Available:*
Library | Call Number | Status |
|---|---|---|
Searching... Park Grove Library (Cottage Grove) | J 294.363 SAN | Searching... Unknown |
Searching... Stillwater Public Library | J 294.363 SAN | Searching... Unknown |
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Summary
Summary
"In the full bloom of spring, in a beautiful garden, in a place called Lumbini, a prince was born."
So begins the extraordinary story of the life of Siddhartha Gautama, the prince who would become the enlightened Buddha, the awakened one. This classic tale follows Prince Siddhartha's journey of truth-seeking and discovery, including his life-altering encounters with human suffering and his realization of the Four Noble Truths. Today, millions of people all over the world follow the Buddha's teachings on meditation, selflessness, and compassion. Rendered here in exquisite original watercolor illustrations, this inspiring story is brought to life for young readers curious about one of history's most monumental and influential figures.
Author Notes
HEATHER SANCHE has more than 20 years' teaching experience in a wide variety of cultures and settings. She holds an undergraduate degree in contemplative early childhood education from Naropa University and a post graduate diploma in intercultural and cross-cultural education and training from the University of Victoria, British Columbia. She was a Khyentse Foundation committee member for education and authored several articles about contemplative approaches to education and parenting for Buddhist Door International .
TARA DI GESU began painting at a young age. While living in Nepal, she found the brilliant traditional Tibetan artist Jamyang Gyatso, who specialized in thangkha painting, and quickly became inspired to study with him. She continued her studies first at the Nova Scotia College of Art and Design and then at the Naropa Institute. While her paintings remain essentially faithful to the Tibetan tradition she trained in, Tara has gently shifted the stylistic emphasis and brings the fresh, ethereal quality in her work that makes her paintings unique.
Reviews (1)
Kirkus Review
Before he was known as the Buddha--"the awakened one"--Prince Siddhartha lived a decadent life within protective palace walls, surrounded by abundance and sheltered from life's inevitable cruelties. Siddhartha becomes a man within the palace, marrying a wife and fathering a son. However, his curiosity about life outside the palace grows. When he finally travels outside, Siddhartha sees old age, sickness, and death for the first time, and he learns that these painful experiences are universal and unavoidable. This realization becomes the first noble truth of Buddhism, and it inspires Siddhartha to abandon his life of privilege to become a spiritual seeker. Through his meditations, Siddhartha becomes the Buddha. His teachings, such as the foundational "four noble truths," spread worldwide and become known as Buddhism. This narrative manages to distill the life of one of the world's most influential spiritual teachers into a slim illustrated narrative. Evocative of the traditional Tibetan Buddhist paintings known as thangkas, the soft watercolors grace the rather stoic narrative with an emotional quality as it depicts the subject's transition from Prince Siddhartha to the Buddha. The tale is set in India, and the skin tones depicted are realistic and vary from peachy tan to deep brown. This picture book will serve families seeking to share their own Buddhist faith and practice with children as well as independent readers researching spiritual practices. A succinct, beautifully crafted documentation of the origin of Buddhism. (Informational picture book. 6-12) Copyright (c) Kirkus Reviews, used with permission.
