Francis Story (Anagarika Sugatananda) was a British-born Buddhist who lived in Asian countries for twenty-five years, deeply studying the Buddhist philosopy of life. From the time of his early contacts with Buddhism, Story had a special interest in the subject of rebirth, which grew keener during his time in Burma, when he encountered individuals who could actually recall their previous lives. He wrote prolifically on the doctrinal side of the Buddhist rebirth teaching and on its correlate, the doctrine of karma.