Jataka tales

A Jātaka (Sanskrit जातक, actually " birth story ") is a morally instructive story in the sense of a fairy tale from the life of Buddha. In the original sense, the term included only stories from the life of the historical Buddha, Siddhartha Gautama, but later more and more moral teaching stories were added, referring to former existences and other forms of existence of the Buddha. It is therefore now a distinct genre of stories, some of which were " borrowed " from other religions; Jātaka some stories can be found in completely different story collections again.

A collection of 547 Jātaka narratives is available as part of the Pali Canon of Theravada Buddhism in Suttapitaka ( collection Khuddaka Nikaya ). In addition, translations into Sanskrit into Tibetan and other languages ​​of lived Buddhism exist. The tradition is usually followed by older templates, usually the story go back to the tradition according to Ananda, a disciple of the Buddha.

Especially when the actors appear as animals, a Jātaka often reminiscent of a fable European narrative history. It should be mentioned that animals are equal children of the people, in principle, according to Buddhist understanding, and they are just at a different level of knowledge ladder. So you is to provide them with human characteristics close.

According to some researchers consider the Buddhist Jātakas served as a model for the Pancatantra ( " Sea of ​​Stories " ), and in the following also, in a roundabout way, as a model for European stories of a similar kind is certain is that at least Pancatantra and Jātakas in a transitional phase mutually fertilized.

In Asian art motifs from the stories are widespread.

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