Buddha (manga)

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Buddha

Cover of Buddha Vol.6 from the Osamu Tezuka Manga Complete Works collection.
ブッダ
(Budda)
Genre Drama, Historical, Supernatural
Manga: Buddha
Author Osamu Tezuka
Publisher Flag of Japan Ushio Shuppan
Flag of Brazil Conrad
Serialized in Kibou no Tomo
Original run September 1972 – December 1983
Volumes 14[1]

Buddha (ブッダ?) is a manga drawn by Osamu Tezuka and is Tezuka's unique interpretation of the life of Gautama Buddha, the historical founder of Buddhism. The critically acclaimed series is often referred to as a gritty, even sexy, portrayal of the holy man's life.

Contents

[edit] Overview

While sticking close to the Buddha's known life in most respects, the series also introduces many fictional characters as well as expanding upon historical figures already known within the life of Buddha. A recent Western translation has proved popular in both America and Britain. It was published by Vertical, Inc between 2003-5 and was split into 8 volumes, designed by Chip Kidd:

  1. Kapilavastu
  2. The Four Encounters
  3. Devadatta
  4. The Forest of Uruvela
  5. Deer Park
  6. Ananda
  7. Ajatasattu
  8. Jetavana

As of early 2006 each volume had sold an average of 8,500 copies, with Kapilavastu having sold 20,000 copies. Due to differences between the ways in which Japanese and English are read, the American volumes are presented as mirror images of Tezuka's original work so they can be read from left to right, rather than from right to left.

[edit] Plot summary

In ancient India, the lives of many people are plagued by drought, famine, constant warfare and injustices in the caste system. The intertwining lives of many unhappy souls are drawn together by the birth of the young prince Siddhartha, who embarks on a spiritual journey, becomes Gautama Buddha, "the Enlightened One," and attempts to bring about a spiritual rebirth of the people in this desperate age.

[edit] Characters

Siddhartha Gautama (Sakyamuni Buddha): The main character of the Buddha series and prince of the Shakya tribe. He is born in book 1, shortly before his mother dies. The first book mentions omens that seemed to symbolize Siddhartha's future. In book 2, he is a child growing bored of the privileged life of a prince. He leaves the palace towards the end of the book to become a monk. In book 3, he is a struggling monk. In book 4, after many trials in the Forest of Uruvela, Buddha achieves enlightenment. He continues to teach his disciples and inspire others until his death in book 8.

Chapra: A fictional character from a lower caste who decides to make a better life for himself. After saving the life of a well-known Kosalan general, Chapra is adopted by him as his own son, under the belief that Chapra is a warrior orphan. After growing up, Chapra's true heritage is revealed when his mother shows up, resulting in conflict for Chapra. Chapra eventually decides to escape with her after the truth of his caste is revealed and the two are killed by Kosalan soldiers.

Princess Yashodara: A beautiful princess who loved Siddhartha. He married her against his will, and together they had a son named Rāhula. Siddhartha left on the day Rahula was born.

Bandaka: An arrogant archer who appears in book 1 and 2. He was in love with Yashodara and fought Buddha for her hand in marriage. After Buddha left to pursue enlightenment, Bandaka convinced Buddha's father to name him heir to the Shakyan but still failed to win Yashodara over. He then resigns himself to taking a plump noblewoman as his wife and is later killed while fighting the invading Kosalan army.

Prasentnajit: The ruler of Kosala. He married a slave from Kapilavastu, tricked to think she was a Kshatriya, and takes over Kapilavatsu when he finds out the truth. When he objects to his son Virudhaka releasing Kapilavatsu, Virudhaka imprisons his father, claiming he is mentally unfit to rule. In his cell, Prasentnajit gradually wanes physically and mentally until Buddha convinces his son to release him. He dies shortly afterward, reduced to a mere beggar.

Virudhaka: Prasentnajit's son. After learning of his mother's true caste, he ostracizes her to the slave quarters and later orders her to be killed with the other slaves when plague breaks out among them. For tricking his father, Virudhaka begins a gradual extermination of Buddha's tribe until Buddha shows him that all he's accomplished is to increase the suffering he already felt. He is sometimes called Prince Crystal due to the Lapis Lazuli set in his forehead.

Bimbisara: The king of Magadha, whom Asaji prophesies will be killed by his son. This torments Bimbisara all his life. Drugged by Devadatta, Bimbisara is overthrown by his son Ajasattu and locked in the same tower he jailed his son in for attempting to kill Buddha where he gradually starves to death.

Prince Ajasattu: Bimbisara's son, who is imprisoned in book six because he shot and almost killed Buddha with an arrow. He falls in love with a blue-eyed blonde slave named Yudelka, and vows revenge on his father when she is murdered. Ajasattu, with the help of Devadatta, overthrows his father. The guilt causes him to have a malignant tumor, which Buddha cures.

