Jatakas. Tales of the Buddha. Volume 3

The third volume of the anthology of Jatakas retold by Ken and Visakha Kawasaki includes 16 stories out of 217, chosen for the first acquaintance of the modern Western reader with the ancient genre of Indian parables about the earthly reincarnations of the Buddha.

It is believed that the Buddha himself used these stories to convey his teachings to the people.

The immense popularity of these tales has not faded for three millennia — their plots have penetrated the canons of fairy tales of many nations, and this is explained not only by the fascinating nature of the magical plots but also by the moral guidance in eternal values, precise descriptions of the most important human problems — those that remain unchanged throughout all times and cultures.