Best of Jataka Tales

Once, the Bodhisatta was born into a very rich family. He had all the comforts money could buy. After some time, however, he got tired of all the comforts and the life he led. He gave up all and became a wandering monk, begging for alms and living on them.One day, he found he had […]

A merchant, who was a Bodhisatta, travelled with all his goods loaded on five hundred bullock carts to sell them in different cities and kingdoms.He warned all his men, “When you pass through any place, you will see many attractive things. Please be very careful as there may be poisonous foods, fruits and leaves, which

Two hawkers went around to different villages selling brass and tin vessels, sometimes in exchange for old ones. Often each of them covered one half of a village.Once they came to a village where a poor widow lived with her little grand-daughter. The little girl wanted her Granny to buy something for her, but they

One day, a wolf’s wife had a great longing to eat fish. The wolf said he would try and bring her some, though he did not know how to catch fish. However, he went to a river hoping for the best.On the banks of the river, there were two otters. They had also come there

Once upon a time, there was a little man with a bent back. He was very wise and an excellent archer. “I want to join the King’s army, but they will not take me because I am so little.” He found a way to solve his problem. “I’ll find a big strong man and tell

A large herd of elephants lived in a forest in the Himalayan foothills. They were led by a magnificent white elephant. He was very fond of his old blind mother. When the elephants went out looking for food, he sent some fruits to his mother with some of his fellow elephants. But those greedy elephants

A wolf was watching a hole carefully. He saw a huge rat coming out, and then another and another….. There were hundreds of rats in the hole. His mouth watered. They would provide him with food for many days. He would have to trick them.The next day when they came out of their hole, they

A family of hawks came to live on a tree in a forest: Papa Hawk, Mama Hawk and Baby Hawk. They were new to the place. So after a few days, Mama Hawk asked Papa Hawk to make some good friends. “Friends always help in times of need,” she explained, “But who do I make

A herd of goats lived on a mountain-side. They grazed upon the fresh grass all day and slept in a large cave at night. A pair of wolves also lived in a cave not too far away. When they saw the goats, they were very happy. Every day, they ate one or two goats.Slowly, the

There was a bad wolf in the forest. He was also very lazy. He was always looking out for someone who would hunt and feed him. He found a young lion and, with flattery and sweet words, he made friends with him.The lion’s parents had warned him never to make friends with any wolf. They

A Brahmin in Banaras once bought two parrots from a hunter who had caught them. The Brahmin treated them like his own children. The elder of them was Bodhisatta. The younger one was an extremely talkative bird. He did not know what to say, when and to whom to say it either. So, he very

Near the Western Ocean many palm trees grew and there was a small wood of vilva trees too. The Bodhisatta had been born in the forest and had grown into a big, wise lion.Under a vilva tree, there lived a timid little hare. One day as he slept, a vilva fruit fell on him. He

The Bodhisatta was once born in a city and grew up to be the King’s advisor. The King was extremely talkative. The advisor often wondered how he could politely tell the King to keep quiet.One day, a tortoise lay dead on the ground as the King and his entourage walked around. The King stopped wondering

In Banaras, the Bodhisatta was once born as a potter. He supported his family by making clay pots and toys with clay from the banks of a river and a huge lake near by.During heavy rains the water of the lake and the river flowed together, but during drought the water level fell and they

There was a Brahmin who lived in Banaras. He was married and had three little daughters, Nanda, Nandavati and Sundarinanda. The Brahmin died leaving his widow and daughters in great poverty.The Brahmin was a Bodhisatta, so he remembered his previous life when he was born again as a beautiful golden mallard. He was worried about