Siddhartha Gautama, known as the Awakened One (Buddha), was an ascetic and teacher who lived in South Asia during the 6th century. According to tradition, he was born in Lumbini (present-day Nepal), the son of a king of the Sakya dynasty. He renounced his princely life to become a mendicant. He wandered through forests and mountains seeking an intuition that would allow him to access the true nature of reality. After years of mendicancy, asceticism, and meditation, he achieved his goal under a tree in Bodh Gaya. From that moment on, he taught what he had learned, first in Varanasi and later in the plains along the Ganges River.

Written with sensitivity and a profound knowledge of the sources, Juan Arnau offers us a version of the Buddha's life based on Sanskrit texts such as the Buddhacarita, Lalitavistara, and Mahavastu. A fluid narrative, a delightful read, where the most significant episodes of the master's life and teachings are recounted with singular beauty. It is no small feat of this version, imbued with spirituality and lyricism, to have preserved the power and simplicity of the ancient narratives. The volume is completed by a brief study of the sources and a glossary that will help the reader clarify any unfamiliar terms and navigate the different levels of interpretation of a biography that is now part of humanity's heritage.