The ABCs of Buddhism ─ If You Want to Be Happy, Focus on Giving

The ABCs of Buddhism: If You Want to Be Happy, Focus on Giving Learning about Buddhism can be a fun thing—and this book puts the teachings of Buddhism into an easy-to-digest comic format. A Message from the Author: My desire to present the teachings of Buddha in a fashion that even small children could enjoy was the starting point for these comics. Nothing would make me happier than for people to take this book in hand and, perhaps with a few chuckles along the way, learn the crucial teachings of Buddhism ? teachings that can transform lives. It is especially gratifying to think that the ABCs of Buddhism will be accessible through this English translation to readers not only in Japan but around the world. My earnest desire is that the Buddhist teachings of salvation for one and all may bring happiness to all people on this earth. Hisashi Ota

Born in Shimane Prefecture in 1970, he graduated from Nagoya University’s School of Science and Yoyogi Animation Academy. His other works include The Story of Buddha: A Graphic Biography (Ichimannendo Publishing, 2011). Born in Tokyo in 1969, he holds an M.A. in philosophy from the University of Tokyo. A philosopher and co-author of You Were Born for a Reason: The Real Purpose of Life (Ichimannendo Publishing, 2006), he is also the author of Otoko no tame no ji-bun-sagashi [A man’s journey of self-discovery], Unmei wo kiri-hiraku inga no hosoku [The law of cause and effect that creates destiny], and other works. Born in Michigan in 1948 and studied Japanese language and literature at the University of Michigan. She has translated over 60 works, including You Were Born for a Reason, and has won numerous awards. She is the sole person to have received the Japanese-U.S. Friendship Commission Prize for the Translation of Japanese Literature twice, in 1980 and again in 2015.