Jataka Stories

The Bodhisatta was once a kinnara, a half-human, half-bird deity. He lived with his wife on a silver mountain in the Himalayas, and one day they went down from their home to play in a stream, covering themselves in flowers, singing and…

The Bodhisatta was once a crown prince. His mother died after giving birth to a second son, Prince Canda. The king took another chief queen and had a third son, Prince Suriya. The king was so overjoyed by the birth of this boy that he…

The Bodhisatta was once a tree fairy who lived alongside a lotus pond. A smaller pond elsewhere in the forest was full of fish, but it was the dry season and the water had dropped very low, making food scarce and the water hot. A wicked,…

The Bodhisatta was once a merchant who led large oxcart caravans to trade with distant lands. As he prepared to leave on a long, dangerous journey through a vast desert, he heard that another merchant, a young and stupid man, was going to…

The Bodhisatta was once a dog who led a large pack living in a cemetery. One day after the king had been out having fun in his royal park, he arrived back at the palace after sunset, so his servants left the harness hitched to his luxurious…

The Bodhisatta was once a king of monkeys and he led a troop of eighty thousand. To protect them from danger, he had instructed them to ask him before eating any fruit they had not seen before or drinking from any water source they had not…

The Bodhisatta was once an ascetic. He lived in a forest and had a pigeon, snake, jackal, and bear as neighbors, and they used to listen to him preach. One day, while these animals were out seeking food, each suffered misfortune; afterward…

The Bodhisatta was once Indra, king of the gods. Two kings, friends since they were young, had once made a pact to someday marry two of their children to each other. Because he loved his daughter Sumedha so dearly and wanted her to have the…

The Bodhisatta was once an ascetic. He was born into a wealthy family, but was uninterested in worldly things and would not let his parents fix him up with a wife. When his parents died, he gave away the family fortune and became an…

The Bodhisatta was once a king’s chaplain. One day, while out in a park, he saw a slave and became enamored with her. They became intimate, and she got pregnant. She told the Bodhisatta she wanted to name their child after his grandfather,…