This work investigates the historical and legendary accounts surrounding the life and teachings of Siddhartha Gautama, the founder of Buddhism. W.W. Rockhill, a noted diplomat and scholar of Tibetan and Chinese texts, synthesizes various canonical sources to construct a coherent narrative of the Buddha's existence. The text relies heavily on translations from the Tibetan Kanjur and other Eastern manuscripts to provide a structured account of the subject's early life, enlightenment, and ministry.

Scholars frequently cite this text as a significant early contribution to the Western study of Tibetan Buddhist literature. Readers often note the academic density of the prose, which prioritizes textual accuracy and historical documentation over narrative flow.