(fifth century) sacred texts
The Jataka tales constitute part of the canon of sacred Buddhist literature. The main body of Jataka literature is a collection of 547 stories of Buddha’s previous births in prose and verse, written in Pali. Originally the Jatakas were oral tales that came from the Varanasi region of north central India and consisted of both animal and human tales as well as parables for instruction. These were then absorbed into the Buddhist literary canon, and the stories later became an important part of the Southeast Asian canon of Buddhist literature after its indigenous kingdoms adapted Indian cultural and religious philosophy.
The Jatakas contain stories that relate the self-sacrificing spirit of the Buddha in his previous lives. Several major themes and types are represented in the stories. These consisted of pre-Buddhist animal fables, heroic adventure tales, tales of renunciation, and tales exemplifying total charity and generosity. The themes of sacrifice and continuous rebirth reveal the similarity between Buddhist and Hindu beliefs regarding reincarnation. They also represent Buddhist and Hindu aims to escape the cycle of rebirth by attaining enlightenment or release from this world.
Though the stories originated as oral fables, Buddhists believe that the Buddha told these stories as lessons to his followers. In the Theravada Buddhist areas of Burma and Thailand, the most popular Jataka is the story of Prince Vessantara, who is known for his charitable nature; this a virtue that most Buddhists wish their kings would emulate. Vessantara leaves the comforts and luxuries of his palace to wander all over his kingdom. In his travels, he gives away many of his possessions, including his wife and children when he has nothing else to give away. The last 10 Jatakas, including the story of Vessantara, are frequently depicted in murals, temple reliefs, and paintings in Burma and Thailand.
English Versions of the Jataka
Jataka Tales: Animal Stories. Retold by Ellen C. Babbit. New York: Appleton-Century-Crofts, 1940.
Jataka Tales, Birth Stories of the Buddha. Retold by Ethel Beswick. London: J. Murray, 1956.
A Work about the Jataka
Cummings, Mary. The Lives of the Buddha in the Art and Literature ofAsia. Ann Arbor: University of Michigan, Center for South and Southeast Asian Studies, 1992.
