Buddhacarita or Acts of the Buddha Author:Johnston This is the most famous work of Asvaghosa, the well-known Buddhist poet-philosopher of the early 2nd century. The poem falls into four distinct quarters of seven cantos describing the birth and youth of the hero, his long quest to enlightenment, and how the Buddha made his teaching available to all beings - a mission ending with a universal... more » conquest in which the hero converts the rulers and people in many countries to the new doctrine of the Buddha.« less