Buddhist Myths is an accessible, engaging, and highly informative exploration of the fascinating mythology underlying one of the world's oldest and most influential religions.

Practiced today by more than 500 million adherents, Buddhism emerged from India between the sixth and fourth centuries BCE. Based around the original teachings of the Buddha, key texts emerged to promote a true understanding of Buddhist ethics and spiritual practices. The Buddhist traditions created a vast body of mythological literature, much of it focused on the life of the Buddha. For example, the 550 Jataka tales tell of Buddha's early life and renunciation, as well as his previous human and animal incarnations. Buddhist Myths discusses these tales as well as cosmology, the life of the Buddha, various teachings (such as the Pali Canon), divine and extraordinary beings, and kings, heroes, and saints.

Buddhist Myths: Cosmology, Tales & Legends, Martin J. Dougherty, Amber Books, Hardcover (7.5" x 10"), 224 pages, 2022

Martin J. Dougherty is a freelance writer specializing in military and defense topics. He is the author of Medieval Warrior, SAS and Elite Forces Guide Extreme Unarmed Combat, and SAS and Elite Forces Guide Sniper, Small Arms: From the Civil War to the Present Day, and books on personal self-defense. He lives in northern England.

CONTENTS: Buddhist Myths
Introduction		6
Chapter 1	Concepts and Cosmology	16
Chapter 2	Life of the Buddha	50
Chapter 3	The Jataka Tales	80
Chapter 4	Teachings	122
Chapter 5	Divine and Extraordinary Beings	154
Chapter 6	Notable Figures	198
Index		220