If Only I Had Listened with Different Ears - by Jason Siff (Paperback)

Book Synopsis

These three tales belong to the same genre as Siddhartha by Hermann Hesse. The first two tales revolve around the Buddha, while the third tale takes place a thousand years later, when the Bodhisattva Maitreya appears, but only to Asanga's eyes.

If Only I Had Listened with Different Ears

Three Buddhist Tales:

King Bimbisara's Chronicler

A novel about a young man sent by King Bimbisara to memorize the teachings of the Buddha, told thirty years later during the turbulent reign of King Ajatasattu.

After the Parinibbana

A short story about an old monk who is the last living person to have heard the Buddha teach and was present at the Buddha's parinibbana.

Myth of Maitreya

A novella about the Bodhisattva Maitreya visiting Asanga during his twelve years alone in the forest and the subsequent creation of a new Buddhist philosophy with the help of Asanga's brother, Vasubandhu.

Review Quotes

"Jason Siff possesses the rare gifts of a storyteller. His lyrical, unpretentious prose evokes a fully realized, consistent yet ever surprising world." - From the Introduction by Stephen Batchelor, author of Buddhism Without Beliefs