Story of the Buddha,The

“John Tarrant has a rare gift for lyricism and for opening out the depths that lie between certainties. In his hands, the story of the Buddha’s life becomes a suggestive poem and a spacious parable, wisdom tucked inside every clause. I sometimes think you could spend a lifetime with each paragraph here.”—Pico Iyer, author of The Half Known Life“Can I make clear how great this book is? It is splendid, entrancing, breathtakingly beautiful, and, to use an overused but extremely appropriate word, enlightening. Reading it, I was in awe. ‘We call our pain our self,’ Tarrant quotes the Buddha. ‘We have things the wrong way round.’ In this personal, lyrical, and most compelling telling of the Buddha’s story, John Tarrant shows us how we can make his story our own.”—Mark Epstein, MD, author of The Zen of Therapy“A beautiful gift book for discovering the life and teachings of the Buddha.”—Spirituality & Practice“Of great value for contemplation for those already well-versed in this story or even for those non-Buddhist seekers interested in a multilayered mythical tale that holds up a mirror for self-reflection.”—Buddhistdoor Global“Tarrant recounts the Buddha’s life in his colorful new book. In this beautiful tome, which includes a rich collection of traditional Chinese and Japanese illustrations, the timeless tale is presented like a poetic meditation.”—Lion’s Roar“Filled with exquisite artwork from a variety of traditions. It reads like the wisdom of a longtime practitioner summing up all he has learned… . You may think you’ve read the story of the Buddha’s life and know how it informs your practice. You may think you know what koan practice is and how it fits into the history of Buddhism. You nevertheless need to read this book. It shows you the story in a whole new way. It’s a stunner.”—Tricycle

John Tarrant is a Zen teacher, writer, and poet who has studied koans for over forty years. He is director of the Pacific Zen Institute, a venture in meditation and the arts, and teaches culture change in organizations. Tarrant holds degrees in Human Sciences and English literature and a PhD in Psychology. For twenty years, he was a Jungian psychotherapist working on dream analysis. He is the author of several books, including The Light Inside the Dark- Zen, Soul, and the Spiritual Life and Bring Me the Rhinoceros and Other Zen Koans That Will Save Your Life. He lives among the vineyards near Santa Rosa, California.