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Buddha, written by S. K. Ramachandra Rao, tells the story of Prince Siddhartha who, after a life of luxury, sees the sufferings of his people and realizes the evil effects of greed, desire, and violence. He turns ascetic and leaves his kingdom and eventually comes to be known as the Buddha. In the 6th century B.C., Prince Siddhartha was born in the northeastern parts of India, currently Indo-Nepal border areas, and his father, the King, raised him with all the pleasures this world has to offer, and keeping him away from any kind of sadness or grief. One day, while traveling around his capital city, the Prince sees a sick old man and also witnesses a funeral procession. These incidents make him to ponder over life and its many meanings, and he realizes that life is transitory, aging and death are common to everyone, and the real joy in life lies in loving and helping others. He also realizes the futility of violence and begins to preach universal love and non-violence towards animals too in order to put an end to animal sacrifices, which were prevalent those days. His teachings soon become very popular as ‘The Buddha,’ which means ‘the enlightened one’.
Saligrama Krishna Ramachandra Rao, aka S. K. Ramachandra Rao was born in 1927. He has done a lot of research about the ancient Indian texts, and has written prolifically about them. Three Acharyas Sankara Ramanuja Madhva, Sri Sharada Peethada Manikya, and Veda Rahasyada Parishodhane are some of his books. Rao was a renowned scholar and a proponent of the Vedas, Aghama Shastras, Jyothisya, Ayurveda, etc. He also knew languages such Sanskrit, Kannada, Pali, and English.
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