When I first came across Osamu Tezuka’s Buddha, I realised that I knew literally nothing about Buddha. Here’s one of the major religions of the world and I hadn’t a clue who this Buddha even was. I was aware of the basic principles of Buddhism, but that’s about as far as it goes. And I bet I wasn’t alone in thinking that fat jolly guy you see in restaurants sometimes was the Buddha. Well...in truth he is and he isn’t. At least he’s not the Buddha that founded Buddhism - that would be the prince Siddhartha Gautama, and the subject of Osamu Tezuka’s eight volume epic.
The story begins some time before Siddhartha is even born in around 563BC, as it introduces us to two young characters fighting against what was to become India and Nepal’s rigid caste system. Chapra and Tatta are both tied down to their lives as slaves and beggars, just as their fathers were and their grandparents and their ancestors before that. There was no escape no matter how talented or gifted you were - a slave will always be a slave. Yet Chapra is an ambitious young boy, and when he sees his chance to climb the social ladder he seizes it, leaving his friend Tatta and beloved mother behind for the riches of a warrior general’s adopted son.
Pretty quickly we learn that in Osamu Tezuka’s world of Buddha, everything has its consequences no matter how unfair or unjust you reckon the punishment. Characters die, and not just the nasty ones you might think deserve it. In fact, a lot of those guys survive. But this is a comic that deals with some pretty serious issues, and death being one of those. As they say in the book, everything that lives must die; and it doesn’t matter how good, decent or even downright saintly that person is, eventually they’re going to pop their clogs (OK, maybe not an exact quote).
And Buddha is a story that spans generations, so you’ll get plenty of chance to witness the circle of life at work. Speaking of which, Buddha is born at some point during the first volume, but he doesn’t really feature until the second book kicks off. Much of the next couple of volumes are spent following Siddhartha (before he took the name Buddha) as a child and young adult, his transformation from a rich prince in the lap of luxury to a humble monk struggling to cope with the harsh realities of life (wait...isn’t that the wrong way around?). At this point in the story, Tezuka doesn’t paint Siddhartha as an all knowing saint - he comes across as an ordinary, if very level headed and right minded individual. Somebody you might admire, but certainly not somebody you’d revere.
Following in Siddhartha’s footsteps as he struggles to contemplate death and suffering brings a human element to the story that helps us better understand his teachings as the Buddha. I wouldn’t go as far to say that we can relate to a man that existed over 2500 years ago, but Tezuka has a way of telling the story that perfectly exemplifies the point he (or the Buddha, to be fair) was trying to get across. In this way you could view many of Buddha’s various chapters as simple parables, Tezuka’s original characters acting as practical examples for the teachings of Buddhism. This usually involves one of Siddhartha’s many self-proclaimed enemies realising the error of their of ways after hearing the Buddha’s polite yet pointed advice.
Maybe I’m making it sound a lot more trite than it actually is, because in Tezuka’s hand this doesn’t come across as tacky or childish in the slightest. Sure, some of the points raised are more than obvious, but you rarely feel like you’re being spoken down to or lectured here. For the most part you don’t feel like you’re reading some religious tome designed to influence whatever beliefs you might have, you’re just reading a good story that’s told well.
Which is just as well, because as a historical document Buddha is...dubious to say the least. A lot of the stuff that happens is clearly based around actual events (actual being about as ‘actual’ as the bible), yet Tezuka manages to squeeze in several of his own characters in there...including a few which may be familiar to fans of his earlier work. This helps makes everything a whole lot more accessible, not only because it takes the onus away from the rest of the cast, but also because these original creations help to better illustrate whatever point the Buddha is trying get across. Even several real-life characters are altered significantly by Tezuka, which I guess may grate with some people more familiar with the story. But everything that Tezuka adds or takes away has only one purpose: to make the story more enjoyable for the reader, if they’re already familiar with the original or not. So in this sense it’s a great success. Just don’t take everything as fact and you’ll be OK.
After Metropolis (one of his earlier works that actually bares little resemblance to either live action or animated film), this was really the first time I’d read anything by Tezuka. Obviously I knew about his reputation and his importance in establishing the Japanese manga and anime industries, but I’d only read snippets here and there. Judging from this relatively small body of work it’s easy to see why so many of his fellow artists and writers hold him such high regard. His artwork may seem strangely out of place compared to modern manga, but the soft lines of his Fleischer Brother-esque characters make for a refreshing change. To be honest his writing is rarely anything more than competent, yet it’s his understanding of the power and flexibility of comics that really sets him apart.
It’s testament to his talent that such a potentially boring subject is really bought to life. There are a few lulls during the massive eight volume span (each volume is bigger than your average manga...think Akira size), but generally speaking I found myself wanting to pick up and read the next one right away. And Vertical’s presentation of the hardback editions should be noted, as the minimalist covers from Chip Kidd really highlight the beauty of Tezuka’s artwork in a way that’ll look great on any bookshelf.
And that’s really where Tezuka’s Buddha belongs. OK, so it might not change your life, but it’s still an interesting, fun book to read that’ll bring both Buddhism and Tezuka to a new audience. Maybe it’s not his best work (I’ve only started reading Phoenix and haven’t even touched Astro Boy or Black Jack yet, so I’ll update you on that one) but I’ve seen enough to be convinced that Buddha should sit alongside the likes of The Dark Knight Returns, Maus, Nausicaa and Watchmen on your shelf.
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