Buddha, Volume 8: Jetavana Book

And so I have come to the last of the 8 books, Buddha, Jetavana. Osamu Tezuka has mostly done well by his readers and the ending is at minimum honest. What we know that Buddha may have not, is that his presence and his message has survived and spread, but has the example of Buddhism changed humanity? Throughout the series, Buddha has been faced with temptations. The usuals, women, power family loyalties and of course he does not fall. In the last book he will face the real challenges. What is his legacy and what is the human condition? Tezuka has Buddha coming to some conclusions and it is up to use to follow or not.

The art work in book eight stays with the mix of beautiful particularly his rendering of nature and the cartoonist, particularly some of his humans. Tezuka continues to love anachronisms, but he is not dependent on them. The violence in this book was forewarned and is in service to the notion of making The Buddha face some of the consequences of his decisions and in the truth of human failings.

The questions to me are: Do I think I have been exposed to more than a basic education in the beliefs and practices of Buddhism? My guess is: no. My interest has been fed, but not sated. Have I been exposed to an honest version of the history of Buddha? I suspect the answer is no, but it is on me to learn more; to find how much in the books is consistent with the Japanese understanding of the travels of The Buddha.

My suspicion is that the series is intended to be more an entertainment than an enlightenment. If so Tezuka has achieved his goal. The stories and especially the ending are worth the journey. More than this it can kindle and interest in a more serious effort to learn.