I just finished the Buddha comics by Osamu Tezuka. Again.
While the first time I read them was over a course of three years, as the books were published and imported here, I now can read the whole story from beginning to end in one sitting.
I now know how some of my friends and acquaintances got their names. Probably.
Ananda was a Shakyan bandit who was baptised by the demon Mara. This gave him regenerative abilities.
Falling for a slave girl Lata, he later became Buddha's closest and most loyal companion.
Buddha's wife was Yesodhara, and his son was Rahula, which means obstacle.
Anuradha also had humble beginnings, as a thief or murderer or something like that. Later becoming a monk.
Ahimsa was a prince-turned-serial-killer who later had one Buddhist precept of non-violence named after him.
All in all, it was a good comics series, that do not dwell too much on Buddhist teachings, but focuses on Buddha's life.
And there were lots of nudity in it.
Best character? Devadatta. Bandaka's son who became a wise guy and plotted to kill Buddha.
And Tatta, the pariah who was Buddha's first disciple. He killed the most people in this comic book.
