Over 2,500 years ago nestled in a fertile valley along the border between India and Nepal a child was born who was to become The Buddha. The stories say that before his birth his mother, the Queen of a small Indian kingdom had a dream. In this dream of hers she is said to have come across a beautiful white elephant who offered her a lotus flower, after doing so then quickly entered the side of her body. When sages were asked to interpret the dream they predicted that the Queen would give birth to a son destined to become either a great ruler or a holy man.

In this film directed by award-winning film maker David Grubin we learn of the Buddha’s life. It features some spectacular work created by the world’s greatest artists and sculptors whom across two millennia, have depicted the Buddha’s life in art rich in beauty and complexity.