Genius of the Ancient World

Episode
Buddha
Broadcast Info
2015 (59 mins)
Description
In this first episode Bettany Hughes investigates the revolutionary ideas of the Buddha. In his 20s the Buddha abandoned his family and homeland in the foothils of the Himalayas to embark on an ambitious philosophical quest to find a solution to human suffering. On the Indian plains he experienced the challenging ideas and extreme methods of wandering ‘truth seeks’. But it was only when he found his own middle way that he fnally attained enlightenment - nivana: a state of being where all delusion, desire and suffering were extinguished. The Buddha’s philosopy would inspire a diverse belief system which spread across the Far East and beyond, shaping the lives of hundreds of millions to this day. Drawing on archaeology and expert opinion, Bettany investigates this inspiring figure.
Genre
History; Philosophy and Ethics

How to cite this record

The Open University, "Genius of the Ancient World". https://learningonscreen.ac.uk/ou/search/index.php/prog/219502 (Accessed 10 Jan 2025)