rating 4 out of 5]

Finished Buddha Volume 2 - Really liking the reimagining story of how Siddhartha became Buddha. The pace is good and once you pick any volume it grips you and you won’t get up until you finish it and ending of each volume is so good that you crave to pick and read another volume quickly

[Loz · Rating 3 out of 5]

Quintessential Tezuka. Interesting and never dull.

[Evan Dewangga · Rating 4 out of 5]

Di volume ini akhirnya kita bertemu dan bertumbuh bersama Pangeran Siddharta. Melihat buku ini dari usia 20an, saya melihat Siddharta yang bandelnya minta ampun, memiliki ego tinggi, dan tidak peduli dengan keluarganya. Tak jarang di beberapa adegan, Siddharta "menyakiti" orang-orang yang paling mengasihinya. Sekilas terbesit, apabila ini diparalelkan dengan Yesus kecil, mungkin bandelnya setipe dengan Yesus yang "kabur" ke Bait Allah dan orang tuanya khawatir mencarinya. Kebandelan yang setipe tapi terkesan tidak seekstrem Siddharta yang sampai meninggalkan istri dan takhta Kapilawastu.

Saya yang belum sefamiliar itu dengan cerita Siddharta muda (referensi saya hanya dari komik seri tokoh dunia) masih menunggu di volume-volume setelah ini, bagaimana kebandelannya akan terbayarkan.

[Phrodrick slowed his growing backlog · Rating 4 out of 5]

Osamu’s Tezuka’s Buddha (book 2), THE Four Encounters, Paperback edition
On the chance you are coming to these 8 book series via book two, this is not a religious teaching text. This is a lax graphic novelization of a history. So far not much on the religion of the young Prince Siddhartha, the man who will with enlightenment become Buddha, founder of Buddhism. The introduction of highly anachronistic terms is more noticeable and less excusable than was present in book one. Overall I found the story less compelling and with the introduction of only a few new characters, the remaining older characters were not handled in such a way as to create more interest. The major new character is the Prince and there is much about him to capture the reader’s imagination. Recommendation, Book 2 has all the artwork that made w Book 1 beautiful. Book I was the better of the two books and on that basis and for the reader wanting the continuity of storyline I am recommending this installment. I will be getting book 3 and hope that this one is the bridge to better things.

At the end of Book one I had been deeply effected by the ending and very interested in the future story line. In short, eager for book 2. The Four Encounters Delivered as a work of visual art. Country scenes are beautiful and the level of detail in the over-all artistry is more than value for the cost. Tezuka is considered an originator of Magna. However many the other claimants; Tezuka and his team are artists. Given casual nudity and innumerable perky ice cream scoop breasted the women, there is little here that is aimed to prurient interests or even mildly erotic.

The amount of violence remains high even if human costs are on a different scale. No mass deaths by locusts, but famine and individual deaths and suffering continue. Historically and thematically appropriate. For example, few too many dear are killed.

My personal bottom line is that Book 1 left me caring about these people. My overall letdown with book 2 will not keep me from reading book 3.

[Randall · Rating 3 out of 5]

Sometime in the early 90s I picked up the Japanese series in bunkobon (small-format paperback; Goodreads has only one of those registered, so I'm listing the English versions instead). I recently found the set stashed away in some boxes, so I decided to read through it again.

Tezuka playfully inserts anachronisms from lots of periods, but especially modern times. And he uses comically ridiculous depictions throughout. It works for me. But if you're looking for straight-up historical fiction, this is definitely ain't it. In that case, maybe try the classic Siddhartha by Hermann Hesse, which I started reading along with Tezuka's version for the sake of contrast (I've only finished the first chapter of that, so I can't say much yet).

As for the Japanese level, I think that Tezuka's Japanese in this series is manageable for upper-intermediate to lower-advanced levels (sorry if that tells you practically nothing). Even without getting every term, you should be able to follow the story.

*Same comments and evaluation for each volume so far.*

[Lary · Rating 5 out of 5]

É o tipo de leitura para ser apreciada aos poucos, aproveitando cada página.

É incrível ver que por mais "simples" (para os dias atuais de mangá) que a arte de Osamu Tezuka pareça, ao mesmo tempo são muito expressivas, os diálogos e as mensagens que os textos passam, causam um impacto imenso.

Não só por contar sobre a trajetória de vida de Sidarta, mas também, sobre os valores e as crenças que o Budismo foi construído. Sobre igualdade, respeito a vida dos seres humanos e animais que vivem no Planeta Terra, amor, sabedoria e paz.

Nessa parte da história, acompanhamos Sidarta já com aproximadamente 15 anos, tendo que se casar e herdar o reino de seu pai. E por não ser isso o que deseja, parte em busca dos seus próprios caminhos abandonando tudo e se dedicando para encontrar a iluminação e "salvar o mundo" que ele tanto deseja.

[Morgan · Rating 3 out of 5]

Tezuka's style is all over the place, jumping back-and-forth between the ancient world and modern anachronisms, between the horror of violence and comedic one-liners, between political and spiritual and quasi-erotic. The artwork too vibrates on a scale from scrawled doodles and abstractions to gorgeous splash pages of Indian architecture and lush nature—the trees are specially fantastic. All this makes for a fun read, though it's inconsistencies render it far from a masterpiece. And I really could've done without the stupid fat jokes at the end of this book.

[Kimberley Hope · Rating 5 out of 5]

I didn't think it was possible to top the incredible first installment of Tezuka's epic "Buddha" series, but book two, "The Four Encounters" blew me away. With every work of his I consume, I fall more and more in love with Grandaddy Manga, Osamu Tezuka. I just can't get enough of his highly animated characters, functional anatomy (to hell with sensible and scientific designs), minimalist yet realistic backgrounds, and the mature, often devastating story lines these cute characters are forced to navigate.

[Ken · Rating 5 out of 5]

A bit more enjoyable than Book One for two reasons: I got used to Tezuka's game (mixing fiction with the story of the young Buddha's life) and the fact that this edition had more of the latter and less of the former. Again, court intrigue in ancient India, violence, melodrama, heartbreak, bodily harm, soul-ily harm, and what not. In the end, Buddha finally goes out into the wilderness and shaves his head, hunkering down to more familiar digs -- at least for the Western eye.

[Roos · Rating 3 out of 5]

Yang kedua gak kalah seru, mengenai keinginan kuat Sidharta yang ingin menjadi Petapa demi untuk mendapatkan pencerahan guna menyelamatkan umat manusia, buku kedua ini Sidharta sangat penasaran dengan Arti Kematian...

[usagi ☆ミ · Rating 5 out of 5]

I had forgotten how amazing Tezuka's work on. I can't stop reading this series. I'm glad I got the first four from my library. Hopefully once I return them, the rest will be there!

[Lachlan Harris · Rating 4 out of 5]

excellent graphic novel, well structured. excellent story line. wondrous graphic and drawing.

[David Ramirer · Rating 5 out of 5]

gleichbleibend tolle qualität gegenüber volume I.
sehr schöne story, spannend erzählt mit lustigen eingestreuten anachronismen.

[Drew Canole · Rating 4 out of 5]

Tezuka manages to deftly balance silly irreverence with the profound. Great series thus far.

[Karlesy Stamm · Rating 5 out of 5]

Favoritado 🤌💕