Confucius, Buddha, Jesus, and Muhammad

By: Mark W. Muesse, The Great Courses

Narrated by: Mark W. Muesse

Length: 18 hrs and 56 mins

Publisher's summary

No understanding of human life, individual or collective, could be complete without factoring in the role and contribution of these history-shaping teachers. Now, this 36-lecture series takes you deep into the life stories and legacies of these four iconic figures, revealing the core teachings, and thoughts of each, and shedding light on the historical processes that underlie their phenomenal, enduring impact.

Speaking from multilevel personal experience with these teachings, Professor Muesse leads you in an inquiry with a dynamic double thrust.

First, you'll get the chance to reflect in depth on the most essential values of spirituality and the art of living, seen from four archetypal perspectives. Second, you'll delve into the historical contexts and individual lives of the four sages, and how the religious and philosophical traditions we associate with them came into being. The lectures serve as a unique window on the origins of these traditions, through their focus on the teachings, actions, and historical roles of the sages who inspired them. In uncovering the original wisdom and practices of each sage, you'll grapple with key questions. How did each man understand the nature of the universe? How did each envision the human self? What did they each see as the path to true self-realization? In words reflecting profound and compassionate insight, these lectures bring the teachings vividly alive as they speak to their essential purpose and as they shed light on the choices we all face, moment by moment, in living deliberately and savoring life to the fullest.

PLEASE NOTE: When you purchase this title, the accompanying reference material will be available in your Library section along with the audio.

©2010 The Teaching Company, LLC (P)2010 The Great Courses

Enlightening!

Loved the narration of the stories and messeges delivered by these distinguished and illustrious figures. The lectures aptly captures the crux of the tenets of religions.

Concise and thought provoking

The course covers a plethora of knowledge and structures and summarized it very well. Mark Muesse is also very honest and tried to share things in that manner without biasing things.

Well done history on the individuals

I was expecting more of the teachings so my bad not exactly what I was looking for.

Excellent

Detail by detail, very interesting. Good to know more of each of these characters who lived amongst us.

informative

love it need to hear it a few more times too much to digest the first time around

objective and informative

an enlightening series of lectures orated by a sagely scholar. strongly recommend to anyone interested

Nice

A great overview of the four sages. I think its been a wonderful way to continue my quest to understanding the role of religions in the world

Gives historical perspective on famous teachers

Would you consider the audio edition of Confucius, Buddha, Jesus, and Muhammad to be better than the print version?

It's a lecture series. There is no print version.

Who was your favorite character and why?

It's a nonfictional lecture series on historical figures. These questions are not appropriate.

What does Professor Mark W. Muesse bring to the story that you wouldn’t experience if you just read the book?

If you're going to bother with guided questions, you should tailor them to different types of media.

If you were to make a film of this book, what would the tag line be?

There is already a film. Of the lecture. Actually, I would also recommend the film. I don't own it, but I saw a portion at a meeting, and Professor Muesse is very charismatic.

Any additional comments?

Professor Muesse gives historical and cultural color to the teachers we are all familiar with. It is one thing to read a message from an ancient sage, but it is another to understand where they were coming from and the cultural significance of their teachings. This lecture gives a broader and fuller understanding of men behind the message and the true significance of their teachings in our modern times. I recommend this to anyone!

Great Listening

This is a great entry level course to get to the deeper understanding of the ideas of reality and the human condition through the understandings, lives and teachings of the four sages. Mark Muesse does a great job of building a structure of thought that allowed me as a listener to learn from traditions I know only in passing. The final chapters tie the concepts together and contrast them in ways that will give me years of things to think about.

Thanks Mark and Great Courses series, this was time very well spent.

Very good overview of the prophets.

Good neutral perspective on the contributions of the worlds prophets. He sets the stage for when te people lived and then gives a synopsis of waht they said in life.