The Story of the Buddha

The Story of The Buddha tells the legendary life of Siddhartha, founder of the Buddhist faith. He was born in Nepal in the 5th century B.C. as a prince. His father tried to protect him from sights of human suffering, but he eventually escaped palace life to embark on a spiritual quest. Siddhartha eschewed wealth and became a monk to contemplate the meaning of life. After becoming enlightened, Siddhartha is said to have traveled throughout India spreading his doctrines and founding monasteries.

"I am going to tell you the story of the life of a very great man. He was not great as the world usually regards greatness, being neither a conqueror nor a hero in any worldly sense-in fact, for many years of his life, he was a beggar. Buddha is, the name by which he is generally known; but before I begin my story I must tell you something of the lands where he lived and taught-in the great mysterious East, which is so different in every way from the part of the world we live in..."