Jataka Tales - Birth stories of Buddha

Jataka Tales - Birth stories of Buddha by selected and retold by Ethel Beswisk foreword by E. Conze

The jataka takes were told by the Buddha during the forty years after his Enlightenment. Today 2500 years after his death, they are still remembered and cherished by readers of all ages. The thirty five stories here are mostly about animals and the former lives of Buddha. They exemplify Buddhist ethics and his belief and action and character of the present lave their source in the past. The book is a fascinating introduction to Indian thought and to the ways Buddhist values apply to the present-day world.

When you read or listen to these very old stories, if you wonder how much is really true, the Buddha gave some advice that might help. He said that when you listen to what a monk says you should test the meaning, weigh or consider it, and depend on your own insides to know the truth of it. Then follow and practice what you know to be true.