The Buddha Box Set

The classic eight volume graphic novel series from the godfather of the genre an irreverent and humourous rendition of the life and times of Buddha is now available in Box Set. Originated in the 1970s, Buddha is Osamu Tezuka’s unparalleled rendition of the life and times of Prince Siddhartha. Tezuka’s storytelling genius and consummate skill at visual expression blossom fully as he contextualizes the Buddha’s ideas, with an emphasis on action, emotion, humour and conflict as Prince Siddhartha runs away from home, travels across India and questions Hindu practices such as ascetic self-mutilation and caste oppression. Rather than recommend resignation and impassivity, Tezuka’s Buddha predicates enlightenment upon recognizing the interconnectedness of life, having compassion for the suffering and ordering one’s life sensibly. Furthermore, his approach is slightly irreverent in that it incorporates something that Western commentators often eschew, namely, humour.

The Box Set includes

Buddha: Kapilvastu – Vol. 1
Buddha: The Four Encounters – Vol. 2
Buddha: Devadatta – Vol. 3
Buddha: The Forest of Uruvela – Vol. 4
Buddha: Deer Park – Vol. 5
Buddha: Ananda – Vol. 6
Buddha: Prince Ajatasattu – Vol. 7
Buddha: Jetavana – Vol. 8