Jataka Stories: Buddhist Tales for Young and Old

The Jataka stories have for hundreds of years been seminal to the development of many civilizations, the cultivation of moral conduct and good behavior, the growth of a rich and varied literature in diverse parts of the world, and the inspiration for painting, sculpture, and architecture of enduring aesthetic value. The Buddha himself used jataka stories to explain concepts like karma and rebirth and to emphasize the importance of certain moral values.

What is the Jataka stories?

Jataka stories are fables, usually including animals as known from the European tradition of traditional folktales. A Jataka bhanaka (jataka storyteller) is mentioned to have been appointed even as early as the time of the Buddha. Such appointments were common in ancient Sri Lanka and among others, King Llanaga (1st century AD) is recorded in the mahavamsa, to have heard Kapi Jataka from a bhanaka bhikkhu. It is in continuation of this noble tradition that these stories are now re-told in print to an audience that had been denied access to them by language and other cultural barriers.

Download the illustrated collections here:

 Jataka Tales Volume 1

 Jataka Tales Volume 2