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The Living Buddha: An Interpretive Biography by Daisaku Ikeda; translated by Burton Watson Middleway Press
book review by Elizabeth Loveland
"With the approach of dawn, the eye of his wisdom gained sublime clarity, and when the morning star began to shine, he sensed his life bursting open and in a flash discerned the ultimate reality of things."
The Living Buddha is a densely packed work by Daisaku Ikeda, a well-known Buddhist and the president of the Buddhist organization Soka Gakkai International. It was originally published in Japanese as Watakushi no Shakuson-kan [My View of Shakaymuni], written in the style of a conversation between Ikeda and one of his colleagues. For the first English edition, a hardback book published in 1976, translator Burton Watson received permission from Ikeda to rewrite the conversation as a straight narrative. The English version has been recently republished in paperback, using the life of the Buddha (typically known as Shakaymuni in Asia, and generally referenced this way in the book) as its main discussion. It is a starting point to talk about many diverse subjects, such as speculation on the Buddha, various tenets of Buddhism, life in India during Buddha's time and in the few centuries before he was born, and philosophical musings on both the Buddha and living in general. The Buddha's life is presented in chronological order, but the many tangents go forward and backward in time depending upon what each part of the Buddha's life has inspired Ikeda to consider.
Ikeda and Watson fit an incredible amount of information into a relatively short book. The pages are so packed with various pieces of information, tidbits of speculation, and more that it seems as if one has read several books on Buddhism. The book serves its author's and translator's stated goal of being a place for Westerners to learn more about Buddhism, the Buddha's life, and the associated history. While the book may take a layperson a fair amount of time to read due to its many layers, the reader's dedication will be rewarded by a richer understanding of Buddhism's place in the world, and Ikeda's many speculations will likely inspire the reader as well.