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Glite Dictionary
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Jataka

Jataka

1 9.9
A collection of stories about the Buddha's earlier lives that teach moral lessons
  • noun
  • /ˈdʒɑːtəkə/
  • Literature
: Jataka
  • In Buddhist teachings, the Jataka are cherished narratives that illustrate the moral principles the Buddha practiced throughout his many lives.

Examples

  • The Lord Buddha himself, it is believed, developed his perfection of compassion through numerous animal incarnations; the Jataka "birth" tales of his lives in such forms as rabbit, monkey, tiger, and elephant serve still as models of bravery and selflessness.

    Academic text (1993)

  • The Jataka tales contain important lessons about kindness and compassion in the stories of the Buddha's past lives.

  • Many Buddhists read the Jataka stories to learn about the virtues exemplified by the Buddha in his previous incarnations.

Synonyms

Buddhist scripture
vsJataka
1 7.4

A holy book of Buddhism that contains its teachings

is a specific canonical collection of stories about the Buddha's previous lives

Surface Forms

Jataka singular
Jatakas plural

Etymology

Jataka comes from the Pali and Sanskrit word jātaka, built on jāta meaning 'born'. So a Jataka collection is a set of 'birth' stories about the Buddha's earlier lives that teach moral lessons.