Bhutanese painted thanka of the Jataka Tales, 18th-19th century, Phajoding Gonpa, Thimphu, Bhutan
The Jataka tales are an integral part of Buddhist literature which were originally written in Pali language. Now it is translated to many languages.
This Jataka tale illustrates the perfection of character of generosity (dana). The Bodhisatta was once a prince. His father, King Sanjaya, was wealthy beyond measure and honored by all the other kings of India for his virtue, and his mother, Queen Phusati, was the most beautiful and generous woman in…
The word “Jataka” means “birth” in both the Pali and Sanskrit languages. The Jataka tales, among the oldest and best known of Buddhist texts, refers to
Tales from one of the sacred books of Buddhism, relating the adventures of the Buddha in his former existences
This Jataka tale illustrates the perfection of character of loving-kindness (metta). The Bodhisatta was once the son of two ascetics. The chiefs of two hunting villages, long-time friends, vowed they would marry two of their children to each other when they reached the right age. In time, one had a…
This Jataka tale illustrates the perfection of character of renunciation (nekkhamma). The Bodhisatta was once a crown prince. Before he was born, his father, a just and powerful king beloved by his subjects, was unhappy because none of his sixteen thousand wives had borne him a child. Even after the…
This Jataka tale illustrates the perfection of character of virtue (sila). The Bodhisatta was once a naga king. The King of Varanasi’s son (who was the Bodhisatta’s human grandfather) served as viceroy, and as time went on, everyone saw what a great man he was. This made the King of…
This is the annotated edition including * an extensive annotation of more than 10.000 words about the history and basics of Buddhism, written by Thomas William Rhys Davids The Jatakas refer to a voluminous body of literature native to India concerning the previous births (jati) of the Buddha. These are the stories that tell about the previous lives of the Buddha, in both human and animal form. The future Buddha may appear in them as a king, an outcast, a god, an elephant-but, in whatever form, he exhibits some virtue that the tale thereby inculcates. The Theravada Jatakas comprise 547 poems, arranged roughly by increasing number of verses. This book comprises poem 439 through 510. (courtesy of wikipedia.com)
Jataka Tales are often short narratives which tell the stories of the lives of the Buddha before he reached Enlightenment. The story of each of these earlier lives, like a fable, is meant to convey the lessons of moral behaviour.
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