The book is a resultant of a fervid study of the life and cessation of the grand personality, Light of Asia, the Buddha who sanctified the Indian soil by the tred and trod of his holy feet. The authors elucidate in this book with percipience and authenticity the various life events of the Buddha and his great finale. The masterly treatment of the chapters like the life events of the Buddha and the evenings of the Buddha's career reflect the immaculate scholarship of the authors. The cogentre appraisal of the chapter on stone-page of Buddha's Nirvana and Mahaparinirvana is amazing. In fact the book is a running commentary of the life and dissolution of Buddha as gleaned through Pali and Sanskrit texts.

This splendid book remains an authoritative and entrancing work on the subject. No student of Buddhist religion, philosophy, art and architecture can afford to let slip this gainful work.

About the Author:

A Scholar of eminence, a distinguished archaeologist and a celebrated Indologist and art-historian Prof. Dr. K. Krishna Murthy, M. A., Ph.D., D.Litt., F.R.A.S. (London)., has devoted over three and a half decades of his life, his studies in pursuit of Indian Archaeology, Art, Architecture, Iconography, Buddhism and material culture of Ancient India. His unflinching love and adoration towards Buddhism resulted in the publication of several authoritative books on Buddhism. He authored over twenty five books and hundreds of research papers. He served the Archaeological survey of India for 34 years and distinguished himself as professor in History and Indian culture and Dean Faculty of Arts in Sri Sathya Institute of Higher Learning, Deemed university, Prashanthinilayam

Dr. K. Padmanabha, M.A., Ph.D., F.R.A.S.(London) W.A.C. (South East Asia) young and energetic scholar of Archaeology and Indology has specialized in subjects relating to art-history and Indian Buddhism. He took his M.A. in Ancient History and Archaeology in first class from Osmania University, Hyderabad and for his outstanding thesis "Life under Iloyasalas as Depicted in the Sculptures" The University of Mysore awarded him Ph.D. degree.

Dedication

Preface

Abbreviations

List of Plates

1. Introductory

2. The Buddha and his life events

3. Meaning of Nirvana

4. Nirvana in Buddhist art

5. The evening of His career

6. The Mahaparinirvana

7. Funerary Ceremony

8. The Mahaparinirvana in Plastic Art

9. The World of Buddhism

10. The Spread of Buddhism

    Appendix

    Bibliography

    Glossary