Jataka

Jātaka

Jātaka (Pāli). A genre of early literature describing the former lives of Gautama Buddha, and title of the tenth book of the Khuddaka Nikāya of the Sūtra Piṭaka of the Pāli Canon. Since Jātaka legends occur in the canon these must have been always recognized in Buddhist literature and constitute an old and widespread tradition, as shown by the fact that Jātaka scenes are found depicted in early sculptures. The Pāli Jātaka contains 550 birth-stories arranged in 22 books. Each story opens with a preface which relates the particular circumstances in the Buddha's life which led him to tell the birth-story, while at the end there is always a short summary where the Buddha identifies the different actors in the story in their present birth. In addition, every story is illustrated by one or more verses. According to the tradition of Sri Lanka, the original Jātaka book consisted only of these verses and a commentary on these containing the stories which they were intended to illustrate was written in very early times in Sinhalese. This was translated into Pāli about 430 ce by Buddhaghoṣa as the Jātaka-aṭṭhakathā, and after this the original was lost. It is not known when the Jātakas were put together in a systematic form, but it is assumed that they were first handed down orally. In India, the recollection of previous lives is a common feature in the histories of the saints and heroes of a sacred tradition, and it is considered a result of a pious life of self-mortification. The Jātakas are interesting as examples of Buddhist literature, and especially as a portrait of the social life and customs of ancient India.

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DAMIEN KEOWN. "Jātaka." A Dictionary of Buddhism. 2004. Encyclopedia.com. 12 Feb. 2012 <http://www.encyclopedia.com>.

DAMIEN KEOWN. "Jātaka." A Dictionary of Buddhism. 2004. Encyclopedia.com. (February 12, 2012). http://www.encyclopedia.com/doc/1O108-Jtaka.html

DAMIEN KEOWN. "Jātaka." A Dictionary of Buddhism. 2004. Retrieved February 12, 2012 from Encyclopedia.com: http://www.encyclopedia.com/doc/1O108-Jtaka.html

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Jātaka

Jātaka (‘birth-story’). A story of the previous incarnations of the Buddha. Many of these stories exist, and it is thought that some may originally have been Indian, pre-Buddhist, fables and fairy tales. Some are found virtually unchanged in Aesop's collection. In the Theravādin Tripiṭaka, a collection of 547 Jātakas forms part of the Khuddaka Nikāya.

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JOHN BOWKER. "Jātaka." The Concise Oxford Dictionary of World Religions. 1997. Encyclopedia.com. 12 Feb. 2012 <http://www.encyclopedia.com>.

JOHN BOWKER. "Jātaka." The Concise Oxford Dictionary of World Religions. 1997. Encyclopedia.com. (February 12, 2012). http://www.encyclopedia.com/doc/1O101-Jtaka.html

JOHN BOWKER. "Jātaka." The Concise Oxford Dictionary of World Religions. 1997. Retrieved February 12, 2012 from Encyclopedia.com: http://www.encyclopedia.com/doc/1O101-Jtaka.html

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Jataka

Jataka any of the various stories of the former lives of the Buddha found in Buddhist literature. The name comes from Sanskrit jātaka ‘born under’.

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ELIZABETH KNOWLES. "Jataka." The Oxford Dictionary of Phrase and Fable. 2006. Encyclopedia.com. 12 Feb. 2012 <http://www.encyclopedia.com>.

ELIZABETH KNOWLES. "Jataka." The Oxford Dictionary of Phrase and Fable. 2006. Encyclopedia.com. (February 12, 2012). http://www.encyclopedia.com/doc/1O214-Jataka.html

ELIZABETH KNOWLES. "Jataka." The Oxford Dictionary of Phrase and Fable. 2006. Retrieved February 12, 2012 from Encyclopedia.com: http://www.encyclopedia.com/doc/1O214-Jataka.html

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Jataka

Jataka see Pali canon .

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"Jataka." The Columbia Encyclopedia, 6th ed.. 2008. Encyclopedia.com. 12 Feb. 2012 <http://www.encyclopedia.com>.

"Jataka." The Columbia Encyclopedia, 6th ed.. 2008. Encyclopedia.com. (February 12, 2012). http://www.encyclopedia.com/doc/1E1-X-Jataka.html

"Jataka." The Columbia Encyclopedia, 6th ed.. 2008. Retrieved February 12, 2012 from Encyclopedia.com: http://www.encyclopedia.com/doc/1E1-X-Jataka.html

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Jataka

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"Jataka." Oxford Dictionary of Rhymes. 2007. Encyclopedia.com. 12 Feb. 2012 <http://www.encyclopedia.com>.

"Jataka." Oxford Dictionary of Rhymes. 2007. Encyclopedia.com. (February 12, 2012). http://www.encyclopedia.com/doc/1O233-Jataka.html

"Jataka." Oxford Dictionary of Rhymes. 2007. Retrieved February 12, 2012 from Encyclopedia.com: http://www.encyclopedia.com/doc/1O233-Jataka.html

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Free newspaper and magazine articles

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Studien zur Literatur des Theravada Buddhismus, I: Entstehung und Aufbau der...
Magazine article from: The Journal of the American Oriental Society; 10/1/2003

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