The life of the Buddha

Buddhism, one of the great religions of the world whose followers today are numbered in hundreds of millions, owes its origin to the inspiration and teachings of one man, Prince Siddhartha, who preached in India over 2,500 years ago and became known as the Buddha, "the enlightened one". Here Patricia Herbert tells the story of the Buddha's life as it has evolved over the centuries, incorporating legends, miracles and local variations. As the narrative unfolds, each episode is shown in double-page illustrations from some of the manuscript paintings in the British Library's Oriental Collections. Patricia Herbert is curator of Southeast Asian books and manuscripts in the British Library's Oriental Collections.