Jataka Tales - Tales of Misers

JATAKA TALES - TALES OF MISERS
A Collection of Jataka Tales

All living creatures die to be born again, so the Hindus believe. The Buddha was no exception. Legend has it that several lifetimes as a Bodhisattva went into the making of the Buddha, the Enlightened One. The Bodhisattva came in many forms - man, monkey, deer, elephant. Whatever his mortal body, he spread the message of justice and wisdom, tempered with compassion. This wisdom - the wisdom of right thinking and right living - is preserved in the Jataka tales.

The Jataka tales, retold in this selection, will keep you amused while they show you how good ultimately triumphs over evil.

The Jataka Tales, on which the present title is based, is a collection of 550 stories included in the Pali canon. These are based on folklore, legends and ballads of ancient India. We cannot assign a definite date to the Jataka stories. Taking into account archaeological and literary evidence, it seems likely that they were compiled in the period between 3rd century and 5th century AD. The Jataka tales provied invaluable information about ancient Indian civilisation, culture and philosophy.

This Amar Chitra Katha contains three stories. The first two deal with miserly men who learn lessons in generosity and kind-heartedness by small miracles. The last story is that of a poor Brahmin who uses a quick trick to change the opinions people have of him. This title is from the ACK Jataka Collection.