Buddha 7: Prince Ajatasattu

If by Volume 7, you are still along the glorious journey that is the "Buddha" series by Osama Tezuka you already know what a genius he is. He is a legend, often called "Japan's greatest cartoonist." He is worthy of this praise. His detailed black and white drawings are moving, vivid and cinematic and his story-telling prowess is astounding. As Tezuka builds toward the climax of the story, pummels us with the suffering, violence, unrequited love, and sheer ill fate of his characters. There is redemption and betrayal, love and hatred, joy and suffering. He tugs at our emotions, yet the ultimate hopeful message of the Buddha comes through. What is remarkable is he is able to do this while entertaining; he spellbinds readers with his picture-perfect drawings and fantastical settings. The "Buddha" series is a milestone in this reader's reading history, a colossal work that will never be forgotten.

I am Buddhist, so I may have a biased opinion about this series. I honestly am not a big comic book/manga fan, but this series caught my interest. I ended up buying the whole 8 book series and very much enjoyed reading them. These books are not for young children, as there is definitely adult themes, language and drawings of violence and sex in them. These books are not for people looking for serious Buddhist dialogue either, but they are fun and a new and interesting way to view the life of the Buddha. I originally got them for myself and will keep them to share with my children when they get in the mid to late teens. They are worth a read and I recommend them to all interested in the Buddha's life, but from a fresh and not so serious point of view.

I have to say that when I first started reading the Buddha series,...I was immediately taken in by the comedy and light heartedness of the story. Although Tezuka Osamu took a few liberties here and there with the story of Siddhartha, I was captivated. There is also a lot of brutality in the story as well, but it is well done because it illustrates some of the very inhumane behavior going on during those times. I am also very pleased at how Tezuka san showed the very very human side of Buddha rather than making him appear as an emotionless god. Volume 7 in the Buddha story was very good and I definitely recommend these books for kids and young Buddhists alike. It would great if this story could be made into an anime series.

This 7th instalment of Buddha continues the fascinating story Tezuka poured so much effort into. For me, one of the most instructive points of this story has been Buddha's humanity. In this book, Buddha is beginning to age - resembling a middle-aged bum with sagging earlobes. Becoming enlightened does not automatically make him omniscient, and this leads to intense struggles as he applies a philosophy of the eternal to his position in the world as it was when he lived. On reflection, and in the context of recent Muslim anger over the portrayal of Mohamed in a comic, it is useful to recall a point made by Aldous Huxley in the Devils of Loudun concerning enlightenment: "In so far as it helps the individual to forget himself and his ready-made opinions about the universe, religion will prepare the way for realization. In so far as it arouses and justifies such passions as fear, scrupulosity, righteous indignation, institutional patriotism, and crusading hate, in so far as it harps on the saving virtues of certain theological notions, certain hallowed arrangements of words, religion is an obstacle in the way of realization" In the much-needed debate over free expression of religious ideas, we should not be afraid of offending sensibilities that have been conditioned by forces intent on putting obstacles in the way of individual enlightenment. In this light, Tezuka's portrayal of Buddha can be seen as an important reminder for us today.