With the backdrop of the Jatakas 547 Legends of the Buddhas previous lives this work focuses on the origin and development of the Mahayana ideal of the Bodhisattva one who is destine to become enlightened.

During these 547 lives when Gautama was born as a human being various types of animals and tree spirits in each of these lives by his own actions and disposition he accumulated infinite wisdom and all the qualities and attributes which are essential for an individual to acquire and perfect in order to become a Buddha. As the Jataka stories recount Gautama traveled a very long and an arduous but a remarkable journey of inner struggle self- discipline determination and reflection which spanned thousands of years to achieve his goal Nirvana. He remembered all his past lives and experience on the night of his enlightenment.

Secondly the work discusses the Theravada ideal of an Arhat a worthy one who has traveled the eightfold path, broken the ten fetters and has attained Nirvana, and the concept of Pratyeka Buddha a solitary sage whose ideals are incompatible with those of a Bodhisattva. He is lonely sage who achieves Nirvana but is indifferent to the troubles of all other beings.

Thirdly an expose of Apostrophic and Esoteric aspects of Buddhism is followed by a serious attempt to explain the Buddhist doctrine of Anatta and the five skandhas which make up an individual personality.

The work concludes with an in depth study of the doctrine of Karma and rebirth from both Hindu and Buddhist perspectives.

Alexandra R. Kapur-Fic was born in India and after attending the sacred heart convent school in Amritsar, Punjab, obtained a BA and Bachelor of Teaching from University of Punjab Chandigarh and an MA in political science from Lucknow University. She lived in Rangoon Burma from 1962-1963 taught at the Chinese Nanyang University in Singapore form 1968-1971 and traveled extensively throughout southeast and East Asia. She taught political science anthropology and race relations at Niagara college in welland, Ontario, Canada from 1974-1993 and was the coordinator of general arts and sciences program from 1977-1993.

In 1993-1994 the first part of the sabbatical leave was spent traveling in china visiting Buddhist monasteries along the Silk Road including the Dun Huang caves. The second part was spent in Thailand Burapha University Bangsaen in Chonburi teaching and researching a book which was published in 1998.

In 1996 she accepted a position of the chief technical advisor with the Un International Labor organization in Geneva Switzerland and was posted to Jakarta Indonesia to implement and administer a project ASEAN network in technical skills training for women in Indonesia, Brunei, the Philippines, Malaysia, Thailand and Vietnam. In 2003 she was awarded the Rosalind Bluer award but eh Womens studies Department Brock University for her work. This award is given annually to an outstanding member of the Brock University community and it reads engaged in activities that illuminates research and bring attention to or that improve the position of women in contemporary society. Her previously published works include Thailand Buddhism Society and women published in 1998 and the cosmic Zoo stories for children a first prize winning book based on the Jataka stories and the Panchatantra in 2002.

Since 1999 the author has been teaching at Brock University in St. Catharines, Canada and in 2007 by the order in council was appointed chair of the Board of referees. Employment insurance for the Niagara Region.