Michael Carrithers guides us through the complex and sometimes conflicting information that Buddhist texts give about the life and teaching of the Buddha. He discusses the social and political background of India in the Buddha`s time, and traces the development of his thought. He also assesses the rapid and widespread assimilation of Buddhism and its contemporary relevance.

Table of Contents:
1: Introduction
2: Early life and renunciation
3: To the awakening
4: The awakening
5: The mission and the death
Further reading
Index

Author Information:
Michael Carrithers, Professor of Anthropology, University of Durham