Tatta: A fictional thief of the 'Pariah', making his status even lower than that of the slave caste. As a child, Tatta is very close to nature and has the unique ability to possess animals, which the Brahmin Naradatta takes great advantage of. In volume 1, after befriending the slave Chapra, his mother and sister are murdered by the rampaging armies of Kosala. After Kosala's soldiers execute Chapra and 'Moms', Tatta vows revenge upon the kingdom of Kosala. As he grows up, Tatta becomes a bandit and reveals his plan of vengeance is to show the outside world to the sheltered child, Siddhartha, in hopes of persuading him to vanquish Kosala when he becomes king. In book three, he agrees to stop being a bandit. In book five, he becomes a lay disciple to Buddha, unwilling to become a monk because it would mean cutting his hair. Despite Buddha's attempts to convince him otherwise, Tatta is unable to forgive the Kosalans for killing those close to him and joins a renegade Shakyan army who sought revenge for the atrocities inflicted on them by Crystal Prince. He dies in the last book fighting the Kosalan army.

Migaila: A sexy bandit whom Buddha falls in love with in book two. Her eyes are burnt out on order from Buddha's father for scheming to marry him which leaves her blind for the rest of the series. She is Tatta's wife, and they have one son in book 4, a stillborn, and triplets, introduced in book 7.

Dhepa: A samanna, whose philosophy is that humans were meant to suffer. Tatta and Migaila force him to burn out one of his eyes. Buddha befriends Dhepa in book 3, but the two part ways when Buddha decides against Dhepa's lifestyle. Despite ridiculing Buddha's teachings and even attempting to kill him at one point, Buddha saves Dhepa's life in book five whereupon Dhepa becomes his disciple.

Asaji: In volume 3, Siddhartha and Dhepa are sheltered by a huntsman and his family. In return, the huntsman asks the monks if his infant son, Asaji, can join them on their travels. Judging Asaji by his dimwitted look and runny nose, Dhepa and Siddhartha refuse, attempting to flee from Asaji by any means necessary. When Asaji catches a fever after pursuing the monks through the monsoon season, Siddhartha is determined to save him. Siddhartha cures Asaji by sucking the poisonous pus from his body. Meanwhile the unconscious Asaji encounters God in a vision that tells him in ten years time he will be devoured by beasts in payment for his father's meaningless hunting. As time passes, when Siddhartha is separated from the other monks, Asaji successfully and precisely predicts natural disasters. His predictions are a gift from God. Eventually, he is brought forth before King Bambisara and prophesies his fate and that of many other palace nobles. When Siddhartha undertakes the trials of the forest, he is astounded that Asaji is completely fearless of his gruesome destiny. When the moment of truth arrives, Asaji approaches a litter of starving wolf-cubs and sacrifices himself to the ferocious parents that tear him apart, much to Siddhartha's horror.

Devadatta: One of Buddha's first disciples. The son of Bandaka, Devadatta had a difficult childhood. He met Tatta when looking for a warrior, and through Tatta, Devadatta met the Buddha. He leaves the sect when he is not chosen to be Buddha's successor and attempts to form his own sect by stealing Buddha's followers. When that fails Devadatta plots to kill Buddha; first by dropping a boulder on him, then by having an elephant stampede him. When his initial attempts fail, Devadatta poisons his nails but accidentally injures himself with them when he trips. In his final moments, he reveals that he hated the Buddha because he wanted to be just like him but couldn't.

Ananda: Ananda is the half-brother of Devadetta as mentioned briefly in book 3. A former criminal who becomes one of Buddha's major disciples. The devil Mara protected him after Ananda's father offered him in exchange for sparing his life. Following his mother's murder, Ananda seeks revenge on all humanity until Buddha saved his life. Ananda then becomes Buddha's personal attendant and companion although visions of hell and death continue to haunt him.

Lata: A pretty former slave with whom Ananda falls in love. She has difficulty speaking. Lata cuts off her hair to achieve enlightenment. She dies after receiving a snake bite meant for Buddha in book 7.

Naradatta: A monk who is turned into an animal for forty years as punishment for killing several animals in order to save one human. He becomes a mentor for Devadatta. Naradatta dies in the last book, moments after he is forgiven for his murder and returned to his human state.

Yatala: A twenty foot giant. The son of a slave who studied herbs and plants, Yatala's father gave him a potion that would make him grow to be powerful and invincible. His parents were killed shortly after he received the potion which caused him to grow twenty feet high by adulthood. Yatala then killed the elephant that killed his parents and wandered off, killing livestock and terrorizing villages. Many tried to kill him unsuccessfully, including a person with a bazooka. Finally, Virudhaka, or Prince Crystal, tamed him by offering him a position within the Kosalan palace guard. However, Yatala was angered by how Virudhaka abused his mother simply because of her caste and escaped whereupon he met Buddha who helped him achieve enlightenment. He later went to work for the Kinga of Magadha before shaving his head and becoming Buddha's disciple.

Brahma: God. Appearing frequently to Buddha as a wizened old man, Brahma set Siddhartha on the path to seeking a solution to suffering. After Buddha obtained enlightenment, Brahma bestowed him with the title of Buddha. After the Buddha died in book 8, Brahma personally escorted the Buddha to the afterlife where he promised to reveal what awaited those who pass into death.

[edit] References

  1. ^ Buddha (manga) (manga) at Anime News Network's Encyclopedia. Accessed on 2007-06-13.

[edit] See also

[edit] External links