Buddha: His Life, His Doctrine, His Order

The Buddha is the central figure in a religion that advocates liberation from the transient material world. The Buddha was not only the Teacher of the Way and the producer of the unproduced path, he was the actuality of the teachings that he preached, the one who had lived them and had reached the goal. Buddha, His Life, His Doctrine, His Order offers a unique insight into the richness and abundance of human idealism and aspiration. It also provides a comprehensive and perceptive guide to one of the world’s most vital religions-a religion that today can count more than 300 million followers in Asia alone.  As a living and flourishing religion it continues to expand and develop in regions where it would have been considered most alien only a century ago. Hermann Oldenberg considers the history of the religion, beginning with a detailed account of the life and teachings of the Buddha himself. The translator William Hoey has most successfully conveyed the ideas and aspirations of the author in this English version of the German original. Oldenberg sifts through the conflicts, schisms and varied perceptions attached to the legend of the Buddha’s life. This work is acknowledged internationally as one of the most authentic books on the Buddha and his teachings.