Associated with the living traditions of folk tale, drama and epic, the Jatakas recount the development of the Bodhisatta the being destined to become the present Buddha in his final life not just through the events of one lifetime but of hundreds. Written in Pali, the language of the Theravada Buddhist canon, the Jatakas comprise one of the largest and oldest collections of stories in the world dating from the fifth century BCE to the third century CE. Generations in South and South-East Asia have grown up with these tales.
This volume contains twenty-six stories drawn from various ancient sources, and each story reflects one of the ten perfections--giving, restraint, renunciation, wisdom, strength, acceptance, truthfulness, resolve, loving kindness and equanimity. A detailed introduction elaborates on the ten perfections, explains the forms of enlightenment as well as the structure, and the historical and geographical contexts of the stories. Sarah Shaw brings to life the teachings of Buddhism for the scholar and lay reader alike.
Jatakas: Birth Stories of the Bodhisatta, Sarah Shaw, Penguin India, Paperback, 339 Pages, $16.00
Sarah Shaw was educated at Manchester University, where she read Greek and English. She did her doctorate in English Literature there and went on to the study of Pali and Sanskrit in Oxford. She has written a book about meditation in the Pali canon, which is being published as part of a series in connection with the Oxford Centre for Buddhist Studies. She is a teacher and writer and is married with three children. A Buddhist for some years, she practices with the Samatha Association in Britain.
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Contents: Jatakas: Birth Stories of the Bodhisatta |
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Acknowlegdements |
ix |
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List of Abbrviations |
xi |
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A note on the texts |
xiii |
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Author's note |
xvii |
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Introduction |
xix |
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The Far Past: The Bodhisatta Vow and the Ten Perfections |
1 |
1. |
A True Story |
7 |
2. |
The Story of Makhadeva |
26 |
3.
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The Cane Stalk Story |
31 |
4. |
The Story of the Partridge |
37 |
5. |
The Vedabbha Mantra |
43 |
6. |
The Story of the Five Weapons
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51 |
7. |
The Story of the Fish |
60 |
8. |
The Hair-Standing-on-End Story |
66 |
9. |
The Story of Great King of Glory |
75 |
10.
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The Story of More Than a Thousand |
80 |
11. |
The Story of the Draining Bucket |
84 |
12.
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A Rustic Story |
87 |
13. |
The Kusa Grass Story |
90 |
14. |
The Cat Story |
95 |
15. |
The Story of the Kimsuka Tree |
99 |
16. |
The Story of the Tortoise |
104 |
17. |
The Story of the One Who Taught Forbearance |
108 |
18.
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The Story of the Hare |
114 |
19. |
The Story of Nandiya the Deer |
122 |
20. |
The Story of the Barleymeal Sack |
129 |
21. |
The Story of the Monkey King |
142 |
22. |
The Story of the Swift Goose |
149 |
23. |
The Story of Campeyya |
158 |
24. |
The Story of Temiya, the Dumb Cripple |
179 |
25. |
The Story of Mahajanaka |
222 |
26. |
The Story of Sama |
274 |
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Further reading and bibliography |
311 |
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Appendix A: The disciples of the Buddha |
321 |
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Appendix B: Cosmology |
323 |
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Appendix C: Indian sites that portray Jatakas |
326 |
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Glossary and index of proper names |
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