Approaching the subject of the Buddha's life is like walking in a forest looking for trees. There are so many you don't know where to begin, especially if you do not know what trees you are looking for, or how many trees will be needed -- not to mention what type of trees to choose. It is a good thing for me that I had a very clear idea of the exact tree I was after.

    I knew I wanted to keep the dream aspect of the parables, so I read multiple versions thereof. Illustrated children's books on the subject can be quite amusing. I also read a very entertaining cartoon depiction of Buddha's life by Osamu Tezuka, a gifted Japanese artist. Many "parable" books were also found in Thailand.

    The cultural aspect: what went on in those times, the practices, daily life, politics, and background picture came from my foraging in the Musee Guimet in Paris. It has a very extensive collection of books on the matter. That is the list I refer to in the Bibliographies.

    The most difficult area was the historical, as history has many layers and is constantly up-dated, especially in areas where scientific discovery helps us to understand better or differently whatever data we have to date. In addition, as I already pointed out in the book, little was written about Buddha's life during his time. The earliest texts date from a hundred years after his death.

    The person responsible for the most pertinent data was Professor Bareau.

     I had arrived in Paris, and started calling the Universities to find out who was the leading academic in the field. After numerous calls, this worthy man was identified. I learnt he taught at the Universite de France, so I called him, left a message, and called again till I got him on the line. I told him what I had committed myself to doing. He laughed, and invited me to visit him at the University.

    I was looking forward to this visit as I knew I was going to be exposed to a very different point of view. The French specialize in analytical thought so I knew I would get an opinion with explanations; not just "facts."

    I was punctual as usual, a trait I inherited from my mother, and was invited into a large auditorium by a small, energetic man with sparkling eyes. We sat down and he started telling me the results of the studies he had conducted for over 30 years of his life.

    There were two issues that were of great significance as they keyed me into a story -- which I did not have prior to that moment. The first was his version of Yasodhara's death. Or, more precisely, the timing of her death. Professor Bareau's theory was that she died before Siddhartha's departure to seek the truth. Whereas every text has her alive thereafter (see attached file: A Mysterious Being: The wife of Buddha). However, Professor Bareau combed all those texts and drew other conclusions based on the living conditions of the times, and common sense.

    The second key was the matter of the destruction of Sakya. (Unfortunately I do not have the text in English to post, but it can be found at the Musee Guimet and at the Universite de France). Again, timing was of the essence, for if the destruction of Sakya, assuming that it really did happen -- and there is division on that issue -- took place after the given time in the book, after Siddhartha departs, then it no longer serves as a reason for him to leave, and it IS a powerful motivation. If it happened before, then it dissolves the intensity of the chain of events. But if it indeed happened in combination with the death of his beloved wife, then it becomes a powerful motivator. As I believe there is always a reason, even well hidden, to all things -- and that nothing is gratuitous -- then both factors give a reasonable explanation of a question that has, till now, remained a mystery: why did Siddhartha leave mundane life to look for answers. Why would any of us wake up in a comfortable apartment and decide to become homeless? There must be a reason.

    Professor Bareau was charming. We talked about all that and all the difficulties of depicting Buddha's life in an interesting and respectful manner. As I left, he offered to read the manuscript as it progressed. In time, he did. His were very precise notes: they helped more than any other contribution.

    Professor Bareau died before the book came out. I was very sorry as I felt such a debt to him and would have loved him to know how very grateful I was. 

    The positioning of Buddha's thoughts set against the other religions of the times was researched primarily in books by Jung and Campbell. Both look at the symbology and mythology, and at the greater picture that equates man with his evolution. Symbology, mythology dig into the psyche of the times and reveal a lot on the culture that created it. So the many books I read over time gave me a pool to draw from.

    On a personal note, I remember the time period I devoted to researching the book as very exciting. I miss it.