BUDDHA AND HIS LEGACY
The Complete History of Buddhism
In 483 BCE, an eighty-year-old teacher died beneath a sal tree in northern India. Within five centuries, his ideas had spread across Asia. Today, over 500 million people follow his path.
But who was the Buddha? Not the serene statue, but Siddhartha Gautama—the man who abandoned his family at twenty-nine, nearly starved himself to death, and spent forty-five years teaching a radical philosophy that challenged everything his world believed.
This comprehensive narrative traces Buddhism from ancient India through twenty-five centuries of transformation. From the brutal caste system Buddha rejected to Zen gardens of Japan, from Tibetan tantric rituals to modern mindfulness apps—the epic story of how one man’s insight became a global phenomenon.
Why did princes become beggars? How did a religion of peace spread through warrior kingdoms? What made Chinese emperors destroy thousands of monasteries—then rebuild them?
Drawing on ancient texts and modern scholarship, this book follows Buddhism through empires, revolutions, and persecutions—from the Silk Road to the internet. Discover why it became one of the world’s great religions, and why it matters more than ever.