Jataka Stories in Theravada Buddhism: Narrating the Bodhisatta PathJataka 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. |
Contents
1 | |
2 The Bodhisatta in Jātaka Stories | 21 |
3 The Creation of a Jātaka Genre | 41 |
4 Generic Conventions Embraced and Ignored | 65 |
5 Jātakas and Buddhology | 85 |
6 Jātakas and Biography | 109 |
7 Jātaka Ideology in Practice | 123 |
8 The Perfection of Storytelling | 147 |
159 | |
171 | |
Other editions - View all
Jataka Stories in Theravada Buddhism: Narrating the Bodhisatta Path Dr Naomi Appleton Limited preview - 2013 |
Jātaka Stories in Theravāda Buddhism: Narrating the Bodhisatta Path Naomi Appleton Limited preview - 2010 |
Jataka Stories in Theravada Buddhism: Narrating the Bodhisatta Path Naomi Appleton Limited preview - 2016 |
Common terms and phrases
actions Apadāna arahat arahatship argues aspiration association attain awakening become Bhārhut bodhisatta path Buddha and Bodhisatta Buddha’s biography Buddhaghosa buddhahood Buddhavaṃsa and Cariyāpiṭaka canonical chapter character commentary contain context dāna demonstrate dhamma Dhammapada Dīpaṅkara discussion doctrine early elephant examined example explicitly Fausbøll Faxian focus future buddhas Gombrich Gotama Buddha Hinüber idea ideal identified indian jātaka collection jātaka genre jātaka illustrations jātaka images jātaka stories jātaka texts Jātakapāli kamma karmic Khuddaka Nikāya Kiṃsuka king later london mahāyāna mettā metteyya monkey monks moral Mūlasarvāstivāda narration narrative nekkhamma nibbāna Nidānakathā Pāli Pāli canon Paññāsajātaka pāramitās paritta past births past buddhas path to buddhahood perfections Peter Skilling popular practice present previous births rebirth reference renunciation Rhys-Davids ritual role saṅgha scholars significance sīla Sinhala Sri lanka stūpa suggest Sutta teaching temple textual Theravāda Theravāda Buddhism Theravāda tradition Trans upekkhā verses Vesak Vessantara Vessantara-jātaka vinaya whilst wisdom