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"For over two thousand years, jātaka--tales of the Buddha's previous lives--have been popular as teaching and entertainment. Apart from the classical jātaka from India, many other jātaka appeared in Southeast Asia and were assembled in collections known conventionally as the "Fifty Jātaka" (Paññāsa Jātaka). Once considered minor and apocryphal, they are now acclaimed as the lifeblood of the region's literature. This book offers the first published translations in English of twenty-one stories from the Thailand collection. The selections include some of the best-known Thai stories, such as Sudhana- Manoharā, the Golden Conch, and Rathasena (Twelve Sisters), among other adventurous quests, accounts of self-sacrifice, moral tales, strings of riddles, and story cycles. Here the tales are translated fully and faithfully in readable English prose with full annotation, an introduction on the background of the stories, and summaries of all sixty-one jātaka in the Thailand collection"--back cover.
This is the extended and 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 * an interactive table-of-contents * perfect formatting for electronic reading devices The Jātakas refer to a voluminous body of literature native to India concerning the previous births (jāti) 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 1 through 150. (courtesy of wikipedia.com)
The Jataka as we possess tells about the life of Buddha during some incarnation in one of his previous existences as a Bodhisatta (one being destined to enlightenment). Each separate story is embedded in a framework, which forms the story of the present. The present selection brings together the Jataka stories of the most widespread interest.
The Jataka Volume I by Robert Chalmers: This book is a collection of Buddhist folk tales and legends from ancient India. The book includes stories of animal fables, moral tales, and religious allegories, providing insight into the social and cultural context of India thousands of years ago. Key Aspects of the Book "The Jataka Volume I": Buddhist Folk Tales: The book is an excellent introduction to the rich tradition of Buddhist folk tales and legends, providing insight into the beliefs and cultural practices of ancient India. Storytelling: The book is filled with engaging stories and characters that will captivate readers of all ages. Religious Allegory: Many of the stories in the book are religious allegories that offer valuable insights into Buddhism and its teachings. Robert Chalmers was a Scottish missionary and folklorist who lived in India in the late 19th and early 20th centuries. His work on the Jataka tales is regarded as one of the most important contributions to the study of Buddhist folk tales and Indian culture.
This conclusion is confirmed by the fact that Jātaka scenes are found sculptured in the carvings on the railings round the relic shrines of Sanchi and Amaravati and especially those of Bharhut, where the titles of several Jātakas are clearly inscribed over some of the carvings. These bas-reliefs prove that the birth-legends were widely known in the third century B.C. and were then considered as part of the sacred history of the religion. Fah-hian, when he visited Ceylon, (400 A.D.), saw at Abhayagiri "representations of the 500 bodily forms which the Bodhisatta assumed during his successive births1," and he particularly mentions his births as Sou-to-nou, a bright flash of light, the king of the elephants, and an antelope. These legends were also continually introduced into the religious discourses which were delivered by the various teachers in the course of their wanderings, whether to magnify the glory of the Buddha or to illustrate Buddhist doctrines and precepts by appropriate examples, somewhat in the same way as mediæval preachers in Europe used to enliven their sermons by introducing fables and popular tales to rouse the flagging attention of their hearers. It is quite uncertain when these various birth-stories were put together in a systematic form such as we find in our present Jātaka collection. At first they were probably handed down orally, but their growing popularity would ensure that their kernel, at any rate, would ere long be committed to some more permanent form. In fact there is a singular parallel to this in the 'Gesta Romanorum', which was compiled by an uncertain author in the 14th century and contains nearly 200 fables and stories told to illustrate various virtues and vices, many of them winding up with a religious application. Some of the birth-stories are evidently Buddhistic and entirely depend for their point on some custom or idea peculiar to Buddhism; but many are pieces of folk-lore which have floated about the world for ages as the stray waifs of literature and are liable everywhere to be appropriated by any casual claimant. The same stories may thus, in the course of their long wanderings, come to be recognised under widely different aspects, as when they are used by Boccaccio or Poggio merely as merry tales, or by some Welsh bard to embellish king Arthur's legendary glories, or by some Buddhist samaṇa or mediæval friar to add point to his discourse. Chaucer unwittingly puts a Jātaka story into the mouth of his Pardonere when he tells his tale of 'the ryotoures three'; and another appears in Herodotus as the popular explanation of the sudden rise of the Alcmæonidæ through Megacles' marriage with Cleisthenes' daughter and the rejection of his rival Hippocleides.
