This is a call to mindfulness, dedicated to easing suffering. The story of Shakyamuni Buddha's epic journey to enlightenment is perhaps the most important narrative in the Buddhist tradition. Tenzin Chogyel's The Life of the Buddha, composed in the mid-eighteenth century and now with a new translation, is a masterly storyteller's rendition of the twelve acts of the Buddha. Chogyel's classical tale seamlessly weaves together the vast and the minute, the earthly and the celestial, reflecting the near-omnipresent aid of the gods alongside the Buddha's moving final reunion with his devoted son, Rahula.

Life of the Buddha, Tenzin Chogyel, Kurtis R. Schaeffer (Translator), Penguin, Paperback, 160 Pages, $15.00

Tenzin Chogyel (1701-1767) was a Buddhist monk and prominent Bhutanese intellectual.

Kurtis R. Schaeffer is Professor of Religious Studies at the University of Virginia. His numerous publications include The Culture of the Book in Tibet.

CONTENTS: The Life of the Buddha
Introduction by Kurtis R. Schaeffer	vii
Suggestions for Further Reading	xxvii
THE LIFE OF THE BUDDHA
Prologue	1
CHAPTER ONE: Heaven	3
CHAPTER TWO: Descent	15
CHAPTER THREE: Birth	19
CHAPTER FOUR: Education	27
CHAPTER FIVE: Harem	31
CHAPTER SIX: Renunciation	37
CHAPTER SEVEN: Austerity	47
CHAPTER EIGHT: The Diamond Throne	53
CHAPTER NINE: Demons	57
CHAPTER TEN: Enlightenment	61
CHAPTER ELEVEN: Teaching	67
CHAPTER TWELVE: Death	79
Epilogue	97
The Story of Rahula, the Buddha's son	99
Nagarjuna's "Praise to the Twelve Acts"	103
Glossaries	107
Notes	115