Whereas Western intellectuals seek the essence of Buddhism in its doctrines and meditation practices, the traditional Buddhists of Asia absorb the ideas and values of their spiritual heritage through its rich narrative literature about the Buddha and his disciples. The most popular collection of Buddhist stories is, without doubt, the Jatakas. These are the stories of the Buddha's past births, relating his experiences as he passed from life to life on the way to becoming a Buddha. At times he takes the form of a bird, at times he is born as a hare, a monkey, a prince, a merchant, or an ascetic, but in each case he uses the challenges he meets to grow in generosity, virtue, patience, wisdom, and compassion.This anthology of Jatakas, ably told by Ken and Visakha Kawasaki, remains faithful to the original yet presents the stories in clear and simple language. It thereby makes the Jatakas accessible even to young readers and to those for whom English is not their first language.

The Jataka Volume I by Robert Chalmers: This book is a collection of Buddhist folk tales and legends from ancient India. The book includes stories of animal fables, moral tales, and religious allegories, providing insight into the social and cultural context of India thousands of years ago. Key Aspects of the Book "The Jataka Volume I": Buddhist Folk Tales: The book is an excellent introduction to the rich tradition of Buddhist folk tales and legends, providing insight into the beliefs and cultural practices of ancient India. Storytelling: The book is filled with engaging stories and characters that will captivate readers of all ages. Religious Allegory: Many of the stories in the book are religious allegories that offer valuable insights into Buddhism and its teachings. Robert Chalmers was a Scottish missionary and folklorist who lived in India in the late 19th and early 20th centuries. His work on the Jataka tales is regarded as one of the most important contributions to the study of Buddhist folk tales and Indian culture.

Jataka 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.

The beautifully illustrated '365 Jataka Tales' impart ancient Buddhist wisdom and moral guidance in an easy and entertaining manner. These stories of the Bodhisattva, or Buddha-to-be, are tales from the previous lives of Buddha, where born as animal or human, he had to experience many a moral and ethical dilemma before attaining enlightenment. This book is the ideal gift for children, encouraging a more wholesome, positive and responsible outlook to life.

Jataka Tales are a part of Indian literature that contain stories from the life of the Buddha in the human and animal forms. The stories in this collection are written in simple language that children would be able to grasp easily. Each tale teaches an important lesson. These books form a perfect window to the Indian tradition of story-telling for kids.