The Jataka Volume II by W. H. D. Rouse: Dive into the captivating world of Buddhist literature with "The Jataka Volume II." W. H. D. Rouse presents a remarkable collection of ancient tales known as the Jataka stories. Each narrative reveals the past lives of the Buddha, offering profound insights into moral principles and spiritual teachings. This volume provides readers with an enchanting journey through timeless fables that continue to inspire and enlighten. Key Aspects of the Book "The Jataka Volume II": Buddhist Wisdom: The book offers valuable lessons on ethics, compassion, and enlightenment through the allegorical tales of the Buddha's past lives. Ancient Tales: "The Jataka Volume II" brings to life the ancient cultural heritage of Buddhism, allowing readers to immerse themselves in rich and timeless storytelling. Spiritual Reflection: The Jataka stories encourage readers to reflect on the profound spiritual wisdom embedded in each tale, offering avenues for personal growth and contemplation. W. H. D. Rouse was a distinguished scholar and writer who dedicated himself to the study of ancient literature and mythology. Born in the late 19th century, Rouse's passion for languages and cultures led him to delve into the treasures of Buddhist literature. Through his translations and interpretations, Rouse made the profound teachings of the Jataka stories accessible to a broader audience, spreading their timeless wisdom to readers across the world. "The Jataka Volume II" stands as a testament to Rouse's commitment to preserving and sharing the spiritual heritage of Buddhism.
Author : H. T. Francis,E. J. Thomas Publisher : Cambridge University Press Page : 523 pages File Size : 41,6 Mb Release : 2014-07-24 Category : History ISBN : 9781107418516
Originally published in 1916, this book presents a selection from the Jatakas translated into English. The selection was made 'with the purpose of bringing together the Jataka stories of most interest, both intrinsically, and also from the point of view of the folklorist.' Notes and illustrative figures are also included. This book will be of value to anyone with an interest in the Jataka tales and Indian literature.
The 547 Buddhist jatakas, or verse parables, recount the Buddha's lives in previous incarnations. In his penultimate and most famous incarnation, he appears as the Prince Vessantara, perfecting the virtue of generosity by giving away all his possessions, his wife, and his children to the beggar Jujaka. Taking an anthropological approach to this two-thousand-year-old morality tale, Katherine A. Bowie highlights significant local variations in its interpretations and public performances across three regions of Thailand over 150 years. The Vessantara Jataka has served both monastic and royal interests, encouraging parents to give their sons to religious orders and intimating that kings are future Buddhas. But, as Bowie shows, characterizations of the beggar Jujaka in various regions and eras have also brought ribald humor and sly antiroyalist themes to the story. Historically, these subversive performances appealed to popular audiences even as they worried the conservative Bangkok court. The monarchy sporadically sought to suppress the comedic recitations. As Thailand has changed from a feudal to a capitalist society, this famous story about giving away possessions is paradoxically being employed to promote tourism and wealth.
Jataka Tales of the Buddha (Volume I) by Ken and Visakha Kawasaki Pdf
Whereas Western intellectuals seek the essence of Buddhism in its doctrines and meditation practices, the traditional Buddhists of Asia absorb the ideas and values of their spiritual heritage through its rich narrative literature about the Buddha and his disciples. The most popular collection of Buddhist stories is, without doubt, the Jatakas. These are the stories of the Buddha's past births, relating his experiences as he passed from life to life on the way to becoming a Buddha. At times he takes the form of a bird, at times he is born as a hare, a monkey, a prince, a merchant, or an ascetic, but in each case he uses the challenges he meets to grow in generosity, virtue, patience, wisdom, and compassion.This anthology of Jatakas, ably told by Ken and Visakha Kawasaki, remains faithful to the original yet presents the stories in clear and simple language. It thereby makes the Jatakas accessible even to young readers and to those for whom English is not their first language.
Jataka Stories in Theravada Buddhism by Naomi Appleton Pdf
Jataka stories (stories about the previous births of the Buddha) are very popular in Theravada Buddhist countries, where they are found in both canonical texts and later compositions and collections, and are commonly used in sermons, children's books, plays, poetry, temple illustrations, rituals and festivals. Whilst at first glance many of the stories look like common fables or folktales, Buddhist tradition tells us that the stories illustrate the gradual path to perfection exemplified by the Buddha in his previous births, when he was a bodhisatta (buddha-to-be). Jataka stories have had a long and colourful history, closely intertwined with the development of doctrines about the Buddha, the path to buddhahood, and how Buddhists should behave now the Buddha is no more. This book explores the shifting role of the stories in Buddhist doctrine, practice, and creative expression, finally placing this integral Buddhist genre back in the centre of scholarly understandings of the religion.