Jataka Anthology

Welcome to your first reading assignment for the semester! This is an anthology of Buddhist Jataka stories from ancient India. The lifetime of the Buddha coincides roughly with the emergence of the epics in India; some people even consider the Buddha to be an avatar of Vishnu, just as Rama (the hero of the Ramayana) and Krishna (the hero of the Mahabharata) are Vishnu avatars. So, in order to give you something short to read this week before you begin the Ramayana next week, I put together this collection of stories told by the Buddha. I hope you will enjoy them!

It should take you approximately one hour to read through these stories and write up your notes in a blog post. Remember, you are "reading like a writer," taking notes about details, characters, plot twists, etc. that can inspire you to tell your own story based on one of these Jataka tales.

This Jataka Anthology is also an introduction to "Google Sites" which you might be using as the web platform for your own class project this semester. You can see what you think about the Google Sites platform as you read through these story pages:

• The Foolish, Timid Rabbit. Do you know the story of Henny-Penny? That English folktale derives from this ancient Indian Jataka tale.
• Two Turtle Jatakas. This page features two turtle stories: in one, the turtle acts wisely, but in the other, he acts foolishly.
• The Cunning Crane and the Crab. This is a trickster-tricked type of story; the crane is cunning, but the crab is even more cunning.
• The Crocodile and the Monkey's Heart. This is another trickster-tricked, with the monkey outwitting the crocodile.
• The Crocodile in the River. The crocodile still has not learned his lesson, and the monkey tricks him once again.
• The Monkey who Gathered Lotuses. This is another story about the Buddha reborn as a wise and courageous monkey.
• Unruly Monks. This page contains two stories that the Buddha told in reference to the bad behavior of his disciples.
• Goblin City. This last story features shape-shifting, people-eating goblins known as "rakshasas," and you will meet many more rakshasas in the Ramayana next week!