Enlightened

A spirited young prince longing to learn more about the world grows into a man on a quest to find the cause of human suffering in this first-of-its-kind graphic novel retelling of the life of Siddhartha, the founder of Buddhism.

Prince Siddhartha lives in a beautiful palace in the heart of Kapilavastu. His father, the king, ensures that he has the best of everything-he just can’t go outside. He is locked up away from the city, away from anything that might cause him pain. He knows nothing of illness, aging, sorrow, or death, yet Siddhartha feels the pain regardless, and it instills a burning curiosity to understand the world outside-and the nature of human suffering.

Based on the life of the real man who was known first as a prince, then as a monk, and now as the Gautama Buddha, Enlightened is about one boy’s quest to learn the truth that underpins our endless struggle against suffering-and in understanding, break the cyclic existence that perpetuates it.

Vividly rendered.\” — Kirkus Reviews
Siddhartha’s metamorphosis from crown prince to the founder of Buddhism propels this straightforward graphic novel debut…[b]old linework and clean-cut panels depict Siddhartha’s struggle to reconcile the suffering of society beyond his privileged upbringing in this practical history of Buddhism, a philosophical primer.\” — Publishers Weekly

Format: Paperback
Pages: 304
Imprint: SIMON & SCHUSTER US
Publication date: 26/09/2023
Illustrator: Ediriweera, Sachi