The Nidanakatha, or Introduction to the Jātaka Stories. Jataka Tales also known as Buddhist Birth Stories is an old collection of tale. The Buddha often used tales to explain and comment on events that had occured in his previous lives. 550 of those stories have been preserved and in the Buddhist world they are recognized as the oldest and most complete collection of religious folklore. The stories are short and very much like European animal fables and sufi stories. This book from 2020 by Ānandajoti Bhikkhu is a modernised version of the 1880 translation by T. W. Rhys Davids. It serves as an introduction to the Jataka Stories and it brings examples of the stories and explains how they often have been the foundation for fairy tales and stories all over the world.
Download the free PDF e-book here (210/3.6MB):
